Tag Archives: OBIANO

ANPA Endorses Obiano As Sole Candidate For 2017

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Ahead of the November 18 Gubernatorial election in Anambra state, the apex socio-political organisation of the people of Anambra north senatorial zone, Anambra North Peoples Assembly (ANPA), has taken a unanimous decision not to go to the polls with multiple candidates, but to stick with the present administration of Governor Willie Obiano for continuity.

In a massively attended meeting at Aguleri in Anambra East Local Government Area of the state, the entire assembly from the seven Local Government Areas of Anambra north, led by Emmanuel Achike and assisted by the former Minster of Health, Dr. Tim Menakaya, endorsed and declared the governor as their choice and sole candidate for the election and urged other senatorial zones to support them in their own interest.

In the history of governance in Anambra state, the Central senatorial zone has had the opportunity of occupying the seat of Anambra state government for 11 years, the south senatorial zone for six years and six months and the North senatorial zone for the very first time.

ANPA, irrespective of political leaning, had gathered and taken a unanimous decision to allow the present administration to continue based on a wide consultation made in the seven Local Government Areas that make up Anambra North Senatorial Zone.

Speeches by the Chairman, Elder Emmanuel Achike and his assistant, Dr. Tim Menakaya set the meeting on course in which the conviction of continuity became high for the present administration of Governor Willie Obiano.

Member representing Ogbaru (II) constituency, Mr Somtochukwu Udeze, read out the report of the fact finding committee which was adopted by the whole House as a working document for the upcoming election.

“It is a general consensus that Anambra North should retain power for another four years so as to complete the maximum of eight years in office which will see that the circle of equity be completed as other senatorial zones have enjoyed the same in the past. It was a general conviction that Anambra North has to win the forthcoming 2017 gubernatorial election.”

Member representing Oyi/Ayamelum, Gabriel Onyenwife and a former Senatorial candidate for Anambra North Senatorial Zone, Dr. Mike Areh took the bull by the horn to appeal to the conscience of the people on continuity and urged them to consider the monumental achievements of the governor and stick to him for the coming polls.

The motion for endorsement of Governor Willie Obiano as the sole candidate of Anambra North people was moved as the people affirmed that Obiano was found as the best option and worthy to pilot the affairs of the state for another four years on completion of the present tenure.

A former senator representing Anambra East and West, Mr Emma Anosike among other persons who reacted to the endorsement noted that until Governor Obiano says he would not run, that would be the only time the zone would search another.

The meeting then came to an end with an appeal from members of ANPA, calling on other senatorial zones to support the idea for equity and fairness.

 

Source: Channels TV

Governor Obiano Commits To Employing 178 Youths In Anambra

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The Anambra state government has pledged its commitment to solving the problem of youth unemployment in the state, through opening windows of opportunity in various fields of the economy including agriculture, trade and commerce, in the civil service.

The Secretary to the State Government, Professor Solo Chukwulobelu, revealed this when he visited the Umuawulu Training Camp where 178 youths were undergoing training ahead of employment into the state civil service under Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra, OCHA Brigade.

The agency is in charge of environmental orderliness and task force against illegal Internally Generated Revenue collectors.

The Anambra State has a population of over four million people with the youths forming a critical mass in the structure.

The state government has shown its commitment to youths employment and empowerment through engaging them in the agricultural sector and creating career opportunities for them in the state civil service.

During the youth rally held last month in the state, Governor Willie Obiano had assured youths of more job opportunities having created within the last two years.

According to the Special Adviser to Governor Willie Obiano on Youths Empowerment, Dr. Onyeka Ibezim, the statistics of youth employment and empowerment in the state, under the present administration showed an aggressive resolve to reduce unemployment to the barest minimum.

“Anambra State Waste Management Agency, this area was initially moribund, so what did we do? We energized it and recently we have a new employment of about 600 working on that in addition to what we had before.

“In the Anambra Transport Management Authority, (ATMA) we have close to 457 new entrants into the scheme.

“In agriculture, we have more than 3,500 graduates that are structured in our various farms. As you know it is no more agriculture as usual, we are not talking of cutlass and hoe agriculture, we are talking of mechanized agriculture.”

The NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp at Umuawulu, Awka South local government area, Anambra, said 178 youths were undergoing training for onward career opportunities into the state civil service under the agency, Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra, Ocha Brigade.

The Secretary to the State Government who came on inspection visit to the camp expressed gratitude to the governor for the employment move despite the critical economic situation in the country.

“The governor has also empowered 200 hundred road sweepers, men and women again and this is in addition to the previous 140 or thereabout that were employed.

This is the third batch of OCHA Brigade people that will be employed. In total, their number is coming up to about 300 people that will be located in various parts of the state.”

The trainees were drawn from the 20 Local Government Areas of the state and are to spend one month in the training camp in view of the critical job they are about to embark on.

The Superintendent emphasized discipline as the core area of training as well as pointing out the premise of operation.

“A lot of them here have different characters and from different places, so we need to bring them together to follow them as the training goes, to know those who are really out to do this job and those who have come to spy what we are doing and also find a way of thwarting what we are going to do in the field.

“That is why you see us removing some of them, dismissing some of them and replacing them with those who are ready and are here to do the training.

Governor Obiano presents N115.5 billion budget for 2017

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Gov. Willie Obiano of Anambra on Tuesday presented a budget proposal of N115.5 billion before the State House of Assembly.

According to Mr. Obiano, a total of N58.9 billion will be spent on capital projects, while N56.6 billion will go to recurrent expenditure.

This, he noted represents a ratio of 51 to 49 respectively just as the previous year.

He said the estimate was premised on the basis of N305 per dollar exchange rate and a projected price of $42 per barrel of crude oil.

The governor said that N40.2 billion was projected to come from the federal allocation, while N20.4 billion would be raised from Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

Mr. Obiano said that a sum of N12 billion was projected to come from development partners as counterpart fund.

On personnel expenditure, Mr. Obiano said that N17.7 billion would be spent as salaries and wages, N10.2 billion would be spent on pensions and gratuities of retirees, while N18.4 billion would be spent on overheads.

Mr. Obiano said the state government intends to revamp the more than 160 moribund water schemes in Anambra.

He further said that the state would spend N610 million on the 61 major markets in the area to enable traders to operate in a healthy and friendly environment.

The speaker of the House, Rita Mmaduagwu, admitted the document for deliberations following the motion moved by the Majority Leader of the House Victor Okoye.

Igbo Renaissance: Anambra to float Igbo radio station, mandate students to wear traditional attire.

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Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra on Tuesday said he would float a radio station that would broadcast its programmes in Igbo language.

 

He made this known during a public event organised by an Igbo cultural society known as “Otu suwakwa Igbo’’ headed by former Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Pita Ejioforon.

 

The governor said “this is my contribution toward preventing the Igbo language from going into extinction.”

 

Mr. Obiano expressed dismay at the failure of parents to teach their children the Igbo language and culture.

 

He added that henceforth, pupils in the state would wear Igbo traditional attire to school every Wednesday.

 

According to him, folklore will be taught to primary school children every Wednesday evening.

 

The governor said that the Igbo folklore he learnt while growing up had helped in shaping his behaviour and guided his relationship with other people till date.

 

“Igbo folklore is powerful in building morals and values. I can’t forget my late primary school teacher and the way he used Igbo folklore to teach us great lessons.

 

“Even as a governor, those stories about the tortoise and other animals still guide my life.”

 

He assured the Igbo cultural society that the state government would strengthen the law that would make it mandatory for all to communicate in Igbo language and wear traditional attire on Wednesdays.

 

Former National Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance, Victor Umeh, described language and religion as the true identities of a people.

 

He said “we should not allow Igbo language to die as predicted. For me, I have Igbo odour and I smell Igbo; my red cap is my joy as an Igbo man.”

 

In her remarks, Stella Onuorah, the Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs, Culture and Tourism, appealed to the Igbo in the Diaspora to strive to teach their children the language and inculcate in them the cultural values.

Governor Obiano to establish radio station to broadcast in Igbo

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Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra, on Tuesday, said he would float a radio station that would broadcast its programmes in Igbo language.

