Obiano sworn in as Anambra gov

Vows to tackle power, security challenges

Obi ‘ll soon become FEC member —President

As CJ denies getting court action to stop swearing in

BY  Tony Edike & Vincent Ujumadu, Nwabueze Okonkwo

AWKA—Dr. Willie Obiano and Dr. Nkamakonam Okeke were yesterday, sworn in as governor and deputy governor of Anambra State respectively with a pledge to tackle headlong the perennial problems of power failure and insecurity which they identified as the biggest constraints to the full manifestation of the ingenuity for which Anambra people were known.

Chief Judge on court order
This was even as the state Chief Judge, Justice Peter Umeadi, denied ever flouting any court order by swearing them into office.

However, the Special Adviser to the President on Inter-Party Matters, Chief Ben Obihas announced the appointment of former Governor Obi,  as the honourary Adviser on Finance to President Goodluck Jonathan and would soon become a member of the Federal Executive Council, FEC.

Society’s enduring virtues of love, unity and brotherhood were some of the central themes that dominated the inaugural address of the new Governor, Obiano after taking the oath of office, in an elaborate ceremony in Awka, the Anambra State capital.

Tackling challenges
At the colourful ceremony held at Dr. Alex Ekwueme Square, Awka and attended by eminent personalities from Anambra and beyond, Obiano said  that the realisation of his dreams for Anambra State depends on how well these two challenges were tackled.

He said: “The good news is that there is hope for Anambra State.  We shall aggressively address the challenge of power supply with the proposed citing of ultra-modern Independent Power Plants, IPP, in the three industrial hubs in the state, especially, in Onitsha, Nnewi and Awka.  When fully operational, these plants will generate enough electricity to power the entrepreneurial dreams of our people.”

On security
In the area of security, he said: “Anambra will be different under my watch. Not only shall we redraft the operational manual of the entire security apparatchik to ensure a lightening-quick response, we shall also re-orientate our people to see that every citizen has a role to play in the security of our communities.  The concept of community policing or what is better known as the Vigilante Groups, has worked well in Anambra State.

“The next challenge however is to re-train, re-equip and refocus them to meet the dynamics of our time. Along the same line, we will strengthen the police and other law enforcement agencies in the state to enhance their efficiency and response rate to distress calls.”

Clamour for capital city
Obiano also said that his government would address the long clamour by Anambra people for a capital city “that fully reflects the essence of our people,” adding that Awka would be re-designed and remodeled to meet the structural and aesthetic requirements of a 21st Century city that the people would be proud off.

Apart from these, he also said that his government would faithfully implement the master plans of Onitsha and Nnewi.
He listed other priorities of his government to include aggressive mechanised agriculture, oil and gas development, trade and commerce and industrialisation.

Eulogises Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu
While paying a glowing tribute to the late APGA leader and Ikemba Nnewi, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu for building a new political ark for Ndigbo, Obiano also expressed gratitude to the people of Anmabra for the overwhelming support they gave to him during the last gubernatorial poll.

President Jonathan, who was represented at the occasion by his Adviser on inter party matters, Chief Obi, said he had enjoyed the support of the former governor and assured that “he remains my honourary adviser on Finance.
“Sooner or later Peter Obi will be a member of the Federal Executive Council,” the president said.

Earlier in his valedictory speech, former governor Obi had described the transition as historic pointing out that since the creation of both old and new Anambra State, “no governor has handed over to anybody.”

Obi speaks
His words: “Chief Jim Nwobodo did not hand over to Chief Christian Onoh (in the Second Republic); Chukwuemeka Ezeife did not hand over to Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju; Mbadinuju did not hand over to Dr. Chris Ngige and Ngige was not available the day I took my oath of office.’’

He also claimed that when he ‘’was sworn in, Anambra did not have the Governor’s Office, there was no Governor’s Lodge.  When I was sworn in, I came with my car but today as we leave here after the new Governor has been sworn in, he will move in a brand new Governor’s car and he will move into a Governor’s Lodge.

Anambra State has returned to the path of peace and progress because when we started the journey all of us knew what it was but today