Abia State Governor Alex Otti has thrown his weight behind the establishment of the first National Park in the Southeast, with Abia State being considered as its host.
Otti expressed his support when he received a delegation from the National Park Service, led by the Chairman of its Governing Council, Dr. Kingsley Ononogbu, in his office.
The governor assured the delegation of the state government’s commitment to the initiative, describing the proposal as timely and important to environmental conservation.
Otti disclosed that he had earlier approved a request by the Commissioner for Environment for the tracing and identification of forest reserves across the state.
According to him, Abia has 19 forest reserves, 18 of which are available for consideration for conservation purposes.
He said the available reserves could provide an opportunity to establish at least one conservation area in each of the state’s 17 local government areas.
The governor stressed the need to protect Abia’s natural resources and strengthen environmental conservation efforts.
He said his administration would constitute a team, led by the Commissioner for Environment and comprising climate change and environmental experts, to work towards ensuring the establishment of the proposed national park.
Otti thanked the National Park Service for initiating the proposal and congratulated ACG. Ugochukwu Michael on his elevation to the rank of Assistant Conservator-General.
Speaking earlier, the Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Park Service, Dr. Kingsley Ononogbu, commended Otti’s achievements in the state over the last three years.
Ononogbu said the delegation’s visit was also aimed at reminding the governor of his commitment to establishing a national park in Abia, noting that the absence of one in the Southeast had left the region behind.
He said the proposed park would provide significant socio-economic benefits to Abia, including job creation, revenue generation, investment attraction, enhanced security and crime reduction.
The Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Philemon Ogbonna, and other members of the State Executive Council were also present at the meeting.
