The landmark bridge with suspended lights for night time illumination .

more pictures

More Pictures ...

more pictures ... The Nigerian Police (Anambra state command) commenced aerial surveillance in Anambra today. Picture shows one of the helicopters flying over Aroma junction, Awka.

News In Pictures : Gov Obiano commissions the Aroma junction flyover bridge , Awka ,Anambra state .

BBC,Dailymail apologize over human meat restaurant story in Anambra !!!


The BBC and the Dailymail have apologised for wrongly publishing a story about a restaurant in Anambra State, Nigeria, where human flesh is served as meat,saying the story was false and inappropriate.

BBC said it had already begun investigations to confirm what led to such publication and will take necessary steps to ensure the mistake does not occur again.

Full text :
BBC

“The story about the Nigerian restaurant which we published here was a mistake and we apologise. It was incorrect and published without the proper BBC checks. We have removed the story and have launched an urgent investigation into how this happened.
The BBC Swahili service’s reputation for accuracy and balance remains of paramount importance to us and we are taking the appropriate steps to insure that mistakes like this do not happen again.”



Clarifications and corrections

By MAILONLINE

An article on 16 May reported that a Nigerian restaurant was shut down for serving human flesh, based on a BBC Swahili report. BBC Swahili has now confirmed that the story was incorrect and the article has now been removed from our website.

Obiano Strengthens Cabinet with Five New Commissioners

On the heels of the one year anniversary of his administration and the need to reflect greater diversity and build a broad-based cabinet in furtherance of the policy of inclusive governance and quality representation across the state, the governor of Anambra State Chief Willie Obiano, today strengthened his cabinet with the appointment of five new Commissioners.
The five Commissioners who were sworn-in at a brief ceremony held at the Governor’s Lodge Amawbia include: Hon Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Barrister Mrs. Mary Imelda Obinuju Nwogu; Hon Commissioner for Finance, Sir Okey Moka; Hon Commissioner for Housing & Urban Development, Mr. Franks Chukwuemeka Offor; Hon Commissioner for Special Duties, Barrister (Mrs.) Uzoamaka Gladys Ilobi, and Hon Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Afamefuna Chinedu Mbanefo.
Speaking shortly after the news commissioners took the Oath of Allegiance and the Oath of the Office of Commissioner, Governor Obiano told the new appointees that they came highly recommended for the jobs because of the value they would add to the administration. According to him, “serving in this administration is an honour to you and I expect you to live up to the challenge as members of my cabinet. As you already know, we are moving well and we have brought you on board to help move Anambra State forward.”
Speaking further,Obiano charged the five new members of his team comprising of three men and two women to justify the confidence he reposed in them in their areas of appointment. “You can see that among the forms you have with you is your Job Specifications. You are expected to perform based on set parameters and there is also provision for periodic reviews.”
Speaking on behalf of the new appointees, the new Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mrs. Mary Imelda Obinuju Nwogu thanked governor Obiano for the opportunity given them to serve the state. Said she:“We are highly elated and very happy to be found worthy by this administration. We are ready to work to move Anambra State forward especially in the area of the 4-Pillars of Development where you have shown tremendous capacity and achievements as well as on the Enablers.”
The new commissioners are expected to imbue the cabinet with zeal and commitment as the high performing governor seeks to surpass his widely acclaimed first year performance.

On the heels of the one year anniversary of his administration and the need to reflect greater diversity and build a broad-based cabinet in furtherance of the policy of inclusive governance and quality representation across the state, the governor of Anambra State Chief Willie Obiano, today strengthened his cabinet with the appointment of five new Commissioners.
The five Commissioners who were sworn-in at a brief ceremony held at the Governor’s Lodge Amawbia include: Hon Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Barrister Mrs. Mary Imelda Obinuju Nwogu; Hon Commissioner for Finance, Sir Okey Moka; Hon Commissioner for Housing & Urban Development, Mr. Franks Chukwuemeka Offor; Hon Commissioner for Special Duties, Barrister (Mrs.) Uzoamaka Gladys Ilobi, and Hon Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Afamefuna Chinedu Mbanefo.
Speaking shortly after the news commissioners took the Oath of Allegiance and the Oath of the Office of Commissioner, Governor Obiano told the new appointees that they came highly recommended for the jobs because of the value they would add to the administration. According to him, “serving in this administration is an honour to you and I expect you to live up to the challenge as members of my cabinet. As you already know, we are moving well and we have brought you on board to help move Anambra State forward.”
Speaking further,Obiano charged the five new members of his team comprising of three men and two women to justify the confidence he reposed in them in their areas of appointment. “You can see that among the forms you have with you is your Job Specifications. You are expected to perform based on set parameters and there is also provision for periodic reviews.”
Speaking on behalf of the new appointees, the new Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mrs. Mary Imelda Obinuju Nwogu thanked governor Obiano for the opportunity given them to serve the state. Said she:“We are highly elated and very happy to be found worthy by this administration. We are ready to work to move Anambra State forward especially in the area of the 4-Pillars of Development where you have shown tremendous capacity and achievements as well as on the Enablers.”
The new commissioners are expected to imbue the cabinet with zeal and commitment as the high performing governor seeks to surpass his widely acclaimed first year performance.

I wants to Make Anambra an Investor Destination In Nigeria, State to make First Oil Export Soon : - Obiano



