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Tag: Anambra

  • Agencies fight HIV/AIDS in Anambra

    Agencies fight HIV/AIDS in Anambra

    The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) and its Anambra State counterpart ANSACA have ended a crucial meeting in Awka, the state capital, and it seems they are making progress.

    The meeting was aimed at strengthening the state’s coordination and prevention of HIV/AIDS in various health facilities in the state to ensure best practices.

    Mrs. Doris Ekeh, NACA leader from the Abuja World Bank team, said she was satisfied with the development in Anambra.

    The team was briefed on its arrival in the state by the Executive Director of ANSACA, Dr. Onyeakachukwu Ibezim.

    The meeting was also to strengthen what ANSACA is doing for programme efficiency and help deepen the state’s intervention towards decreasing HIV prevalence in the state.

    Speaking with The Nation, Ibezim said the Governor Willie Obiano administration had embarked on proactive projects in the state in line with its vision of being a foremost platform for the control of HIV/AIDS in the state.

    He noted that the Agency under his watch was poised to record landmark feats that would curb the spread of HIV/AIDS in Anambra State in accordance with the mandate from Governor Obiano despite the challenges of the current global economic crunch.

    He said, “The ANSACA Office has been operating without electricity supply for three years but we have successfully restored electricity and the staff is once again operating under conducive working conditions. This has also increased our productivity.

    “This feat was achieved courtesy of the office of Her Excellency, the Wife of the Executive Governor, Mrs. Ebelechukwu Obiano, whose office superintends ANSACAs’ activities. She provided us with a connection of the electricity.”

    “At present there are 43 treatment facilities providing free Anti Retroviral drugs, and over 300 PMTCT facilities supported by the FHI 360 through the SIDHAS project and PPFN in the state”

    “The state governor Chief Willie Obiano is very supportive and he has given his directives on curbing the spread of the virus to its lowest ratio while taking care of those already living with it”

    “Ibezim informed that ANSACA organised a residential workshop on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) lectured by NACA facilitators on the ways of curbing the spread of HIV/AIDS, different rape situations and legal actions to be taken in these situations with participants drawn from different Civil Society Organizations, Non-Governmental Organizations and individuals”

    “He added that the Workshop also featured a UNDP sponsored section on Positive Health, Dignity and Prevention for People Living with HIV/AIDS (PHA).”

    “This featured sharing of experiences among the persons living with HIV/AIDS. The impact of this session was that they were exposed to effective resistance of stigmatization, healthy living, importance CD4 Count and check when necessary, adherence to prescribed drugs, etc.”

    He recalled that ANSACA in collaboration with the Caring Family Enhancement Initiative (CAFÉ), organized a road show featuring television and radio interviews by the Anambra Broadcasting Service (ABS) with more than 200 participants gathered at the ABS Complex where holistic lectures on HIV/AIDS were delivered by ANSACA Staff.

    He added that through the March, effective sensitization and creation of awareness on HIV/AIDS was carried out. This was achieved through distribution of fliers, on-the-spot counseling, amongst others.

    He said “the NACA Supportive Supervision to Anambra State took place and the team accessed the SACA team to enable them write a comprehensive for extension of the Project”

    “A debriefing meeting was held between the Executive Director of ANSACA and the Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS Executives (Anambra State Chapter)”

    “The essence of the meeting was to sensitize the support group the need to adhere strictly on their ARVs drugs and constant check of viral load also the need for the general public to stop stigmatization”

    “The Support Service Organisation (SSO) visited us to deliberate on CSOs achievement so far. SSO’s are support organization engaged by NACA to oversee their Project and report back to them”

    Ibezim said “there was also a visit by the NACA/World Bank on Safeguard and Environmental Management to discuss the modalities in facilitating effective and efficient execution of environmental social safe guard in HIV/AIDS Project”

    “The was series of meetings which enhanced cordial relationship between ANSACA and its coordinating units”

    A debriefing meeting was also held with 21 LACA Managers and 21 M&E Officers, 7 Project Managers of CSOs and 7 Finance Officers.

    It would be recalled that the Anambra State Agency for Control of HIV/AIDS (ANSACA) was established by an Act of the Anambra State House of Assembly on the 16th day of April 2007.

