Obiano’s Pledge to Anambra in 2015

Suspecting that a number of Anambra people are worried about the prospect of the new year, especially with the predicted fall in oil prices, Governor Willie Obiano in his New Year message tried to shore up the confidence of the people in the government by assuring them that their hopes and dreams for a prosperous year shall not fall with the falling price of oil in the international market.

Delivering his New Year Message entitled, ‘Stretching to a New Height of Excellence’ to the people, Obiano observed that “the future of any society lies in its capacity to look beyond the darkness and doubts of today and see a glimmer of hope in the shadows of tomorrow.”

According to him, though many experts have predicted a tough year for Nigeria in the face of plummeting oil prices, such forecasts would never dampen the aspirations of Ndi Anambra. He noted that “with our enormous human and material resources, we shall not surrender our ambitions to dwindling oil prices in the international markets,” adding that “We shall draw on history and our past accomplishments to stretch the scope of our vision and expand the boundaries of our possibilities.”

Governor Obiano therefore explained that his administration had made bold efforts to triple the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) from the present N1.1bn. While presenting this year’s budget speech, Obiano said: “I am firmly convinced that our state’s economy has the potential to grow at double –digit figures per annum over the next decade and beyond if we can generate the revenues required to create the enabling environment for business to prosper. This will insulate us from the shock of falling oil prices and a possible dip in federal allocations to states. Therefore, the same determination with which we have pursued our security challenges is what we will bring to fighting the leakages in our IGR.”

During the year, the state government, according to Obiano, will consolidate on the foundation laid in the previous year for a sustained resurgence of economic and social activities in Anambra. This is why the budget is titled: ’Budget for Wealth Creation and Social Cohesion’, he said. In the spirit of ‘4C paradigm-to continue, to complete, to commission and to commence’, Obiano promised to complete many of the projects he inherited from his predecessor, Chief Peter Obi this year. In the address, he said: “This year, we shall complete many landmark projects like the three flyovers in Awka and the six-lane stretch of road from Amawbia to Amansea. We shall also complete and commission the Agulu Lake Hotel Resort and other critical road projects we inherited from my predecessor. We shall flag off more projects covering the Four Pillars of Development of this administration and lay the foundation for an ambitious economic growth.” Indeed, completion of the three fly-overs will likely be the most remarkable achievement of Obiano as they will permanently change the physical outlook of Awka, the state capital. They are also very likely to herald the transformation of Awka from a mere expressway capital to a state capital to be reckoned with in Nigeria.

Obiano also made a promise to continue with the road contracts awarded by the last administration and further ensure that the state continue to provide road infrastructure to targeted economic activity areas like in the agricultural zones. Even with that he told members of the House of Assembly during budget presentation, emphasis is on maintenance of the existing stock of road for which a budgetary provision of N1.5 billion has been made. There is already evidence of this going by the enormous road repairs all over the state that were carried out before the yuletide

Governor Obiano also reiterated his administration’s commitment to the war against crime in the state assuring that further investments in security would be robust as the state would continue with its zero-tolerance of crime in the New Year.

For instance, the State Government is poised to consolidate on the gains of the improved security situation that has immensely enhanced the investment portfolio of the State, as it re-strategizes for more breakthroughs with the formation of a new Vigilante Supervisory committee with specific operational guidelines under the watch of the Police command. The new Vigilante security arrangement, it said, is aimed at giving bite to the police and vigilante operations, and for ease of effective neighborhood policing has led to the division of the operations into three zones under the committee members. Unlike before when the Vigilante men were under a single command, this time they have been zoned with each zone manned by a chief security officer.

Coming on the heels of the new formation, the State Police Command and the new Vigilante Committee have held a joint meeting and resolved that all units that are not registered with the government or their town’s Central Vigilante Group will be demobilized just as harmonization of Police and Vigilante Joint Patrols will be carried out at the respective Area Command forthwith. Obiano said that his administration’s commitment to the war against crime in the state is total assuring that further investments in security would be robust as the state would continue with its zero-tolerance of crime in the New Year.

To underscore the importance placed on Agriculture as ‘No. 1. Economic Pillar’ on which the government hopes to pilot its commercial and industrial revolution, government will develop more agricultural land across the state to enhance food security, according to Obiano and will continue to organize farmers into registered cooperatives; improve produce storage and fumigation; sustain the state’s participation in externally-supported programmes and encourage and support  the numerous investors interested in investing Agro-Allied Projects in the state and so on.

In the social sector, Obiano promised to do more by improving the physical infrastructure, that is building and equipment, welfare of students and staff to sustain the state’s continued first position it has maintained in WAEC results in the last three years.

The state government also promised to turn the health sector around by intensifying its intervention in the sectors: ensuring that all Primary Health Centres are fit for purpose while also commencing a massive turn- around of the state General Hospital, starting with Onitsha General Hospital. It also hopes to intensify its intervention in Public Health issues relating to immunization, control of malaria, and spread of HIV/AIDS and other communicable diseases, among other programmes it has put in place.

Written by Chukwujekwu Ilozue published in the Daily Independent Newspapers