The Anambra State government is courting the Federal Government to include it in the league of oil and gas producing states to benefit from the 13 per cent derivation funds that accrue to the oil producing states in the country.
Governor Willie Obiano told The Nation in Houston, Texas, that he had gone to present the proposal for inclusion of the state in the oil producing states to President Goodluck Jonathan but the president stated until the state begins export of oil, it would not be recognised as one.
Obiano said the oil field located in the Anambra basin produces about 2,500 barrels per day (bpd). He said production from the oil field has reached about 65,000 barrels and when it hits about 120,000 barrels, the state will make its first oil export.
He also said he is talking with some investors who will build refinery and airport in the state on build, operate and transfer (BOT) arrangement. The investors will build the refinery on agreed terms, operate it for an agreed period and transfer it to the owners.
He noted that the state owns an insignificant stake of about five per cent but he is making efforts to bring investors for the sake of industrialisation and job creation.
The refinery, according to him, will start with 25,000 bpd capacity and later ramped up to 50,000 bpd. The airport, he said, would begin as a cargo airport where the materials needed in the state would be brought and goods, especially some byproducts from the refineries can be exported before expanding it into a passenger airport. He also asserted that there is conflict or controversy in the ownership of the state’s oil producing asset, adding that the claim of ownership of the asset by Kogi people was politically motivated, adding that the issue has since been resolved. He noted that the oil field is 22 miles into state, therefore, the ownership contest shouldn’t arise.
He said the state’s internally generated revenue (IGR) has increased by over 100 per cent since he took over.
According to him, he inherited an IGR of N500 million but it has risen to N1.1 billion and he intends to raise it to N3.3 billion by this year’s end. “I cannot imagine myself as a renowned banker operating an IGR of N500 million in a state such as Anambra,’’ he said.
He also said since he came in as the governor a year ago, he has been able to attract investments of between $2.2 billion and $2.5 billion in some sectors of the state’s economy.
For instance, in agriculture, he mentioned the development of $250 million farm by Coscharis Farm Limited, adding that the company is also building a $150 million tomato-processing plant in the state, which is the first of its kind in Africa.The Coscharis Farm is located on 2,700 acres of land.
Obiano said he wants to make Anambra an investor destination and he is starting with security. He reiterated his resolve to wipe out kidnappers and all types of crimes and vices. The state government, he said, is committed to providing steady power supply through the establishment of embedded and captive generation to reduce the cost of production of goods and services.
He stressed his plans to make education and other vital areas of the economy that enhance standard of living accessible and affordable.

PETROLEUM: OBIANO WOOS INVESTORS IN AMERICA




In a move aimed at boosting investment in and the development of the Oil and Gas sector, a key part of his administration's four pillars of economic development, Gov Willie Obiano has intensified efforts to woo prospective investors participating in the ongoing Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston, United States of America.

Top on the agenda of the governor's itinerary was discussions with prospective investors and technical partners for the proposed International Cargo Airport at Umueri, Anambra East LGA of the state.

The Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) which commenced May 4, 2015 is sponsored by 13 industry organizations and societies and work cooperatively to develop the technical programs is where energy professionals meet to exchange ideas and opinions to advance scientific and technical knowledge for offshore resources and environmental matters. Founded in 1969, OTC’s flagship conference is held annually at NRG Park (formerly Reliant Park) in Houston. OTC has expanded technically and globally with the Arctic Technology Conference, OTC Brasil, and OTC Asia.

Speaking on the benefit of the Conference, governor Obiano said: “OTC presents us with a viable platform to engage with industry experts and hold further talks with the aim of converting prospective investors to active partners in the development of our immense Oil & Gas deposits in Anambra. The fact that Oil & Gas ranks second amongst our 4-Pillars of Development gives you an idea about the importance we attach to the realization of our set goals in the sector. Also, having been an active player in the sector, I am leveraging some of the contacts to ensure we get the best to come and join us in developing our Oil & Gas deposits in a viable and eco-friendly way.”

“Anambra State is blessed with over one billion barrels and 30 trillion cubic feet of oil and gas, most of which are relatively unexploited. Our objective is to have a fully developed and self-sufficient Oil & Gas sector in Anambra State by 2018. We intend to achieve this through three broad areas of intervention – policy formulation & infrastructure development, private sector participation and community re-orientation." the governor emphasized.

Programmes so far undertaken by the Obiano administration in support of the state’s Oil and Gas ambition include investment in infrastructure to wit: construction of access roads and bridges to the oil-fields in Aguleri and revalidation of license to build an international cargo airport in Umueri, among others.

He stressed that the economic importance of the proposed airport is hinged on plans to pipe ATK (aviation fuel) from the Orient Petroleum Refinery in Aguleri to the Airport where a storage facility will be built for it in order to serve as a major hub for the re-fueling of international flights in West Africa.

Governor Obiano threw more light on previous partnership the State has entered with UD Integrated Petroleum Production Development Company, UDIPPCO, and Falcon Corporation Limited towards investing in the development of the gas-to-power initiative in the State.

Said he: “UDIPPCO will develop a central gas processing facility which will produce lean gas that will serve as feedstock for various gas utilization projects including an 80MW power plant; and subsequently, a urea/fertilizer plant, and a methanol plant. Similarly, Falcon Corporation plans to pipe Compressed Natural Gas and Liquefied Natural Gas across three strategic locations in the State to facilitate the transportation of natural gas across the state.

Recall that on inception of office, governor Obiano introduced the Four Pillars of Development which drives the Economic Agenda of the Obiano administration include – Agriculture, Industrialization, Trade & Commerce and Oil and Gas (AITO). The Four Pillars are firmly supported by the Twelve Enablers which support efforts to develop the Pillars. The Enablers are made up of fundamentals like Security, Education, Healthcare, Power Generation, the Environment, Finance, Social & Civil Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development, Hospitality & Tourism, Transportation, Water & Sanitation and Youth and Sports.

http://ikoloreports..co.uk/

Governor Obiano is too busy Building APGA to be Distracted





Our attention has been drawn to a publication in Thisday of April 4,
2015 with the caption: “Obiano not Welcome in APC, Vows Ogene,” which
is credited to one Hon Afam Ogene, the outgoing member representing
Ogbaru Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.
Ordinarily, we do not respond to speculations, hawked around by
attention-seekers looking for a needless spat with public figures to
shore up their non-existent political capital. However, Hon. Ogene’s
laughable frothing in the mouth came at a time when the nation’s
appetite for sensational stories about political leaders is at the
keenest level and therefore deserves to be dismissed with a wave of
the hand before gullible members of the public begin to give him the
attention he so desperately needs at this moment.

The question is why would any serious person manufacture an
incredulous story in order to enable him issue a statement and cast
aspersions on the governor of Anambra State? The answer is simple,
after falling out of favour with his constituents and failing to get a
renewed mandate from the people, Hon. Afam Ogene is clutching at
straws to save his drowning political career. It may be necessary to
recall that Hon. Ogene’s career was built on quick sand in the first
place; starting off as one of the whimsical acts of political
patronage of the era that produced him. The erstwhile member of the
House of Reps has since discovered that sterling political careers do
not stand on legs of straws after he failed to make any impression on
the members of his constituents with his pointedly abysmal performance
in the legislative chambers.