    It was assented to by the then Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi on May 18, 2007. It is charged with coordinating the state’s multi-sectoral responses on HIV/AIDS.

  • Obiano to lead Anambra carnival

    Obiano to lead Anambra carnival

    Anambra State is still in a celebration mood several weeks after marking its 25th anniversary.

    This second phase of the four-month long anniversary celebration programme, according to the coordinator of the Anambra at 25 events, Chief Emeka Okonkwo, is fashioned to draw attention to the “rich tourism potentials of Anambra State, especially in this period of economic difficulty which calls for diversification and creativity in the revenue drive of the state.”

    Addressing the traditional rulers of the 179 communities in the state, at the Government House, Awka, Anambra state capital, Okonkwo solicited their support on behalf of the Organising Committee, for the remaining part of the anniversary programme.

    He said, “The Anambra @ 25 Committee wants to use this historical silver jubilee of our dear state to showcase not only  our rich cultural heritage, natural endowments but also our unique tourisms potentials.

    “Tourism all over the world is a big business. Many countries around the globe derive huge revenue from tourism and Anambra with its diverse tourism endowments,  should rightly be on the front role of tourism sector in Nigeria if  the sector is well developed, essential as government has provided the enabling environment for it to thrive.”

    Speaking further, he said, “We are grateful to the government of His Excellency, Governor Willie Obiano, for the decisive manner it fought against criminality and insecurity in Anambra state in the past two years. Now with a secured Anambra, we will no longer be afraid to invite our brothers, sisters, friends and other tourism enthusiasts from within and outside the shores of Nigeria to come and have a feel of tourism in Anambra state,” adding that developing and harnessing the tourism potentials in Anambra will not only earn the state extra revenue but also stimulate economic activities in the regions that host the numerous tourism sites in the state.

    Okonkwo also disclosed that the anniversary celebration is at no cost to the state government as sponsorship cost is borne by private individuals and corporate bodies who are using the opportunity of the historical event to identify with Anambra state.

    Anambra, in the recent past was dreaded by visitors because of its notoriety for criminality. But Governor Obiano administration has taken on this ugly situation with an iron fist that Anambra has become one of the safest states in Nigeria today.

    Speaking on how he turned that ugly trend around, Governor Obiano stated: “I figured out that there could be no meaningful progress in this state without a successful attack against crime. I knew that no investor would go to a crime-ridden environment. So, we launched an all-out war against kidnappers, armed robbers, drug dealers and child-traffickers.

    “We smashed crime syndicates and pulled down the warehouses used for keeping kidnap victims. We donated smart cars to the police, gunboats to the navy and last Christmas, we launched police helicopters to watch over our skies.

    “And so, for the first time since the creation of this great state, we made sure that Anambra was effectively covered on the land, in the waters and in the sky! With that effort, we achieved 360 degrees security coverage of the state, “he noted.

    The result this efforts is the enabling environment for the development of the tourism sector that Okonkwo, alluded to.

    According to the published programmes of event, this tourism drive will be kick-started by a cultural beauty pageant and zonal cultural dance/masquerade competitions billed to take place in each of the three senatorial zones in the vicinity of the key tourism sites in each of the zones.

    Tourism sites such as Agulu Lake, famed for its sacred crocodiles and turtles, Ogbunike Cave, located in Oyi Local Government Area and Ogba Waterfalls in Owerre-Ezukala, will all play host to the zonal cultural fiestas. This strategy, according to the organizers, is to through this means, bring people to these sites in order to enable them to appreciate these gifts of nature that God has blessed Anambra with.

    Six selected communities from each of the zones would then take part in the grand finale and the state carnival to be led personally by the governor in the state capital Awka, in December 17, 2016.

    The cultural competition is designed to showcase the best of Anambra state cultural dances and indigenous masquerades.  The organisers also revealed that the carnival would become an annual state event like the popular Calabar Carnival, however, participants would be encouraged to wear customs that depict the culture and tradition of Anambra state, unlike in Calabar which parades Brazilian custom themes.

