ABIA1stman:
Omadeltason has logged in ikpuchinonye account. He has more than 50 accounts but we have one secret we use in busting him even with all the disguise. He is never bothered that Abia state is dead. We must continue.

chinonso when will you quit trolling

Removal of illegally parked cars, buses, Keke etc at unizik/temp site junction

Abia badly needs a change in leadership. Like badly.

All the people who spend their time on "Afonja" and Yorubas should pls turn their fire on the failure of govt in Abia

A SPEECH BY HIS EXCELLENCY, CHIEF WILLIE OBIANO AT THE PRESENTATION OF THE 2019 BUDGET ESTIMATE TO THE STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY

Protocol

Your Excellency, the Deputy Governor,

The Honourable Speaker, Honourable Deputy Speaker,

Principal Officers of the House and other Honourable

Members of the Anambra State House of Assembly,

The Chief Judge of Anambra State,

The Secretary to the State Government,

The Chief of Staff,

The Head of Service,

Honourable Commissioners,

Special Advisers to the Governor,

The Clerk of the House,

Permanent Secretaries,

Principal Officers

Senior Special Assistants to the Governor,

Special Assistants to the Governor,

Members of the Press,

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good morning everyone.

1. With great humility, I stand before you today, to present my administration’s Draft Estimate and Roadmap for the 2019 Fiscal Year.

2. Madam Speaker and Honourable Lawmakers, the 2018 Budget offered us a great opportunity to distil the promise of my Economic Blueprint further in pursuit of a better Anambra State. And I am happy to report that even in the face of adversity, we remained firmly focused on our goals. We stayed true to our Vision of making Anambra State the First Choice Investment Destination and a hub for industrialization and commercial activities. We also kept to our Mission of making Anambra State a socially stable, business-friendly environment that would attract both indigenes and foreigners to seek wealth-creating opportunities.

A REVIEW OF THE 2018 FISCAL YEAR

3. Madam Speaker and Honourable Lawmakers, the outgoing year 2018 is a watershed in the history of Anambra State and more so in the life of my administration. My Team and I were sworn in for our Second Term in office after a historic re-election that has become a landmark in the political narrative of Nigeria. And immediately after the ceremonies, we settled down to the brass task of providing effective leadership for Ndi Anambra.

4. Indeed, 2018 has also been a remarkable year for the country. It is no longer in doubt that Nigeria has come out of the economic recession that ravaged her from 2016. Studies show that the Nigerian Economy has continued to recover from the recession with the annual GDP Growth Rate moving from -1.5 in 2016 to 0.8% in 2017 and 1.5% in 2018. Similarly, the GDP of our dear State, Anambra has continued to grow exponentially in comparison to that of the country moving from 1% in 2017 at 3.8 trillion to 6% at 4.02 trillion in 2018. This is not surprising, however. Under my watch, Anambra has become the fourth largest economy in Nigeria.

5. Sadly, Madam Speaker and Hon Lawmakers, Nigeria may have come out of recession but it hasn’t come out of its many domestic challenges. Boko Haram remains a potent threat to the peace and security of this country and a huge discouragement to meaningful investments.

6. The colossal loss of human lives caused by the endless clashes between herdsmen and farmers made global headlines and marked Nigeria out as one of the most unsafe places in the world. It cost Nigeria a great deal in investment and goodwill and heightened mutual suspicion among ethnic and religious groups.

7. The twin threats of Boko Haram in the North East and Herdsmen-Farmers Clashes in the North Central have continued to cast a huge shadow over Nigeria and send a negative signal about the country to the world. This has had adverse effects on the economy.

8. Torrential flooding swept across coastal communities, submerging huge investments and sweeping away farms and diverse income sources.

9. But in the middle of all the doom and gloom, our country took a bold step into the sunrise when Mr. President commissioned the highly impressive Abuja-Kaduna Light Rail Project in July. It was a symbolic initiative that demonstrates Nigeria’s bold resolve to shake off her many problems and march forward into a bright new day.

The Anambra Scenario

10. Madam Speaker and Hon Lawmakers, the year under review is a milestone for Anambra State. It is the year in which our dear state finally lived out the full meaning of its name as “Light of the Nation” on the world stage. Yes, five school girls from Regina Pacis Model Secondary School took the world by storm when they swept aside advanced countries like the US, China, Spain, Turkey and Uzbekistan to win the Gold Medal at the World Technovation Challenge in San Francisco, USA. Adaeze Onuigbo, Vivian Okoye, Promise Nnalue, Nwabuaku Ossai and Jessica Osita of Regina Pacis Model Secondary School Onitsha have justified our massive investments in Education and other efforts to turn our schools into models of excellence. It is something for an African team to win medals in sports and the arts, but it is something extraordinary for a group of girls from Nigeria (not South Africa, mark you) to defeat the USA, China, Spain and Turkey in a science and innovation contest.