Sadly, Ogene has continued to betray the poor political judgment that
cost him his congressional seat with his recent hoary attack on
Governor Obiano which he launched in the belief that such infantile
gambit would shore up his political value before the APC leadership
that is currently looking to heal the wounds of the recent
presidential elections and build a united country. If Ogene thought
that by demonizing Governor Obiano, he would win the approval of his
party leaders, he has simply shown himself as a political cretin;
incapable of seeing beyond his nose.

Afam Ogene’s handlers must advise him to retreat from the ignoble path
he has chosen for himself. It is not only unprofitable to seek to
build a career from hawking pale-faced propaganda but almost suicidal
to court unearned attention by attacking the people’s favourite
symbols of excellence.

While politics is known to be a game of possibilities, it may be
worthwhile to remind Ogene that Governor Obiano is fully aware that as
the Chairman BoT and National Leader of APGA, he carries the
socio-cultural mandate of a people who look up to him to preserve and
not betray it. It was in full awareness of the unction he carries on
behalf of the people of the South East zone that Governor Obiano
congratulated the President Elect, General Muhammadu Buhari on his
victory, assuring him of the support of Ndi Anambra and Ndigbo in his
impending effort to build a new Nigeria.

It may also be necessary to remind Ogene and his likes that Governor
Obiano’s antecedents as a technocrat and a man that keeps his words
are well known. His exploits as a high-performing governor who has
justified the confidence of his people with a resounding report card
after just one year in office is also well known. Consequently, any
attempt to diminish Governor Obiano with inchoate stratagems and
yellow journalism of the type that Victor Ogene is orchestrating in
the media will end in futility.

Candidly, somebody should please tell Hon. Afam Ogene that Governor
Willie Obiano, the Akpokuodike Aguleri is too busy building Anambra
and APGA to be distracted by political upstarts and cheap publicity
stunt-masters.

Signed

James Eze

SSA Media to the Governor

A SPECIAL EASTER MESSAGE FROM ANAMBRA STATE GOV:The Supremacy of Sacrifice to Human Progress and Nation-building !!!


Ndi Anambra, all over Christendom, the period of Easter is a time for deep reflection on the supremacy of sacrifice in the affairs of man. In the Christian calendar, no other event draws attention to the awesome love of God for mankind as exemplified in the sacrificial death and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ as the feast of Easter does.

In much the same way, no time is humanity more vividly reminded of the significance of SACRIFICE to human progress and nation-building as the Easter period. Indeed every Easter, the entire Christendom is forced to recall that our SALVATION is a product of priceless SACRIFICE…that there can be no progress without SACRIFICE!

Ndi Anambra, this Easter is a Special one – our dear country, Nigeria is on the cusp of change. The situation calls for greater introspection and a better appreciation of the place of sacrifice in
the handling of the delicate issues of nationhood.

Just last week, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan demonstrated a deep understanding of the imperatives of sacrifice to nation-building when he accepted our people’s collective wish for change and congratulated the President-Elect, General Muhammadu Buhari on his victory in last Saturday’s Presidential Election. In doing this, President Jonathan has shown that if we are to build a country of our dreams, Nigerian leaders must lead from the front…we must imbibe the virtue of setting a personal example.

Ndi Anambra, as we re-unite with our loved ones and friends this Easter, I urge you to devote a little time to reflect on the larger questions of nationhood and the little personal sacrifices that we must all make to create a better society for ourselves and our children yet unborn.

The coming House of Assembly election gives us a great chance to sustain the current momentum of purposeful governance in Anambra State. We need a peaceful legislative assembly and a cordial relationship between the three arms of government to continue our push to expand the frontiers of excellence in Anambra State. We can only achieve this by voting for all the 30 candidates seeking election into the Anambra State House of Assembly on the platform of APGA. I urge you to vote for them.

Ndi Anambra, I assure you that this exercise will not be like the last one. I have the assurances of all the security agencies in the state and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that this election shall be different from the last one. They have all assured me that this time, your vote will count. So, come out and vote for APGA!

Ndi Anambra, Happy Easter!



Willie Obiano

Governor, Anambra State

cjrane:
For your info only , the Airport is site is NOT in Aguleri BUT in a neighbouring town Umuleri .

Anambra needs exactly all the projects being built such as refinery, Dual carriage way to the Refinery/airport site from Awka and Onitsha. The dual carriage way will open up the land in that area as a new frontier for development of modern cities to make the entire Anambra a true mega city.

What I still seriously doubt its economic viability/wisdom is the use of state funds to build an airport in Aguleri now that there are international airports in Enugu and finally a domestic airport less than 5 kilometers from Onitsha main market at Asaba.
We had all watched with horror how for many many years, the struggle to build an international airport at Oba to service Onitsha main market had been frustrated by many kingpins in Anambra power-play. To God be the glory, a State capital was placed next to Onitsha and immediately the focus of the struggle changed into urging the near by Delta state to put an airport in its capital city which had since broken the jinx of those who compromised Anambra government and swore no airport shall be 100 Kilometers close to Onitsha to protect their luxury bus business.

It is easy to claim that Lufthansa, Turkish airline, British Airways, Delta airlines, Saudi Arabian airline or Malaysia airways will leave Port Harcourt or Accra where they are currently getting ATK aviation fuel to fly into Aguleri for same. We know how easy it had been for us to convince these foreign carriers to connect Enugu or even Asaba inspite of all the facilities in those airports for day and night flights.
My real question is what if the international airlines still prefer to go to PH and Accra to get fuel after the Aguleri airport is built? What would then be the justification for spending billions to build the airport? Where in the world has billions been spent for an international airport to be built solely to sell fuel and not for passenger traffic? This is a serious issue in my opinion to build an airport just to sell fuel.
Chino has already advised me that the airport shall be a PPP initiative of a private investor. In that case, it makes every sense for an individual to build it and manage it as his own personal investment than sinking billions of state money in such white elephant project.