  • Flood overruns Anambra again

    Flood overruns Anambra again

    Five communities have been submerged as flood sweeps through Anambra State, hinting of the 2012 disaster, reports  NWANOSIKE ONU

    The flood disaster that ravaged about 17 communities in Anambra State in eight local government areas in 2012 has reared its ugly head again in the state. This time, five communities in Anambra East and West local government areas have been submerged. The affected communities include Eziagulu Otu Aguleri through other coastal areas of Mmiata Anam, Umuoba Abegbu Anam, Iyiora Anam and Umueze Anam.

    Before now, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) had predicted that some areas would suffer the same fate of 2012 during this year’s rainy season, warning that residents should take precaution.

    The State Emergency Management Agency, (SEMA) in the state had told The Southeast Report that there was no cause for alarm.

    The director of the agency, Chukwudi Onyejekwe said they had started sensitisation for a long time in the communities, adding that the state was 100 percent ready for the disaster.

    He told The Southeast Report that about 22 speed boats, mattresses, buckets and other items had been provided in readiness for the floods.

    Furthermore, Onyejekwe said all the eight centres used as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in the state which had been overgrown with weeds, had been cleared by the state government.

    He said, “Our agency is not sleeping, we are on top of our game with the heavy assistance from Anambra State government led by Chief Willie Obiano. For now I can tell you that SEMA is ready.”

    The Nigeria Red Cross Society, Anambra State chapter, on its part, had engaged in advocacy visits, seminars and sensitisation of the rural communities in some local government areas that were mentioned by (NIMET).

    The vice chairman of Red Cross in the state, Prof Peter Emeka Katchy, during one of such seminars in Awka on Tuesday, told The Southeast Report that already 14,000 volunteers of the agency had been deployed to the communities.

    He said the evacuation of the IDPs had already begun in those communities, to their different places created by the state for them in the eight local government areas.

    When the Red Cross visited some of the communities, the residents were already trapped, though it had not reached to the level of 2012.

    According to Katchy, “we have visited the areas to sensitize them the more, we are following the development, some houses and farms had already been submerged in some of the areas”

    “We are moving to evacuate the people to IDP camps immediately, before it reached alarming proportion; the people have been informed on where to go in all the designated camps in the state”

    “We are going to move in this week, but if there is any emergency now, we will move in immediately, Red Cross excel in crisis and that is why we thrive in emergency situations.

    “It is not easy for people to leave their abode and that is why, we are into this advocacy now, Anambra is ready to tackle flood problems in this state because everything is ready. All the camps have been fumigated, water provided, the camps cleared,” Katchy said, adding that every sensible government should support Red Cross to excel in their duty in crisis management.

    Some of the buildings and farmlands had been submerged with the residents lamenting.

    A woman whose farmland had been submerged by the flood, Mrs. Esther Nnoli, told The South East Report that what they suffered in 2012 had come upon them again.

    She said that it had not reached to the level of that of 2012, adding that if the situation became worse, that they would leave their homes in Ayamelum for the camps.

    Last week, the president general of the Association of Anambra State Town Unions (ASATU), Dr. JAP Okolo, had raised the alarm that national emergency management agency (NEMA) and (SEMA) to assist in clearing the water ways of Riverine areas in the communities.

    He said the water hyacinth covered a stretch of some 40 kilometers on the Ezichi, Oda river waterways from Eziagulu Otu through other coastal communities.

    Okolo, complained that the people could not come out because of the inability of boats to move on the weeds which he said had taken over waterways.

     

  • Fed Govt trains 5,000 graduates in Anambra

    Over 5,000 graduates have been trained in Anambra State under the Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS).

    Before the training in Awka, the state capital, about five groups of 50 graduates each had been trained, with additional five groups taking their turn next.

    Speaking at Geo-Gold Hotels in Awka, the project Director, Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS), at career development and entrepreneurship skills said the federal government was trying its best in making sure that the youth are employed.

    He was represented by Mr. Fola Jimoh, who said that the FG’s scheme had given hope to thousands of youths in the country.

    Jimoh said, “The federal government is not ready to fail on this exercise; rather the President Muhammadu Buhari administration is doing everything possible to fight graduate unemployment.

    The era of unemployment is over in this country with this (GIS) programme, but whatever stipend being owed to anybody will soon be paid by the government”.