He made this known during a public event organised by an Igbo cultural society known as “Otu suwakwa Igbo’’ headed by former Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Prof. Pita Ejioforon.

Obiano said: “This is my contribution toward preventing the Igbo language from going into extinction.”

Obiano expressed dismay at the failure of parents to teach their children the Igbo language and culture.

He added that henceforth, pupils in the state would wear Igbo traditional attire to school every Wednesday.

According to him, folklore will be taught to primary school children every Wednesday evening.

The governor said that the Igbo folklore he learnt while growing up had helped in shaping his behaviour and guided his relationship with other people till date.

He said: “Igbo folklore is powerful in building morals and values. I can’t forget my late primary school teacher and the way he used Igbo folklore to teach us great lessons.

“Even as a governor, those stories about the tortoise and other animals still guide my life.”

He assured the Igbo cultural society that the state government would strengthen the law that would make it mandatory for all to communicate in Igbo language and wear traditional attire on Wednesdays.

Former National Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance, Chief Victor Umeh, described language and religion as the true identities of a people.

Umeh said: “We should not allow Igbo language to die as predicted. For me, I have Igbo odour and I smell Igbo; my red cap is my joy as an Igbo man.”

In her remarks, Stella Onuorah, the Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs, Culture and Tourism, appealed to the Igbo in the Diaspora to strive to teach their children the language and inculcate in them the cultural values.

“Buy us Prado Jeeps so we can support your reelection”, Anambra lawmakers tell Obiano

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Some members of the Anambra State House of Assembly have reportedly demanded that the governor, Willie Obiano provides Prado Jeeps for them as a condition to support his second term bid, Punch reports.

It was gathered that the Minority Leader in the House, Onyebuchi Offor is spearheading the request.

He alleged that the governor has been receiving N1.2bn monthly as security votes, while touring radio stations to crusade against the governor.

One of them said, “We can’t continue this way. This is a man (governor) who does not listen to advice and he has continued to fail to recognise the lawmakers in terms of bettering their condition of service.

“Our colleagues in other states move in jeeps but what we use here is Escape car which is ridiculous. What is the governor doing with N1.2bn every month as security vote; we are not going to allow him to continue like that.

“He has to provide us with Prado Jeeps and improve our condition of service, otherwise we will wait for him during the election,” the lawmaker stated.

The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Tony Nnacheta, however said the request was baseless.

He said, “We are not merchants that if you say you need Prado Jeep, we give you. Are they saying we should give them Prado Jeeps because our economy has improved or what?

“Are they saying that we should abandon our responsibility of paying workers and pensioners and buy jeeps for them?”

FG Owes Anambra N27bn- Obiano

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Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano has cried out to the Federal Government to re-emburse N27 billion which his government has so far expended in fixing Federal roads in the state.

Chief Obiano, who was answering questions from newsmen at Nkpor Junction of Enugu/ Onitsha Expressway said so far, his govern­ment had spent N27 billion in the maintenance of dilapidated federal roads.

He said approval had already been given for the refund of N25 billion, adding, however, that addi­tional N2.1 billion had been spent since the last approval.

The governor said his govern­ment needed the money to be able to invest more on roads repair and other needs.

UNILAG Honours Osinbajo, Ambode, Obiano, Others (Photos)

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The management of the University of Lagos, yesterday evening honored some of it’s distinguished alumni including Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Lagos state governor Akinwunmi Ambode, Anambra state governor Willie Obiano and others in a special Awards and Recognition Dinner that took place at the Multi-purpose Hall of the institution.

In a formal letter signed by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Rahman A Bello, the university explained that the honour is for its “eminent and worthy Alumni who have distinguished themselves and are currently holding executive political offices in various states.”

On the honours list is the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.

Other honorees are, HE, Mr. Udom Gabriel Emmanuel, the governor of Akwa Ibom State, HE Mr. Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, the governor of Gombe State and HE Mr. Ude Oko Chukwu, the deputy governor of Abia State who are all alumni of the university.