We should use that money for airports craze to build a light rail system that connects Ihiala/ Nnewi axis and Awka/Awkuzu axis directly to Onitsha main market. So that our people living in Awka or Ihiala can simply board a light train and go buy or sell at Onitsha main market and return to their city of residence without paying too much on transportation.Ethiopia borrowed to build and indeed just commissioned a 70 kilometers light rail system for $400 million dollars to connect towns around Addis Ababa. Even if we borrow to build such a project, it will easily pay for itself from the revenue which it will generate from cheaply and conveniently moving millions of people everyday into and out of Onitsha.

For your info only , the Airport is site is NOT in Aguleri BUT in a neighbouring town Umuleri .

cjrane:


Bro Chino,
All you have said is true.If the lies in Nigeria's census is corrected, Anambra truly has bigger population than Kano. But, that isn't my point. If resources were unlimited, we would say lets have anything we want. In the light of meager resources which has even got tighter with fall of oil price, we must choose wisely what is of utmost importance to our economic resurgence and not merely ego.
Mind you, let me reiterate that;

[size=18pt] I AM NOT AGAINST AN AIRPORT for Onitsha, but built in AGULERI.[/size]

Just that it makes no sense to build an airport in Aguleri with state funds, in the light of so many unmet pressing and basic developmental needs in the state.

For your info only , the Airport is site is NOT in Aguleri BUT in a neighbouring town Umuleri .

His Excellency, Chief Willie Obiano has commended Ndi Anambra for their steadfastness in the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) towards ensuring that they

participate in the forthcoming national election.
In a release signed by the State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Chief Tony Onyima, Governor Obiano said he was happy that Ndi Anambra listened to his recent appeal for them to collect their PVCs in order to be eligible to vote for candidates of their choice in the March and April elections.
The Governor disclosed that as at February 17, 2015 out of the one million, nine hundred and sixty three thousand, one hundred and seventy three registered voters in the state, a total of one million, four hundred and ninety nine thousand, three hundred and seventeen people have so far collected their PVCs representing 76.37%. This, the Governor noted, was a marked improvement from the previous 56% collection. Chief Obiano however advised those who are yet to collect their PVCs to use the opportunity provided by the postponement of the elections to collect their voter cards adding that they have up to March 8, this year to do so. Anambra state, the governor noted, must achieve 100% PVC collection.
Governor Obiano again called on Chairmen of all the Local Government Areas in the state and other stakeholders to continue to assist residents within their council areas to obtain their PVCs in order to perform their civic responsibilities.

Why Willie Obiano’s Support for Jonathan is Unequivocal
In recent times, there has been a well-organized and massively funded campaign by some out-of-favour politicians in Anambra State to poison the cordial relationship between Chief Willie Obiano and President Goodluck Jonathan. This campaign has been simmering for quite some time, showing itself in different ways.
Only a fortnight ago,the people behind this campaign created the illusion that Chief Obiano had referred to key PDP figures in Anambra State as “mad people” and by implication had also demonized the platform on which President Jonathan is seeking re-election. Preposterous as their claim seemed, they stretched it beyond belief when they said that Governor Obiano was also critical of Prince Engr. Arthur Eze, a formidable philanthropist and PDP financier who has also been a strong backer of his administration. Phew!!!
These mind-benders also stepped beyond incredulity when they fed the sensational press the curious information that the former Special Adviser on political matters to Governor Obiano, Chief Joe Martins Uzodike was relieved of his appointment for singing a pro-Jonathan song on a live radio programme. While this article is not about Chief Uzodike or his exit from the service of the government of Anambra State, it stretches the imagination to think that the same Governor Obiano who endorsed Chief Uzodike’s appointment into President Jonathan’s campaign machinery would turn around to fire him for singing a pro-Jonathan song. Hello! Is somebody following this logic? How incredulous can these people be?
Curiously too, long before Uzodike was relieved of his position, the group had also made a failed attempt to yoke Governor Obiano to Governor RotimiAmaechi, the Director General of the APC campaign organization. The funny story here is that DozieNwankwo, an in-law of Governor Amaechi was the facilitator of this so-called alliance between Obiano and the DG of APC Campaign organization. Always misreading the capacity of their audience to sieve through their web of lies and deceit against Obiano, these calumny campaigners believed that once the Presidency is informed that Governor Amaechi has an in-law in Anambra State who is standing election on the platform of APGA, it would accept any story that seeks to establish a political dalliance between Amaechi and Obiano. But once again, they failed. Their wild claims have not in any way affected the perception of Governor Obiano as a known supporter of President Jonathan’s second term bid.
Still not daunted by the obvious lack of interest in the illusion they are vending, this shadowy group who are hell bent on forcing a wedge between President Jonathan and Governor Obianomade a bold attempt at the weekend to finally roll out an all-out smear campaign against Governor Obiano. If all things go as planned, the evil campaign is expected to break in the media Monday, February 23, 2015, with poorly written and logically inchoate advertorials in the newspapers. One of the materials intercepted by an Enugu based civil society and democracy watch group known as the Initiative for Change Organization was captioned Gov. Obiano, Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing …Mr. President Beware!This copy carries some of the most spurious allegations against the person of Governor Obiano, questioning his well-known support for President Jonathan and selling the puerile argument that Chief Obiano, of all people, was surreptitiously working for the dictator, General MohammaduBuhari.
Were this group not so taken in by the sheer audacity of their illogic, it would have recalled what the records say about Governor Willie Obiano’s position on the second term bid of President Goodluck Jonathan. It would have realized that it is on record that Chief Willie Obiano is probably the first governor to publicly drum his support for President Jonathan, long before most PDP governors and long before Mr. President’s declaration of interest in the on-going race. It would also have found out that only few governors have matched Governor Obiano’s consistent campaign for President Jonathan, using every opportunity that he has to talk about the coming elections to remind NdiAnambra and other Nigerians resident in Anambra State to vote for Mr. President. This faceless group that hides under the cover of the name “Concerned Citizens of Anambra State,” would also not have missed the fact that as Chairman of APGA Board of Trustees and National Leader of the party, Governor Obianohad worked assiduously to ensure that APGA adopted President Jonathan as its own candidate for the 2015 presidential election. And perhaps more importantly too, had this group not been thoroughly inebriated in its demented pursuit of vendetta on one hand and laughable relevance on the other, it would perhaps have remembered that Chief Willie Obiano is not the typical dyed-in-the-wool politician. He is not given to any duplicitous underhand dealings that make some leaders say one thing and mean another. He does not hunt with the hounds and run with the hares. So, it is totally inconceivable that he would declare an open support for President Jonathan in the day and go to bed with Buhari at night.
Regardless, in the tradition of true democrats, Governor Obiano does not hold any personal views against General Buhari or his supporters or even the APC as a political party. His position as a democratically elected governor has always been that Nigerians should be given a free hand to choose from a plurality of choices. And these choices include the choice of parties, the choice of candidates as well as the choice of ideologies. Nor does Governor Obiano believe thatin a growing democracy like Nigeria, only the best candidates should run for electoral offices. No. Rather, like American author and clergyman, Henry van Dyke, Obiano is a firm believer that “the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best.”
Again, as a leader who is firmly rooted in the worldviews and ethos of his people, Governor Obiano holds expansive views about how a democratic society should run; drawing heavily from the Igbo concept of plurality that is deeply embedded in the witty philosophy of Egbebelu, ugobelu.
It is this solid cultural mooring that helps him take the destructive criticisms and mindless personal attacks on him and his beautiful wife, Ebele, in his stride as he invests himself in the task of building a New and prosperous Anambra State.
Eze writes from Ifite, Awka