    Jimoh was in Anambra State with Mr. Johnson Iyiola, project implementation unit (GIS), Garba Shehu, Principal Officer Ministry of Finance and Jamey Yakubu of Nansel selzing-N-Miz International Limited for the programme.

    He said the initial plan by the previous administration was to recruit 50,000 which according to him did not work until the present administration came in and raised the stake.

    “However as long as thousands of graduates still remain unemployed, we will continue to improve the capacity of the scheme to absorb more applicants”

  • Anambra monarch to Ndigbo: Engage in agriculture now

    The traditional ruler of Igbo Ukwu Kingdom in Aguata, Anambra State, Dr. Martin Ezeh, has called on Ndigbo to make agriculture their priority, as it was during the Eastern region, led by the late Dr. Michael Okpara.

    The monarch spoke at the weekend during the celebration of National New Yam Festival at Yam House, Etiti Village in the community.

    According to the monarch, “in 1962, Eastern region, during the era of the late Dr. Michael Okpara, was named the fastest growing economy in the world.”

    “Why can’t we re-enact such miracle even by our individual states, and we are calling on the federal government to begin restructuring so that Nigeria can practice full and true federalism.”

    “Without agriculture, nobody will survive because any being created with blood and flesh needs food, which is agricultural produce.”

    “Agriculture, which is part of culture, is symbolic of identity, whosoever that loses agriculture has no identity, no matter where you are, even the white men engaged so much on agricultural practices.”

    Ezeh, insisted that Igbo nation had always been known for innovation, industry, entrepreneur, among others, which according to him, were the attributes that would make a country developed and advanced.

    He queried the rationale behind the backwardness of Ndigbo in investing in their homes despite the ingenuity and extra ordinary wisdom of the people.

    The monarch described the new yam festival as the time of coming together to celebrate the products of yam plantation in Igboland by the traditional rulers who were the chief custodians of tradition in the communities.

    The National Chairman of Mbido Igbo Association, Mazi Okafouzu Ugochukwu, noted that the unity of any nation or tribe was guaranteed by their culture, which, according to him, was the product of their religious belief.

    He said any attempt by any group of people to separate people’s culture from their religion meant chaos in such place.

    Ugochukwu, therefore, thanked the federal government for elevating the festival to an international status.

    The representative of the National Gallery of Art, Ibrahim Adamu therefore, adviced the Mbido Igbo Association (MIA), as the promoters of the Igbo culture, to lure private and corporate organisations into the festival in future, instead of waiting for governments.

    He said that the federal government had concluded plans to back off from sponsoring cultural activities in Nigeria.

    The Director-General of Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Chief Dr. Sally Mbanefo, was represented by Mrs. I. fibi.

    She said that the corporation had done enough in promoting cultures in Nigeria, adding that Igboukwu New Year Festival was one of such in the South-East.

    Again, (NTDC) said it had marketed the festival in various countries of the world, including Spain, Britain, Germany, Dubai and South Africa, adding that soon investors would troop to Nigeria to explore the cultural heritage of the people.

  • Varsities hunt for geniuses in Anambra

    Varsities hunt for geniuses in Anambra

    Students of three universities have tried one another for size. Before them were various topics in which they were expected to show their mastery. The bout was at Suncity Hotels Exclusive in Awka, the Anambra State capital.

    The institutions are Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU), University of Benin (UNIBEN) and Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU).

    The competition, organised by the AI Concepts in partnership with the Victor Oguaju Foundation (VOF), was meant to produce academically sound youths.

    The exercise was tagged the “genius party”.

    The chief executive officer (CEO) of AI Concepts Mr. Enyekwe Kelvin who is himself a 400-level Chemical Engineering student of UNIBEN, said the exercise was to keep the students busy in their studies. Enyekwe is also the publisher of Alpha Success Pack.

    During the competition, which went through an elimination process, six students scaled the hurdle among the 120 that showed interest.

    The exercise was based on comportment, communication skills and vibrancy, among other criteria, according to the chief judge of the competition, Mr. Obidiwe Mmesoma.

    At the end of the contest which lasted for over five hours, Mr. Moujama Obiora, a pre-degree student of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka came out tops and was presented with his award.

    Oguaju said the foundation was committed to community development and has since inception, in 2015, carried out  health and educational projects.

