A SPEECH BY THE GOVERNOR OF ANAMBRA STATE, HIS EXCELLENCY,
CHIEF WILLIE OBIANO TO MARK THE 54TH INDPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION. OCTOBER
1, 2014.
Ndi Anambra
It is with a sense of mission, hope and belief in a brighter
future for our country, Nigeria, and our beloved Anambra State that I address
you today on the occasion of our 54th Independence Anniversary.
As we mark this great day in our nation’s history, we do it
with our heads held up high. This is because, when we cast our minds back to
where we are coming from, we shall be grateful for how far we have come as a
people. When we remember the Biafran Civil War and the successive military
regimes we have survived as a country; when we remember June 12 and the
numerous ethno-religious crisis we have overcome together, we shall find a
reason to celebrate yet another Independent Anniversary.
My belief in the chances of Nigeria’s survival of her present
challenges is re-enforced by our recent experience in Anambra State. For years,
Anambra State suffered untold hardships in the hands of dreaded armed robbers
and kidnappers who made it impossible for our people to breathe the fresh air
of freedom. But to the grace of Almighty God, our story has changed today. My
administration has fought the criminals and brigands among us to a point where
they no longer present a meaningful threat to our lives and property. We have
demonstrated that in a proper society, it is criminals who must relocate to
give way to good citizens and not the other way. We shall not relent on our
efforts until the last vestige of criminality is removed from Anambra State.
Thankfully, just as we are reclaiming our cities and
communities from the criminal elements who live among us, our gallant soldiers under
the focused leadership of the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Nigerian
Armed Forces, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, are winning the war on terrorism in
the North East of Nigeria. Just the other day, their dreaded leader, Abubakar
Shekau, who had evaded capture for a long time, was killed in a shootout with
our gallant soldiers. Fellow Nigerians, I am aware that sometimes the arm of
moral justice may be slow in coming, but I have no doubt that before long, our
soldiers will rout Boko Haram in the Sambisa Forest. I have no doubt that
Nigeria’s victory over the clear and present threat of internal terrorism is
just a matter of time.
My beloved Ndi Anambra, as you are aware, my administration
was six months old last week. In the last six months, we have tackled almost
all the immediate challenges confronting Anambra state. We have demonstrated
enough resolve to rebuild Anambra to meet our vision of a strong and viable
state. So far, these efforts have been rewarded with the faith of many
investors who are daily making inquiries and taking advantage of growing investment
opportunities in the state.
Thanks to the effectiveness of our security initiatives, we
are reaping the fruits of a more friendly business climate, having regained our
freedom from the enemies of liberty. Ndi Anambra now sleep with two eyes closed
and we are currently leading the charge for the return of Ndigbo as an economic
power-block in Nigeria.
As I told ndi b’anyi during the Security Fundraising we had in
Lagos last week, it is gratifying to see that our story is different today. We
have effectively retrieved Anambra State from the gangsters that once drove our
great sons and daughters away from home and made it impossible for investors to
remember Anambra in their investment plans. We have chased away the enemies who
forced our people to do Igba nkwu nwanyi (traditional marriage) in
Lagos, Abuja and other places far removed from Igboland.
We have received a tremendous response to my call on our
brothers and their foreign partners to return home and invest in our state.
Statistics from the newly established Anambra State Investment Promotion and
Protection Agency (ANSIPPA) reveal that the State has received about 120
inquiries from investors across the world in the past four months.
Buoyed by the positive indices, my administration set a
target of $1.9bn (USD) investment by the end of 2014 and it is looking more
realistic every day as more investors are taking advantage of the restored
sanity and friendly business environment across Anambra to invest in the state.
The latest investment came two days ago with the Memorandum
of Understanding (MoU) we signed with three establishments, Ekcel Farms, Grains
and Silos Limited and Cardinal Developers and Trust Limited, respectively
totaling $148 million (USD). Also on Tuesday last week, we attracted over $220m
dollar investments. These include investments from Joseph Agro Limited that is
investing $150m in Agriculture and Cardinal Developers & Trust Ltd that is
investing $70m in the area of hospitality and tourism. Joseph Agro Ltd has a
capacity to produce 120,000mt of rice. The company in addition to the Coched
Farms Project at Anaku in Ayamelum Local Government Area which I commissioned
in May this year with a capacity to produce 120,000 metric tons of rice and
create over one thousand jobs will almost completely erase Anambra’s rice
supply deficit by 99%. It will also create 10,000 direct jobs and about 25,000
indirect jobs for our people. Similarly, Cardinal Developers & Trust Ltd
will create 400 direct jobs and 2000 indirect jobs. Ndi b’anyi, this is a great
time to come from Anambra State.
Work has commenced in earnest to transform Awka into a modern
capital city that reflects the greatness of our people and our capacity to
dream big dreams. Massive construction works are going on simultaneously on the
sites of the new flyovers in Awka and the pedestrian bridges in Onitsha to
transform our cities. I wish to very sincerely apologize for the terrible
traffic congestion that these construction works have created. Let me quickly
assure you that the situation will soon return to normalcy and Upper Iweka
shall be free once again.
Fellow citizens, it has become necessary once again to address
the growing incidence of collapsed buildings in Anambra State. No responsible
government will stand aside and watch when lives and property are regularly
lost to avoidable tragedies associated to collapsed buildings. It was in response
to this growing threat that I established a Special Investigative Panel on
Collapsed Buildings in Anambra State with the mandate to investigate all cases
of collapsed buildings in the state. I want to, once again remind our people
that anyone who plans to erect a multi-story building must first get the
necessary certification from the Anambra State Urban Development Board (ASUDEB).
We shall not hesitate to deal decisively with anyone whose negligence of this
rule leads to a loss of life or property in an incident of a collapsed
building.
Ndi Anambra, I won’t conclude this address without mentioning
the recent victory at the Supreme Court which finally convinced my brothers who
ran the governorship race with me that in every race, there may be only one
winner but the actual victory belongs to all who made the race possible with
their active participation. Once again, I extend a hand of fellowship to these
great sons of Anambra State. I implore them all to join hands with me and
together we can build the new Anambra of our dream. Now that the litigations
are over, we must work together for the good of our people. My administration will continue with our inclusive
approach to governance. We are open to consultations and suggestions from all
segments of society. That way, Ndi Anambra will always be the ultimate winners.
Fellow Nigerians, as the Governor of Anambra State, I have
decided to exercise my powers and on advice from the Attorney General and
Commissioner for Justice in Anambra State, I have granted Amnesty to 25
eligible prisoners in various prisons in this state.
Ndi Anambra, we are aware that the journey ahead may be
difficult and slow but rest assured that we are committed to push and expand
the frontiers of excellence in the State and beyond. Ultimately, Nigeria and
our beloved state will emerge from the present difficulties stronger and more
prosperous. Echi ga aka taata mma!
Daalu nuu!
Happy Independence!
God Bless Anambra State!’
God Bless Nigeria!
Chief Willie Obiano
Governor, Anambra State
Willie is…working!
No comments:
Post a Comment