The Cargo and the Aviation Fueling capacities Of Umueri International Airport when completed will serve an important role to oil and gas industries in Nigeria . At the moment , Orient Petr . is doing 80k aviation fuel which when the Airport is completed with an increasing capacity will be dump at the Umueri International Airport . Major international Airline such as British Airways , Virgin , Lufthansa ,Iberia etc will come down to umuleri to take Aviation Fuel instead of going to Ghana to take Fuel . Ghana is where they take fuel as we speak now . Willie is working !!!

Details later ....

Anambra: INEC declares Uba, Emeka, Okonkwo PDP senatorial candidates

As controversy continues to trail the list of candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the senatorial election in Anambra State, the report of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) team that monitored the primary of the party has showed that Chris Uba, John Emeka and Annie Okonkwo won the primary election for the Anambra South, Central and North senatorial districts.
This would put to test the resolve of President Goodluck Jonathan, who had declared in Lagos, during the inauguration of his presidential election campaign, that his administration and all the ministries, departments and agencies must abide by the rule of law and follow due process.
According to a certified true copy of the committee’s report obtained by our correspondent from INEC, the PDP primary in Anambra, conducted on December 7, under the leadership of Ejike Oguebego, was very peaceful and hitch-free.
The report further stated that, “Generally speaking, the Peoples Democratic Party (primary) did not come short of expectations as it took place peacefully in all the senatorial constituencies in the state. The result of the primary was generally accepted by the members of the party as the correct expression of their collective wishes and desires. It would also be pertinent to say at this juncture that, that Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Anambra State Chapter, did comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended), as well as their laid down congresses/primaries guidelines and the constitution.
According to the preamble of the PDP guidelines for primary elections 2014 it is clearly stipulated that:
“Candidates of political parties will only emerge through primary elections duly conducted and monitored by INEC (Section 87(1)(a).
“Political parties are no longer allowed to change or substitute candidates whose names have been submitted to INEC, except in the case of death or withdrawal of candidates (Section 33).
The INEC committee in its report to the commission further stated that the PDP adopted open ballot system to elect their senatorial candidates and during the primaries the voting process was simple and straightforward: nominations were called for, after which delegates queued up and voted for candidates of their choice before counting and recording of scores. The contestant with the simple majority of votes cast was declared the winner. However, where only one contestant was involved, delegates still voted accordingly as well.

Photo -Dubem Obaze- Voice for Anambra North - Ifeakachi 2015 !!!

Gov. Obiano is guest of honor at USAfrica interactive forum with diaspora in Houston at Hilton Houston Westchase.



BY Chido Nwangwu
The Governor of Anambra State of Nigeria, Chief Willie Obiano, will be the special guest of honor at the USAfrica interactive forum at 12 noon on Friday January 9, 2015 in Houston, Texas. The venue of the international event is the Hilton Hotel Towers at Westchase (9999 Westheimer Road, Houston, TX 77042).
Chief Obiano’s performance within one year since his election under the banner of APGA party has been widely commended and earned him the award of “Nigeria’s Governor of the Year” 2014 from the international multimedia networks and public policy organization, USAfrica. He will share insights to governance, security and investments at the forum. Significantly, he is returning almost a year to the same day and month and the same multimedia platform where he first spoke — in a very formal setting with such guests as U.S Congressman Al Green — following his election.
A statement issued from Houston by the Founder & Publisher of USAfrica and the first African-owned, U.S.-based professional newspaper published on the internet, USAfricaonline.com, Dr. Chido Nwangwu, articulated why Obiano bagged the prestigious recognition, noting that “in less than ten months of taking over the mantle of leadership of Anambra State, the banker turned politician has, with purposeful zeal attracted investments and with the courageous heart of a bull, confronted the criminals and miscreants who had unleashed mayhem and gripped the peace loving people of the state in the throes of trepidation, fear and death…. Obiano is proving to the people of Anambra and Nigerians, at home and in the Diaspora, that here cometh a man of proven technocratic competence out to put Anambra State on its rightful place on the map of economic development of Nigeria.”
He adds that “In the course of the USAfrica Governance Index assessment across the State and other parts of the country, we reached the conclusion that Gov. Obiano has not only done very well in impacting various sectors of Anambra but he has shown that a truly transformative leadership is possible within a relatively short period and utilizing very modest resources to push the great and sometimes boisterous Anambra State to its better heights and security. I believe security is everything! Akpokuedike Obiano challenged and has, so far, subdued most of the bandits and their infrastructure with his battle coinage ‘Operation kpochapu’ and deployment of crime fighting assets.”
USAfrica — with almost 23 years of professional journalism and multimedia publishing business from its headquarters in Houston, Texas — has been acclaimed by the CNN, The New York Times, international scholars and public policy leaders as the largest and arguably the most influential African-owned, U.S-based multimedia networks.
By Chido Nwangwu


http://eagle-square..co.uk/2015/01/gov-obiano-is-guest-of-honor-at.html

Governor Obiano Thanks Ndi Anambra for Peaceful Celebrations


The Governor of Anambra State Chief Willie Obiano has on behalf of the government of Anambra state expressed profound appreciation to Ndi Anambra for the peaceful and memorable Christmas and New Year celebrations witnessed in various communities in the state.