    He said the foundation was contributing its quota in nation building. He congratulated the participants for showing the spirit of sportsmanship.

    Oguaju called on fellow youths to identify with and engage in things that would contribute to national development.

    He said, “Now, we are on break, let us shun violence and acquire skills within and outside our disciplines in school that will help us in the near future after our graduation”.

    The winner of the competition, Muojama Obiora, who spoke with The Nation  thanked God for guiding him through the exercise, while giving kudos to other participants for making him tax his brain the more.

    He praised the organisers of the competition for such a brilliant idea, which he said would help the students achieve their aims.

     

  • The help Anambra needs at 25

    The help Anambra needs at 25

    It has grown significantly in the last 25 years. But one major challenge threatens Anambra State’s existence: erosion menace. It needs the assistance of the Federal Government and international development partners to deal decisively with it, reports OLUKOREDE YISHAU

    Its landmass is not massive. And to make matters worse, erosion has eaten deep into it.  Anambra State’s erosion crisis threatens to swallow it up. At the last count, there are no less than 972 gully erosion sites in a land mass of 4,844 square kilometers. One fifth of its land has been washed away by erosion. No other state in the country faces the sort of erosion challenge Anambra is confronted with. It deserves to be declared an Ecologically Endangered State.

    No wonder the erosion challenge was a major talking point in an address given by Governor Willie Obiano to mark the state’s 25th anniversary. The state was created on August 27, 1991, and last Saturday marked the 25th year of its creation, which is now under serious threat from erosion.

    Obiano lamented that his state was the worst hit with 972 active erosion sites. Imo State, he said, has 27, and less in some other states. He said his administration has been able to attract attention from NEWMAP to 12 sites.

    In one of his several attempts to draw attention to the challenge, Obiano said: “In truth, no other state in Nigeria has been ravaged by erosion on the same scale as Anambra. If the images that we generated from our aerial photography are anything to go by, then the world must come to our rescue before it is too late. Indeed, we are raising this alarm in the hope that the attentive world will give Anambra State a chance to survive as a geopolitical entity that deserves its continuous membership of the human race.

    ”The tragedy of gully erosion is that its impact is usu­ally so colossal that it is al­most impossible for any state, no matter how rich, to tack­le it alone. We are emboldened by the fact that many nations who were faced with the threat of extinction of this nature or worse in the past were not left to their fate by a caring world. We have no doubt that our case will not be different.

    The rate at which this menace is progressing is so frightening that if nothing is done very quickly, it will overwhelm our collective ca­pacity to slow it down.”

    The World Bank is committed to resolving the erosion challenge in Ugamuma-Obosi, Ikenga-Ogidi, EnugwuUkwu and Abidi-Umoji. But the state needs much more.

    Speaking as part of the activities to mark the anniversary, Obiano said because of its land mass coupled with the erosion that has further reduced its land, it would not embark on land-consuming projects, such as grazing reserves and ranches. Instead, he said the state was in a discussion with an international partner to commence the animal husbandry indigenous to the area.

    On herdsmen attack of communities in the southeast, Obiano said: “On this issue, I am like the guy who saw tomorrow. Early in my administration, I constituted a committee known as Cattle Menace Committee, which is headed by the commissioner of police, with five traditional rulers and leaders of the Fulani community in the state. We agreed in the committee that if the cattle belonging to the Fulani people destroy our crops, they will pay us; and if our people kill their cattle, we will pay them.

    “In May 2015, I set up a security committee to ensure that farmers and herdsmen keep the law. They (herdsmen) agreed that if they destroyed any farm in Anambra they will pay compensation. And they have paid 11 times…. If our people kill their cow we will pay compensation as well. And we have paid five times that happened.”

    He added that it was agreed that herdsmen would not be allowed to come into the state wielding AK47 rifles and other dangerous weapons.

    “You are not allowed to carry around dangerous weapons, illegal possession of arms is totally prohibited, anyone who goes against these directives will have himself to be blamed for any action taken against him,” Obiano said.

    He noted that the arrangement had guided the parties in their actions and conducts.

    The governor also spoke on the effort of his government to make the state an agricultural hub.

    He said: “Anambra State will be the food basket of Africa in the next 25 years. In the next 25 years Anambra will not depend on federal allocation. It will be known as a state that transited to become the Taiwan of Africa.