11. We also demonstrated to the world that the performance of the Golden Girls is a product of careful planning and solid investments when our own Amala Ezenwa, a Primary 4 Head Teacher from Awada won the overall Best School Administrator in Nigeria during the period under review. Ezenwa’s success is a clear proof that Anambra has done a great deal of work in foundational education to ensure sustainability in the excellent performance of our children in all academic competitions. In the period under review, we donated the sum of N211,168,125 to the Catholic Church and N145,968,750 to the Anglican Church for interventions in mission schools in the State. We shall do more in the next fiscal year.

12. Madam Speaker and Hon Lawmakers, my administration demonstrated a great capacity to manage crisis this year when torrential flooding submerged a large portion of Anambra North. We rose to our full height to forestall what would have been a large scale disaster. Our timely response and swift deployment of rescue and relief efforts to affected areas made a world of difference.

13. In spite of threats to break our resolve, my administration maintained a firm handle on the security situation in the state to ensure that Anambra is not displaced as Nigeria’s safest state. Our courageous decision to outlaw commercial motorcyclists in Onitsha and Awka quickly put a strong check on petty crimes in these cities and guaranteed safety for the masses.

14. And shortly after my inauguration, we donated 40 patrol trucks to security agencies to tighten our efforts a little and 50 motor cycles to the Special Motorbike Squad to mop up petty criminals. Similarly, our visionary Cattle Menace Committee ensured that Anambra did not fall victim to the widening circle of violence unleashed by the clashes between herdsmen and farmers. We have succeeded in bringing crime under our heels in Anambra State and we shall keep it like this by the Grace of God.

15. Despite the fact that Nigeria has exited recession, we have continued to implement the Economic Stimulus Package which was designed to reflate our sub-national economy and put more money in the hands of our people during the recessive period. We have doubled the N20m Choose-your-Project initiative and many communities have completed the projects they chose in the second phase of the project. 40 new communities have already applied for the 3rd Phase of the projects.

16. Madam Speaker, Agriculture remains a major pillar of my administration. I am delighted to report once again that in spite of the menace of flood which washed most of our coastal communities away and swallowed hectares of farmland, major performance indicators point to a positive growth in the 2018 planting season. For instance, our efforts to make more people embrace farming yielded an impressive result. Over one thousand new farmers were duly registered within the period to bring the number from 109,137 in 2017 to 110,144 farmers. Similarly, Rice production rose from 345,000 metric tons in 2017 and currently stands at 440,000 metric tons. Cassava production shot up from 1,792,596 in 2016 to 1,881,589 metric tons in 2017 while Maize production increased from 39,902 to 43,521 metric tons in the last planting season. Land utilization also increased in the period under review due to the influx of more people into agriculture.

17. Madam Speaker and Hon Legislators, our passionate drive for improved infrastructure found great expression with the Light-up Anambra Campaign. Under this initiative, we have lit up over 500 kilometers of roads across the state and extended rural electricity to 5 local government areas including Orumba North and South, Anambra East and West and Ayamelum. We also extended 33KVA lines from Awada to Nnewi North at a cost of N1.8bn to boost power supply to Nnewi which is an industrial hub. We have also rehabilitated over 100 moribund rural and small town water schemes and are currently intervening in 60 projects across vulnerable and poor communities in the State.

18. Madam Speaker and Honourable Lawmakers, I am proud to report to Ndi Anambra once again that my administration did not drop the ball in the construction of roads and bridges in the outgoing fiscal year. Having made it clear at the onset of this administration that I was interested in building roads that would have economic importance, we targeted the completion of 40 roads before the rainy season made road construction impossible and almost surpassed our target. I personally supervised the placing of beams on the Umueje Bridge in Ayamelum Local Government Area and the Nengo River Bridge in Nteje. I am happy to report that we have achieved the construction of a total of 300 km of roads spread across the 21 LGAs in the State.

19. Madam Speaker and Honourable Lawmakers, I am also delighted to report here that we set up the Project Management and Monitoring Office in April 2018 and through this agency, we have achieved a continuous data collection of the status of all projects in MDAs. I am happy to announce that the PMMO has saved the State Government the sum of N468,654,956 in variance on Contractors’ claims in certificates through a rigorous evaluation of claims before payment. It has also saved us over N400m from vetting alone.