The governor was particularly impressed by the enthusiasm and sense of duty displayed by Ndi Anambra through their positive response, attendance and participation in the activities and programmes of the maiden Anambra Heritage Festival which held from December 23 to 26, 2014. The Festival activities include Reading by Novelist and Newspaper Columnist, Prof. Okey Ndibe, Masquerade display at Ekwueme Square, the Obiano Football Fiesta and the Jam Blast Music show held at the Ekwueme Square on the December 26, 2014.

Governor Obiano observed that the peaceful celebration was made possible by the obvious improvement in security of life and properties arising from his administrations war against all forms of crime and criminality in Anambra State. According to the governor, “the peaceful Christmas holidays and celebrations is an affirmation that we have won the war against all manner of hoodlums who had made our state ungovernable before now. Thankfully the steadfast implementation of our security initiatives and the commitment of the various arms of the security forces have restored faith in our state. We therefore celebrate and at the same time call for eternal vigilance and commitment by everyone to ensure that the gains are sustained. “

In the same vein, the Anambra State Commissioner of Police Hosea Karma, has described the Christmas 2014 celebrations in Anambra State as the most peaceful in recent times and attributed the joyful outcome to the commitment of Governor Willie Obiano and effort of the combined team of the security agencies under the Operation Kpochapu who ensured that Ndi Anambra had peace from criminals. CP Karma assured that his men are very committed to their work and will not allow any lapses or anything that could mar the current peace across the state as well as the security of lives and property.

The Commissioner Police also thanked Ndi Anambra for the cordial relationship with security agencies which has led to a very productive era of cooperation and collaboration leading to the sharing of vital information which assisted in the bursting of criminals in their nest.

http://eagle-square..co.uk/2015/01/governor-obiano-thanks-ndi-anambra-for.html

Onitsha: Reclamation Of A ‘Lost’ Paradise



Have you been to Onitsha lately, especially around the once dreaded Upper Iweka area? Have you noticed that Zik Roundabout, the meeting point of the Old Enugu-Onitsha Road and the Enugu Onitsha Expressway, is taking on a new shape with massive beautification? Also, drive on Awka Road, Onitsha, up to DMGS Roundabout and you would see a whole lot of changes. Not just that the roads are properly constructed with drainage systems and streetlights, they are also clearly marked, with road signs.
People who traveled home for the Xmas holiday would be surprised to see what Upper Iweka has become. The motor parks have been pushed out of the expressway. The days are gone when touts held sway at Lagos Park. Today, no one ‘threatens’ your luggage, and your mobile phones are relatively safe, provided you don’t drop them. When you are there, watch out for fierce looking military men. You’ll find them on the alert, fishing miscreants off the park. You might also find them disguised in mufti, making it even easier to pick out their preys. Now, one can actually take a walk under the beautifully adorned Onitsha Head Bridge. In the past, no one dared move close to the area, as it was a notorious den of robbers. But with mobile policemen now on guard, pedestrians may walk freely up to the riverbank.
The Upper Iweka and Onitsha Head Bridge area have witnessed massive turnaround with streetlights and landscaping befitting of a gateway town. The statue of late Biafran hero, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, signals arrival to the land of the Rising Sun. With standard toilet facilities in place along the stretch, the drainages are now free from faeces. New pedestrian bridges are also springing up.