    “We are number one among states that were created 25 years ago. We pay salaries as and when due. We are the safest state, and we have attracted billions of dollars in investment to the state.”

    Obiano said Igbariam in Anambra East has the highest untapped deposit of gas in Africa based on empirical records. Obiano praised previous governments for its contribution to the development of the state and assured his team would leave Anambra better than it met it. He added that Anambra would be an investment destination and the Taiwan of Africa in the next 25 years when the oil-producing status of the state would no longer be in doubt.

    He also spoke about the export of vegetables from the state to the United Kingdom championed by Captain John Okakpu, who trained farmers in 7 communities. He said the state would as part of 25 years anniversary name some streets after some individuals in the state for their contributions to the state.

    A dinner was held on Saturday as part of activities to celebrate the silver jubilee of the state. Three iconic fly-over bridges were also lit up to mark the anniversary. There was also a special anniversary broadcast.

    The governor gave an insight into what next to expect: “25 years is a milestone in the history of individuals, groups and societies. It calls for deep introspection, stocktaking and projections. It is a veritable crossroads in Time where we usually pause to hatch new dreams. For any responsible administration, events like the Silver Jubilee Anniversary usually come in handy for the renewal of the social contract between the government and the people. This Anniversary has offered my Team and I a chance to renew our pact with Ndi Anambra and strengthen our commitment to the emergence of a more prosperous state. Gentlemen of the Press, some of you were old enough when Anambra State came into existence 25 years ago. Some of you must have witnessed the sudden rise in our people’s hopes; some of you must have heard the liberation songs on the lips our mothers who saw the new state as the fulfilment of their aspirations. Gentlemen of the press, 25 years after, Anambra has travelled through a hard road paved with agony and pain to the promise of a new day. A realistic appraisal of the economic situation of our country has forced us to be more creative in our approach to identifying what should matter to our people.

    ”As a result, this anniversary celebration will be more symbolic and less showy of what our dear state stands for.

    “We shall flag off the one million-Tree Planting Campaign. Then, we shall lay the foundation for the Oxygen Project Plant of the Odumegwu Ojukwu Teaching Hospital. We shall flag off the N20m project per community initiative. The celebration continues till December this year. We have an Anniversary Lecture/Dinner planned for October 1, 2016 to coincide with Nigeria’s Independence Anniversary. We also Special Gala Nights mapped out for Lagos and Port Harcourt in October and another one in Abuja in November. We plan to host a Special Anniversary Award Ceremony on December 16. It will be a great day to honour Anambra’s galaxy of pre-eminent achievers. A cultural carnival has also been scheduled to take place in the three Senatorial Districts during this period with a grand finale of the Festival billed for December. There will be a Special Lighting of the Christmas tree on November 25 and an Interdenominational Service on November 26. We shall visit spectacular Tourist Sites on December 22nd and host a colourful Christmas Carol on the same day.”

    The tree planting is part of plans to tackle the erosion menace. The Chairman, State Steering Committee of Tree Planting Campaign and the Managing Director, Awka Capital Territory Development Authority (ACTDA), Michael Okonkwo, said his committee had visited Lagos State to understudy their greenery project programme.

    Okonkwo said Anambra would soon replicate some greenery projects to checkmate the menace of erosion and degradation of the soil.

    He said the government had kick started the exercise by planting over four thousand trees within Enugu-Onitsha Expressway as pilot project.

    He said the government was embarking on a state-wide campaign for individuals, religious bodies and other organisations to compliment the efforts of the government in tackling the problems of environment.

    He regretted that individuals and communities living in erosion-prone areas had not done enough to checkmate it..

     

  • How Anambra avoided farmers/farmersby Obiano

    How Anambra avoided farmers/farmersby Obiano

    Anambra State Governor Willie Obiano has explained how he staved off clashes between farmers and herdsmen in the state.

    Obiano spoke at a news conference to mark the state’s 25th anniversary in Awka at the weekend. The governor said he set up a strong security committee, which he mandated to ensure that both farmers and herdsmen did not take the law into their hands.

    He said: “In May 2015, I set up a security committee to ensure that farmers and herdsmen keep the law.