See more photos below:

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Boko Haram Prisoners Will Be Relocated From Anambra State Very Soon – Governor Obiano

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The Governor of Anambra state Willie Obiano says Boko Haram prisoners who were recently taken to the Ekwulobia prison in the state will soon be relocated. Governor Obiano said this after a meeting with members of the National Security Council who were at the government house in Awka earlier today. Addressing the press, Governor Obiano said

“I want to reassure you that the meeting went very well. The various communities in Anambra, the markets, the car Unions, the churches, our traditional institutions and others made a great point to them that we want this people removed and removed immediately. They have reassured that they will take up our message back to Abuja and that this people will be removed very soon” he said.

Run From Obiano, Group Tells Buhari

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A socio-polical pressure group, Maka Odinma Anambra, has enjoined Governor Willie Obiano and other leaders of the South East to stop embarrassing the zone by their cavalier and shameless attempt to jump onto the Buhari victory train, which they naively refused to board only few weeks earlier .

Irked by last Friday’s visit by Governor Obiano to president-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, wherein he pledged to give General Buhari the same hundred per cent support which he gave to President Goodluck Jonathan, the group wondered whether it was the same man who throughout the electioneering period urged his party members not to vote for a ” Jihadist” and a party belonging to the Hausa/Yoruba ethnic nationalities .

“It is either Governor Obiano’s mathematics does not add up, or in a desperation to display unbridled loyalty, he mixed up the figures. Pray, if he pledges to give the General the same 100 percent support which he said he gave to President Jonathan before, during and after the general election, then it goes without question that he obviously gave General Buhari zero support during the election that won him victory”, the group said in a statement signed by its Secretary, Emeka Nwazue.

“For a man who openly said before the election that any Igbo who vote for APC is a bastard and an enemy of Biafra, and who also used machinery of his government to suppress the interests of General Buhari and his All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates in both the Presidential, National and State Assembly elections barely one month ago, to seek to benefit from his perfidy clearly fore-grounds the new abyss into which leadership appear to be sinking in the South East geo-political zone, especially Anambra”, the socio-political organization said.

The group contended that while it was alright for Governor Obiano to pay a courtesy visit on president-elect Buhari, there is everything wrong in attempting to Nicodemously foist on himself the leadership of the Igbo race, or it’s elected officials – as his posturing during the visit suggested – especially as those who assiduously worked for the glory which he seeks to appropriate, such as Governor Rochas Okorocha, Senator Chris Ngige, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu and the Hon. Afam Ogene, amongst others, have not embarked upon the kind of booty-begging adventure which he undertook.

“As a mather of fact, we urge Gov. Obiano to remain in the All Proressives Grand Alliance (APGA), which he steadily decimates with each passing day, instead of seeking to pollute current attempts at strengthening the APC in the South east geo-political zone,” Maka Odinma Amambra stated.

Obiano Denies Plan To Join APC As He Visits Buhari

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Anambra State Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State on Friday visited the President-Elect, General Muhammadu Buhari in his Aso Drive residence, Abuja strengthening speculations he planned to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), on whose platform he was elected.

However, speaking to journalists at the premises of General Buhari following a closed door meeting, Obiano dismissed the defection speculation. He said that his mission to the president-elect was to congratulate him. Although he planned to work with Buhari, he remained a member of APGA.

Asked whether he had plans of joining the APC, Obiano replied: “It is not correct. I will remain with APGA and work very closely with Mr president.”

“Well, I came to congratulate His Excellency the President-elect on his victory and I am also here to reassure him that Anambra and the south East would support him. I also pleaded with him on some pressing problem that are of importance to the south east like the second Niger bridge and some of the federal roads.

“We also pleaded in the area of appointment for the people of Anambra and of course for people from the south East be it ministerial, ambassadorial and what have you. So basically it is to congratulate the president elect on his well deserved victory.”
Asked if he aligned himself with the new song of change, he said “Well I am a very focused governor. Under my tenure I brought change in the area of security in Anambra state and I will always support things that would bring change to improve the well-being of Ndi Anambra and Nigeria as a whole. So yes.”

Obiano also said he had a good relationship with APC leaders in the Southeast.

“Yes most of them have actually paid a courtesy call on me and yes we are talking and I suspect that the President is not going to give appointment to only people from his party because everybody would support him and so he has to consider people from the other parties so that we can all embrace the change.”