20. Madam Speaker, I am happy to announce that after a protracted delay that lasted for one year, the Anambra Airport City Project finally got underway. The special drone brought in for the aerial survey of the project was seized by the Nigerian Customs in November 2017 and only released last week. The seizure had halted the speed with which the project had taken off with ground survey and sent the wrong signal about the authenticity of the project. But to the glory of God, the drone has been released and quickly put to use on the location by the Chinese. The aerial survey has been completed and we await the next phase of the implementation of the construction plan of the project. We have earmarked the sum of N1bn in commitment funds to ensure that the project is executed to the letter. I have no doubt that the Airport City Project will unlock the economic growth of the South East region and position Anambra State as the leading hub in the aviation industry in Africa.

21. My administration also facilitated the full digitization of the Anambra Broadcasting Service (ABS), making it the most technologically advanced TV and Radio station in West Africa this year. ABS will be the first broadcast station to move from analogue to digital broadcasting once the National Broadcasting Commission begins the third phase of digital switch-over. We have opened negotiations with Multichoice Limited in Lagos for the addition of ABS to the DSTV platform. Broadcasting on the DSTV platform will make the station more competitive, as it will be the first TV station in the South East to be included on this platform. Consequently, ABS is undergoing transformation in the Editorial and Programmes Departments, including the procurement of state of the art cameras and materials for the editing and production suite of the Film and Video Censorship Department of the Ministry of Information & Public Enlightenment.

22. Madam Speaker and Hon Legislators, if we cast our minds back to when this administration started five years ago, I assured Ndi Anambra that my philosophy would be ana alu olu, ana alu mmadu! Madam Speaker, I have kept my promise. Even in the midst of extremities, we have never failed to pay salaries on time. We have also never failed to celebrate Christmas with bags of rice for workers. Pensions have been paid to our senior citizens and recently, the State Civil Service Commission conducted and successfully released the 2016 promotions for civil servants, covering senior management officers, senior officers and junior officers. Promotions are landmark events in the service, demanding huge financial outlay on the part of the Government, and salary increments for the deserving officers. Several State Governments across the Federation shy away from promotion exercises, so as to conserve funds but our story is different in Anambra State.

23. Indeed, we have continued to remind Ndi Anambra in more ways than one that this administration is all about the people, including women and children. To this effect, we have inaugurated the State Steering Committee on Child Labor in a bid to tackle the hydra-headed monster of child labor and trafficking. There has also been increase in awareness creation on the dangers of child labor, abuse & trafficking. The Ministry of Women and Children Affairs has in collaboration with Caring Family Enhancement Initiative (CAFÉ) trained and empowered more than 4000 people on different skills. It has also provided psycho-socio support to more than 4800 orphans and vulnerable children across the 21 LGAs.

24. Madam Speaker and Honourable Lawmakers, at the middle of 2018, we had achieved a recurrent expenditure budget performance rate of approximately 55% while our capital expenditure budget performance stood at approximately 50% mainly due to the delay caused by the flood. This led to an aggregate half year budget performance of 52%. However, I expect our overall budget performance to improve to approximately 75-80% by the end of the current fiscal year.

.

AuntLaVIV:
Emoney clubs at Clubmila Awka

E money please sir try bring company factory not only club but God bless you dear

Face your dead ABIA state. Stop fooling around here.

omadeltason:
E money please sir try bring company factory not only club but God bless you dear

We need the following persons in the national assembly in 2019 to compliment the efforts of President atiku abubakar and our very own vice president Peter obi. Anambra state cannot afford to elect any person that will act as a stumbling block to Peter obi.

Stella Oduah Anambra North

Uche Ekwunife Anambra central

Anambra south Chris Uba Pdp or ifeanyi Uba Ypp

For the house of reps i will begin with hon Chris Emeka Azubogu Pdp Nnewi North/South/Ekwusigo

Hon Obinna Chidoka Pdp idemili north and south.

Aguata federal constituency Hon Eucharia Azodo Pdp

Onitsha north and south Hon lynda chuba ikpeazu Pdp

Ogbaru federal constituency hon chukwuka onyema Pdp

Awka North and South Engr Sam Onwuaso Pdp

Oyi/Anyamelu Dr Uzochukwu Chira Pdp

Anambra East and West Ernest Nwoye Pdp

DNA AND Dunukofia/Njikoka/Anaocha hon valentine ayika Pdp.

Ihiala federal constituency is open to all parties. I am unhappy that Hon chukwuemeka anohu lost in the pdp primary to that chibogu oraelosi

Orumba North and South Chinelo Nwankwo.

Continue deceiving yasef, Anambra still remains an APGA state. All those senatorial districts and constituencies stolen by PDP and Peter Obi would all be taken back next year.

For the anambra state house of assembly, Apga can have it. We in the Pdp will not be worried if apga retains majority.