    “They (herdsmen) agreed that if they destroyed any farm in Anambra they will pay compensation. And they have paid 11 times…. If our people kill their cow we will pay compensation as well. And we have paid five times that happened.”

    Obiano also spoke on the effort of his government to make Anambra State an agricultural hub, and on the prospects of the state in the next 25 years.

    “Anambra State will be the food basket of Africa in the next 25 years,” he said.

    “In the next 25 years Anambra will not depend on federal allocation. It will be known as a state that transited to become the Taiwan of Africa.

    “We are No. 1 among states  created 25 years ago. We pay salaries as and when due. We are the safest state, and we have attracted billions of dollars in investment to the state.”

    The state was created on August 27, 1991, and Saturday marked the 25th year of its creation.

    A line of activities has been scheduled to celebrate the silver jubilee of the state.

    A dinner was held yesterday, and other events have been scheduled to take place throughout the year to mark the occasion.

  • Varsities hunt for geniuses in Anambra

    Varsities hunt for geniuses in Anambra

    Students of three universities tried one another for size. Before them were various topics in which they were expected to show their mastery. The bout was at Suncity Hotels Exclusive in Awka, the Anambra State capital.

    The institutions were Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU), University of Benin (UNIBEN) and Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU).

    The competition, organised by the AI Concepts in partnership with the Victor Oguaju Foundation (VOF), was meant to produce academically sound youths.

    The exercise was tagged the “genius party”.

    The chief executive officer (CEO) of AI Concepts Mr. Enyekwe Kelvin who is himself a 400-level Chemical Engineering student of UNIBEN, said the exercise was to keep the students busy in their studies. Enyekwe is also the publisher of Alpha Success Pack.

    During the competition, which went through an elimination process, six students scaled the hurdle among the 120 that showed interest.

    The exercise was based on comportment, communication skills and vibrancy, among other criteria, according to the chief judge of the competition, Mr. Obidiwe Mmesoma.

    At the end of the contest which lasted for over five hours, Mr. Moujama Obiora, a pre-degree student of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka came out tops and was presented with his award.

    Oguaju said the foundation was committed to community development and has since inception, in 2015, carried out  health and educational projects.

    He said the foundation was contributing its quota in nation building. He congratulated the participants for showing the spirit of sportsmanship.

    Oguaju called on fellow youths to identify with and engage in things that would contribute to national development.

    He said, “Now, we are on break, let us shun violence and acquire skills within and outside our disciplines in school that will help us in the near future after our graduation”.

    The winner of the competition, Muojama Obiora, who spoke with The Nation  thanked God for guiding him through the exercise, while giving kudos to other participants for making him tax his brain the more.

    He praised the organisers of the competition for such a brilliant idea, which he said would help the students achieve their aims.

  • Anambra: Home of stars prepares for anniversary

    Ahead of Anambra State’s 25th anniversary, WALE AJETUNMOBI profiles some of the state’s superstars

    Anambra State is 25 but its story transcends its birth and age. It is a story of a land that gave birth to a plethora of gold fish and is still producing, a land saturated with resourceful and enterprising people. As Anambrarians mark the 25th anniversary of the creation of their state, they are also celebrating their iconic sons and daughters who were indeed torchbearers in virtually all human endeavours- men and women who showed the light for other Nigerians to follow.

    Modern-day Anambra, which was carved out of the old Anambra, still parades such men and women while some have gone to rest with their creator. In the Southeast, the present-day Enugu and parts of Ebonyi were fathered by Anambra. And this is how: The old Anambra was created out of the defunct East Central state in 1976 with Enugu as capital. A further balkanisation in 1991 during the military administration of former Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida culminated in the division of Anambra into states two- new Anambra and Enugu states. Parts of Enugu and Abia states would later in 1996 form a new state, Ebonyi courtesy the late military ruler, Gen. Sani Abacha.

    When Anambra was created in 1991, Awka was named as its capital. From a mere local government setting 25 years ago, Awka has grown into a bubbling state capital, complete with modern infrastructures. The other two tripod legs on which the state rests are Onistha, Anambra’s commercial nerve centre with its many markets where multi-billion naira articles are traded, and Nnewi, an industrial hub. Nnewi has given Nigeria the gift of almost hundred percent made-in-Nigeria vehicles through Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing company owned by a son of the state and an Nnewi indigene, Dr. Innocent Chukwuma.

