Dr. Willie Obiano and Dr. Nkamakonam Okeke were yesterday, sworn in as governor and deputy governor of Anambra State respectively with a pledge to tackle headlong the perennial problems of power failure and insecurity which they identified as the biggest constraints to the full manifestation of the ingenuity for which Anambra people were known.
At the colourful ceremony held at Dr. Alex Ekwueme Square, Awka and attended by eminent personalities from Anambra and beyond, Obiano said that the realisation of his dreams for Anambra State depends on how well these two challenges were tackled.
He said: “The good news is that there is hope for Anambra State. We shall aggressively address the challenge of power supply with the proposed citing of ultra-modern Independent Power Plants, IPP, in the three industrial hubs in the state, especially, in Onitsha, Nnewi and Awka. When fully operational, these plants will generate enough electricity to power the entrepreneurial dreams of our people.”
In the area of security, he said: “Anambra will be different under my watch. Not only shall we redraft the operational manual of the entire security apparatchik to ensure a lightening-quick response, we shall also re-orientate our people to see that every citizen has a role to play in the security of our communities. The concept of community policing or what is better known as the Vigilante Groups, has worked well in Anambra State.
“The next challenge however is to re-train, re-equip and refocus them to meet the dynamics of our time. Along the same line, we will strengthen the police and other law enforcement agencies in the state to enhance their efficiency and response rate to distress calls.”
The inauguration ceremony was attended by eminent personalities including former Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Azubuike Ihejirila, rtd, Gov. Theodore Orji of Abia State, Special Adviser to the President on Inter-Party Affairs, Sen. Ben Obi, GOC 82 Div, Major Gen. S. Yusuf, APGA National Chairman, Chief Victor Umeh, Business mogul, Prince Arthur Eze, Sir Emeka Offor, wives of Delta and Cross River State Governors, Roli Uduaghan and Obioma Imoke, Nigerian Ambassador to Spain, Mrs. Bianca Ojukwu and APC Chieftain, Chief Annie Okonkwo.
Willie Obiano, Candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), was declared winner of the governorship election in Anambra State by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of Nigeria.
Obiano, the new Anambra governor, Born in 1955, is a native of Agulueri-Otu in Anambra-East local government area in the North senatorial district, obtained a B.Sc. in Accountancy from the University of Lagos in 1979 and MBA in Marketing from the same university in 1993. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and a former assistant director of the Fidelity Bank Plc
Professor Chukwuemeka Onukogu, the Resident Commissioner of INEC in Anambra state declared in Awka that Mr. Obiano won the election by polling 180,178 votes in 19 local government areas in the state.
At a church service held Sunday to mark the end of the outgoing state Governor Peter Obi’s eight-year administration at St. Patrick’s Catholic Cathedral, Awka, the state capital.
The Presiding bishop of Awka Catholic Diocese, Most Revd Dr Paulinus Ezeokafor, declared that Governor Obi laid a solid foundation for future leaders to stand on and take the state to a higher pedestal.
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