Okeke Odogwu
The Staff and management of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Anambra State, have celebrated and urged elevation of their outgoing State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Nkwachukwu Orji.

Speaking at the farewell event held at the Commission's headquarters in Awka, the Administrative Secretary of INEC in Anambra, Mr Chima Duruaku, described Orji as an encyclopedia of knowledge and discplinarian whose impact on them within his five years stay would never be forgotten.

Duruaku, who recalled times when the REC played the roles of driver in order to ensure speedy and timely movement of materials and logistics in Anambra, prayed God to reposition him to higher positions so as to impact more lives positively.

"We are wishing you to be appointed into a higher position like INEC National Commissioner after today. You have worked meritoriously in Anambra. You placed a lot of value in us. The lessons we learnt are many. We are not going to forget them," he maintained.

Contributing, the representative of INEC Management Staff, Mr Ibe U. Ibe, who is Head of Department, Elections & Political Party Monitoring, hinted that Dr Orji's arrival to the State retooled and reshaped their work ethics and conditions, as he supervised their works personally, encouraging and providing thier welfare individually and collectively.

Others including the Electoral Officer for Anambra East LGA, Mrs Dorathy Nwobu, Mr Ifeanyi Ogbonna, and Mrs Amara Okpala, praised Dr Orji's creative ingenuity, conviviality, gender equity, care and tolerance, and prayed the federal government to appoint him as INEC National Commissioner as according to them, he was hardworking, pays attention to details and never compromise for whatever reason.


In his farewell speech, the REC, Dr Nkwachukwu Orji, praised the management and staff of the commission for their comportment and cooperation to him throughout his stay in Anambra, and urged them to sustain the tempo with a view to change the narrative in Nigeria.

" I have also learnt a lot from you. My five years experience in this state as REC was impactful. With your cooperation, we were able to overcome all the challenges we met throughout my stay here. We worked as one family. One thing we learnt clearly during my time here is essence of setting a goal. For each activities and exercise we embarked on, we try to set a goal. Another thing is a theory of change.

"You must know why you are, your problem and how to change it. Then, the value of team work and relationship. We value them a lot in election. Because election is a multi stakeholders exercise. In everything you do, don't forget to get plan B and even plan C incase plan B fails. I want to urge you to sustain the tempo," he maintained.