Governor Alex Otti of Abia has said the state government will soon make a pronouncement on a new retirement age for nurses in the state from 60 years to 65 years.
Mr Otti said this on Friday evening at the Government House, Umuahia, during his monthly interactive session with journalists.
He said the measure is part of the government's determination to renew the health sector, which is one of the priority areas of his administration.
He said the government had already raised the retirement age for teachers from 60 to 65.
The governor further said that the government had finalised arrangements to establish a state-of-the-art medical city.
Mr Otti said the project committee had already been set up and the location had been identified.
He said the government would collaborate with two international medical mission groups, namely Extended Hands and Lifted Hands, to carry out the project.
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“We are committed to this because it will be one of our flagship projects.
“The idea is to bring medical tourists back to Abia,” Otti said.
He also said that until now the government under his supervision had been able to operate without borrowing money.
According to him, the Government has many tempting offers and we believe that we will accept them at the right time.
“We are working at the facilities of the African Development Bank and the Islamic Development Bank Group.
“The terms are generous and we believe that when we need them we will be able to access any of them.
“I can say that the state of the state is healthy, but we will continue to pay attention to what is happening,” the governor said.
He also spoke of the modest achievements made so far in different sectors of the state, including agriculture.
He said the government has successfully reclaimed palm, rubber, cocoa and other plantations that previous administrations had granted to private individuals.
The governor thanked the state's inhabitants for their support and urged them to continue contributing to the construction of a new Abia.
(YAYA)