“Crime came into Onitsha through Upper Iweka. So, if the government could turn this place around, then I can say it is all over for criminals in this state. It’s better experienced than what I’m trying to explain to you; it’s like magic. What this tells me is that government can do a lot, if it is committed,” said Ifeanyi Okafor, a passenger at the Lagos Park.
Who would have imagined a Christmas decoration in Onitsha, talk little Upper Iweka? It happened, however, in 2014! The governor and his team were there to light the trees. And social media networks were agog with glittering pictures of Upper Iweka at night.
“My brother, we still don’t understand what is happening. Personally, I can’t believe this is Onitsha. In the evening, you will see people watching football on that big screen over there. That’s how safe this place has become. At the rate they are going, I’m afraid... Time could come when people, like us, would be asked to take our old cabs off the road,” said Tony, a taxi operator at ABC Motor Pack in Onitsha.
It used to be that driving to Onitsha Main Market (the largest in West Africa) was an arduous task, with market men and women displaying their wares indiscriminately. In those days, once you move past the Central Post Office Onitsha, driving becomes hellish. Both the New Market and Old Market roads used to be lawless zones, with touts and unruly bus drivers, who feel that offering N20 to a police officer is a ticket to perpetrate impunity. The government, however, appears to have summoned courage to bring the situation under control.
A visit to the popular Iweka Road, the home of electronics in the South East, shows that normalcy has returned. Unlike in the past when the road was usually awash with street traders, the place is now regularly policed, leaving no room for lawlessness. Even the Ochanja Market axis is feeling the heat. From Odoapku to Fegge, Bida Road and environs, there are noticeable changes; the streets look cleaner. Some inner roads on this axis, however, need to be reconstructed to allow free flow of traffic.
GOOD old Onitsha used to be a lovely town; it was like what Lagos is to the South West. Apart from its commercial viability, the town is also an educational and religious hub, blessed with a river port. In the early 1960s, before the Civil War, the population was officially recorded as 76,000. Though it experienced great distress during and after the war, by virtue of its still-strategic geographic position, Onitsha has continued to develop. By 2001 it had an estimated population of 511,000 with a metropolitan figure of 1,003,000.
Onitsha became an important trading port for the Royal Niger Company in the mid-1850s, following the abolition of slavery. And with the development of the steam engine, Europeans were able to move into the hinterland. Trade in palm kernel and palm oil flourished, as well as other cash crops. Immigrants from the Igbo hinterland were drawn to the emerging town, as were the British traders who settled in Onitsha and coordinated the palm oil and cash crops trade. In 1965, the Niger River Bridge was built to replace the ferry crossing.
Onitsha played a vital role in institutionalising Christianity in Nigeria. The town is home to the Holy Trinity Basilica (Catholic) and the All Saints Cathedral (Anglican Cathedral). Both are headquarters to satellite churches in and outside Onitsha. Other churches such as the Grace of God Mission International, and Christ Holy Church, also have their headquarters in the town. Onitsha is also host to many church organisations and socio-cultural groups.
Recall the days of Onitsha Market Literature – a term for a number of pamphlets, books and other publications sold at Onitsha Market in the 1950s and 1960s. Much of it was written in pidgin and Creole varieties of English. This form of literature has become of interest to researchers seeking information about social conditions at the time. With notable secondary schools such as Christ the King College (CKC), Dennis Memorial Grammar School (DMGS), St Charles College, Queen of the Rosary College (QRC), Washington Memorial Grammar School, New Era Secondary School, Modebe Memorial Grammar School and others, Onitsha was key to the education of the Igbo in the past.
But the Civil War brought widespread devastation. At its end, came the oil boom years, bringing in huge influx of immigrants. The war-damaged facilities, still under repair, could not cope with the pace of rural-urban exodus into the city. Slums consequently began to emerge.
“Compared to other cities and other centres of population, Onitsha has had its glorious time. Prior to the war, we had the market, which was a big market; New Market Road in those days was full of bookshops that sold scholarly materials - law books, medical books, educational books, because Onitsha was a big centre for what we now call private education. At a stage, six years ago, I could count six governors who went to school in Onitsha,” said the Obi of Onitsha, HRM Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe, in a recent chat with The Guardian.
According to the Royal Father, Onitsha has had its glorious periods: “People came from the Cameroons to trade in Onitsha. Culturally also, things were great. The war, probably, was a major factor in the neglect and apparent decline. Onitsha was heavily fought for and a lot of damage was caused. In the revival, after the war, was an opportunity to begin to give attention to other centers. For instance, Awka became the state capital. Naturally, it had to get government’s attention. Nnewi grew in its economy. The Onitsha market was brought back. But it was not what it used to be. So, there has been a decline. Agreed. But it’s on the upswing again.”
In the last eight years under Governor Peter Obi, Onitsha started to witness some turnaround. But the current administration, led by Willie Obiano, might have found a winning formula on how to reclaim the once ‘lost’ territory.
For instance, in terms of physical development, the Onitsha General Hospital has been improved upon, with a dialysis centre in operation. There are two business parks in Onitsha with various offices, making it possible for people to go to the stock exchange there and trade online.
In terms of factories, there’s a new brewery in Onitsha, reportedly owned by a former governor. Life Breweries has also been revived. The industrial park is back again. There’s also a five-star hotel under construction. The Protea Group initially started it. The Marriott Group, however, bought over Protea. Protea had been constructing a 90-room hotel, which Marriott plans to double in capacity. There’s a modern shopping mall under development in GRA. The stadium is back, with school children now using facilities there for daily exercise.
But one area where very high points have been scored is security. “If you want to sleep at Upper Iweka now, you can do so without any hassles. It’s been cleared and cleaned up and it happened just like that. It takes the will, but you have to sustain the tempo. If you clear away all those vehicles that pick passengers by the roadside, you must provide motor packs. If you clear the roadside traders away, you must provide markets for them and that’s what the governor is doing,” Igwe Achebe said.



Information has it that the Onitsha seaport, which was conceived as an inland port, is ready for use. Though the challenge of concessioning by the government is still there, once in full operation, Onitsha can serve as an inland port, much as it did in the olden days. In this case, goods that arrive at Warri or Port Harcourt are put in barges and moved down to Onitsha. And with the long-awaited second Niger Bridge coming up, another commercial boom could be around the corner.
‘How The Transformation Happened’
ACCORDING to the Special Assistant to the Anambra State governor on Environment, Toochi Obi, when the new administration came in, Onitsha was a dirty zone. Governor Obiano, however, declared his intention to clean up the commercial town.



“Before now, it was just one firm handling waste management in Onitsha. And this was not enough. Again, when you talk about Onitsha, people think it’s about Onitsha North and South LGAs. Nkpor, Obosi, Oba and other neighbouring towns have also become part of the big Onitsha. So, at first, we didn’t even know where to start,” she said.
The first move was to get the existing waste management company to sit up on streets cleaning. “We asked them what their problems were and also helped them to solve those challenges. Particularly, the governor gave them a mandatory order that he wanted the place cleaned up. Of course, they knew that now someone was watching them. Before, nobody monitored them. So, most times, things were not done. But we had to sit on them to do their job better,” she said.



“Then, there was an idea to increase the number of waste management companies in the town and its environs. With major markets in Onitsha such as Main Market, Ose Market, Ochanja Market, Relief Market, Iweka Road Market and others, you can imagine the level of waste generated daily.
“We discovered that we needed more than just one company to handle waste. We got different contractors to take charge of Idemmili LGA and Ogbaru LGA. In Onitsha alone, we have up to five contractors managing waste. Idemmili LGA was zoned into three. Ogbaru LGA was divided into two because of the massive waste generated there. Then we started with constant monitoring in Nnewi and Awka, but in Onitsha, we are always monitoring.”



Having put the contractors on the job with regular monitoring, there was need to de-silt the town and open up the drainages.
“Anambra state has never been de-silted; it was a lot of money doing that. When you are passing the roads, you don’t even know where the drainages are anymore. We had to de-silt twice. I can tell you that the residents are happy now; it has reduced flooding in Onitsha. The drainages are free now. In some cases, you discover that the slabs covering the drainages had been removed, thereby exposing pedestrians and motorists to danger when rain falls. We had to cover them back. “That notwithstanding, we’ve started putting plans in place on how to keep Onitsha clean. Sometime ago, we advertised publicly that we wanted to have a Public Private Partnership (PPP) agreement with contractors, so that we could have a steady way of keeping Anambra state clean,” she said.
On beautification, Miss Obi informed that a plan has been put in place on how to enhance the town.