    Apart from Chukwuma, some of Anambra’s business and industrial icons-business moguls and industrialists whose contributions to the economic growth of the state in particular and Nigeria in general give fillip to Anambra’s “Light of the Nation” slogan- include the late Sir Louis Odumegwu Ojukwu, father of the former military governor of the defunct Eastern Region and later Head of state of the defunct Republic of Biafra, General Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu. Louis was one of  Nigeria’s richest men in the 1950s and 1960s. His business empire endures till date. Anambra is blessed with others such as Eric Umeofia of Erisco tomato fame, Cosmas Maduka of Coscharis Group, Ifeanyi Uba of Capital Oil and Gas, Obinna Uzor of Guccuz Group, Athur Eze of Triax Airline among others.

    In the entertainment and literary sphere, Anambra boasts of such giants as professor Chinua Achebe of the blessed memory whose famous Things Fall Apart has been translated into more than 50 world languages, Professor Chukwuemeka Ike, the author of the timeless Bottled Leopard, Chimamanda Adichie of  Half a Yellow Sun fame, the late Cyprian Ekwensi of Drummer Boy, the late Christopher Okigbo whose poetic prowess still resonates almost 50 years after his death, among others.

    There are the highly successful musical Twins, P Square, late Highlife music maestros, Steven Osita Osadebe and Sunday Akanite aka Oliver De Coque.

    Anambra has also produced many political and military heavyweights and many firsts in Nigeria’s political and military arena. Leading the pack is the late first president of Nigeria and one of Nigeria’s founding father, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, first Executive Vice president of Nigeria, Dr Alex Ekwueme, first President of Nigeria’s Senate, late Dr. Nwafor Orizu, first Quarter Master-General of Nigerian Army and first university graduate to join the service, the late General Ojukwu, the first Igbo man to attain the rank of Lieutenant-General in Nigeria Army, Lt. General Chukwukadia Obiakor, the first Senate President upon the return of democracy in 1999, the late Chuba Okadigbo, Nigeria’s first Speaker of the House of Representatives under the current presidential system of government, late Edwin Ume-Ezeoke.

    The state equally parades exceptional great men and women who exceedingly excelled in their chosen careers and appointments, and received avalanche of accolades and effusive praises for exhibiting high sense of honesty, integrity and patriotism in the course of their work. Some of these include former governor Peter Obi, former Central Bank Governor, Charles Soludo, late Prof Dora Akunyili who made NAFDAC thick, former Commonwealth Secretary-General Emeka Anyaoku, Former Chairman of the defunct National Electoral Commission, NEC, professor Humphrey Nwosu, the man who developed the fastest Computer in the world, Philip Emeagwali and erudite economist, Pious Okigbo.

    In Agulu, one of Anambra’s many urban centres, sits a lake noted for its rich crocodile and sea Turtle content. The Agulu lake is an alluring tourists’ destination but if you are a lover of crocodiles and hope to hunt them in the lake or go a fishing there, then Agulu lake is not your ideal destination. This is because the estimated 400 crocodiles and sea Turtles in the Agulu lake are sacred to the people of the area. The creatures therefore cannot be killed and eaten. Fishing is also not allowed in the lake.

    Another tourist centre in Anambra is the ancient Ogbunike cave located in Oyi local government area of the state. Visitors to the cave are enthralled by wonders of nature’s architectural masterpiece which it represents.

    There is also the Igboukwu Museum noted for its breathtaking metal crafts and bronze artefacts. Thurstan Shaw, an English archeologist first excavated the bronzes, which were discovered in 1938.

    The current Anambra State governor, Willie Obiano is the sixth civilian, democratically elected governor of the state since its creation 25 years ago and the fifth since the return of democracy in 1999. Obiano and his immediate predecessor, Peter Obi have in the last 10 years pulled Anambra away from the doldrums by embarking on massive infrastructural and economic re-invention of the state.

    For example, Obiano’s agricultural revolution has ensured that Anambra is now producing rice in commercial quantity. Tagged “Anambra Rice”, bags of the commodity are now sold in markets across Nigeria.