“When we started, we discovered that Onitsha was so clustered; it was not well planned. What we are trying to do now is to build permanent structures that would give room for beautification. If you go to Upper Iweka area, you will discover that a lot of work is going on there, in terms of beautification. A lot of transport companies were pulled off from Upper Iweka to achieve the beautification project.”
As for the abandoned cars that dotted the streets of Onitsha, “we did a lot of road decongestion. A lot of cars were abandoned on the roads. The governor insisted he wanted all the cars off the road. So, the Ministry of Environment and Transport had to come together. We had to get lands in Onitsha, Awka and Nnewi, where we dumped those cars. There was an announcement on radio for people to take their cars off the road, after which we cleared the streets,” she said.



On the new look of Upper Iweka, the Special Assistant noted: “The place used to be a mad area. But right now, there’s sanity. The government, however, is not stopping at that; more is coming. Very soon, the permanent structure for environmental cleaning in Anambra will be in place. While ASWAMA (Anambra State Waste Management Authority) handles Awka, we intend to give out Nnewi, Onitsha and environs to contractors.”
Getting the streetlights to function in Onitsha was another huge challenge. “Before we came in, some areas had streetlights, but we learnt that from the day they were commissioned, they had never worked. We moved in and discovered that a lot of the streetlights are damaged. We started by fixing those ones. With the little resources we had, we started mapping out streets where the lights are needed the most. If you go to Awka, you would see that streetlights are springing up. You would see poles going up everyday,” she said.



There is also the introduction of road markings and signage on Onitsha roads. “If you know Anambra very well, you will know that the roads never had markings, even the new ones. These markings you are seeing now were done few weeks ago. All the roads that are awarded by this government come with signage, curves and markings. As for the old roads, we are trying to improve them,” she said.


Source : Chuks Nwanne ( Sunday Guardian )


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Revealing the ‘Anambra Equation’
There is a quiet revolution in Anambra State. Nigeria would know of it soon. It is an open secret among “Ndi Anambra”, as indigenes of Anambra State and residents of the state are called.
This is against the typology of “Anambrarians” as indigenes of the state were previously described before the advent of the Willie Obiano government. The new nomenclature came about in the wake of the Obiano administration which is barely nine months old. The Governor is known to have consistently said that the old typology sounded more like “Barbarians”.
The new focus is on the ‘Anambra Equation’ and what they call the “Enablers”. This equation centres on agriculture, industrialisation, trade and commerce (of course, the world knows that the people have always excelled in these areas), and Oil and Gas. A critical part of the equation is security, security of movement, security of lives and property, security of economic investment, and security of development.
Their major case history is the Niger Bridge and the main entrance into Anambra State, the Upper Iweka Road, Onitsha, through Asaba in Delta State. Before now, the situation on Upper Iweka Road could best be described in one word “bedlam”. Not so any more.
Upper Iweka Road can now be compared with some of the best boulevards around the world. It is not only speck clean, there is ease and freedom of movement. There is also a great sense of safety around that environment, just like there is across the state.
To underscore the new sense of security pervading the State, the Willie Obiano Government has in the last one week been holding a series of activities at venues and times which would have been unthinkable before now. There is the “Obiano Soccer Fiesta” which commenced on December 22 at strategic venues across the state. The final held at Rojenny Stadium, Oba, near Onitsha.
A cultural festival involving all the local governments took place at Ekwueme Square, Awka. Onitsha North local government claimed the ultimate prize at that event. The first ever “Christmas Carols of Nine Lessons” was held at the Women Development Centre, Awka. That Christmas carol ended with pyrotechnics. Onitsha stood still as residents witnessed unprecedented fireworks display.
Anambra State boasts of a very high number of entertainment professionals, some of whom are among the top 10 in their various segments of the arts. They also took their turn to showcase their talents at Ekwueme Square.

ASWAMA AND ANAMBRA GARBAGE

Mazi ODERA
We are working hard to clear all refuse generated over the festive period. Amawbia garage is just an example of what a day refuse can look like in Anambra State. We are also working with the market leaders that have refused Aswama putting more receptacles inside the market b/c they have sold lots of spaces for selfish ends. It is a battle to calculate cleanliness on our people. Refuse generation is a daily occurrence and we clean up every day including Sundays. Aswama work 365 days including Xmas day and New Year day. WE do not have holidays like others.
There are measures coming in this year to help keep the state clean including waste to energy projects and acquiring more equipment including but not limited to compactor trucks which the Governor has approved. Without sounding political, Anambra is cleaner now than before and we shall keep working hard and improving.
Thanks Mazi Odera, I think your approach this time is better than personal character attacks on the Governor and his wife. Kindly use your position to start appealing to our people not to use the drains as refuse dumps and tie their refuse for disposal. It is easy to take photos and post on the net and write stories and innuendoes but the real advocacy is on our people to change their attitudes.
Phil Chinwuba
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Let Us Stop The Politics Of Insult On His Excellency , The Governor Of Anambra State and join Hand To Build The State (Anambra Adigo Mma )

This is a New Year and a year for change and tolerance should be the hallmark of each and every one of us .
We should learn to tolerate each other and talk to the issues other than insults. Even if you disagree with an opposing view do not just relegate the view but ponder over it and take the best out of it.
Attacking the personality of HE Governor Obiano because you don't agree with the method of governance or the progress achieved , died with 2014.
We should respect Our amiable Governor of Anambra State by being decorous in our submission because the use of abusive and foul language shows disrespect not only to the No 1 citizen of the state BUT to the people of Ndi Anambra who have elected His Excellency Governor Obiano to serve them for 4 years .
I call on all to come on board this year to help build Anambra State rather than politicizing issues since that will not add value to the development of the State , The Light Of The Nation .
Deje Ni ,
Ikolo Anambra
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