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Tag: Theodore Orji

  • Abia distributes laptops, exercise books to schools

    Abia distributes laptops, exercise books to schools

    Abia State government has distributed 1,778 laptops to 216 secondary schools to make the pupils Information and Computer Technology (ICT)-compliant.

    It also distributed over two million exercise books to primary schools in the 17 local governments, urging parents and guardians to send their children and wards to school, as it is free.

    Speaking in Umuahia when distributing the items, Governor Theodore Orji said his administration was determined to invest more in education, having seen its dividends.

    He said his government was aware of the challenges in the sector, adding that the state should not be left behind.

    Orji said: “The world is in the era of science and technology and Imo cannot be left behind. That was why government bought laptops from the Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC] for the pupils.”

     

  • Orji urges stakeholders on vandalism

    Orji urges stakeholders on vandalism

    Abia State Governor Theodore Orji has urged stakeholders in the oil industry to form a synergy that would stop pipeline vandalism.

    He said the crime should not be left alone in the hands of the government to tackle, as it needed the efforts of others, such as the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Pipeline, Products Marketing Company (PPMC) and pipeline host communities.

     

  • ‘Boko Haram can’t attack southeast’

    ‘Boko Haram can’t attack southeast’

    Some South-East governors on Monday declared that the Boko Haram sect cannot attack the zone.

    They made the remark after meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    The governors include Willy Obiano (Anambra); Sullivan Chime (Enugu); Theodore Orji (Abia) and Martins Elechi (Ebonyi). Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha was absent.

    Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the closed-door meeting, Obiano maintained that the sect could not get to the South-East as they (the governors) are very alert.

    He was reacting to the reports that police on Sunday uncovered three improvised explosive devices planted in Winners Chapel church in Owerri, Imo State Capital.

    He said: “No, they cannot get there. I can assure you of that. We will not allow that to happen. I cannot tell you in any material details about the bombs found or not found. All I can assure you is that we are very alert in the South-East and we are watching what is going on. I can assure you that Boko Haram cannot come to the Southeast.”

    According to him, they were at the Presidential Villa on a solidarity visit to Preseident Jonathan, whom he said, was under a lot of pressure.

    “The President is a human being and he is under a lot of pressure. Some other people are making the work a lot more difficult for him. Instead of supporting him to steer us out of these stormy waters, they are adding kerosene to fire. So, we are here to tell him that we are supporting him and that he should count on us,” the governor said.

    On erosion ravaging parts of the Southeast, particularly his state, Obiano disclosed that the World Bank was partnering with the state to tackle the problem while the government was evolving laws to curb the excesses of residents whose activities worsen erosion problems.

  • ‘Mbanefo an asset to tourism’

    ‘Mbanefo an asset to tourism’

    Abia State Governor Theodore Orji has praised President Goodluck Jonathan for appointing Mrs Sally Mbanefo as Director-General of the Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC). He described her appointment the act as “a patriotic fetching of an appropriate person to excavate and exhibit a goldmine for the benefit of the nation.’

    Governor Orji spoke when he received Mrs Mbanefo in his office in Umuahia, the Abia State capital. Mrs Mbanefo was accorded a rousing welcome at  the airport where she was received by the Deputy Governors of Abia and Imo states, Chief Emeka Ananaba and Prince Eze Mbadumere. She was presented to Chief Uche Sunday Aja,  the chairman of Ukwa East Local Government.  Aja led the NTDC train to Oganihu Women Hall where the community had gathered to receive Mrs Mbanefo. “We are expecting in our midst  a lady of immense intelligence, a humble achiever, a go-getter, a woman who is showing to all that Nigerian women are not push over, a reasonable and responsible representative of President Jonathan.

    “A woman who has within seven months as the DG  toured over 14 states which none of her predecessors in office ever did. A woman of great aura who is coming to Abia to help us market and promote our tourism sites so that we the people will make money and enjoy from the blessings which God Almighty has blessed us with in the state.”

    The Chairman of the local government, Chief Aja, praised her for the seriousness of purpose, which informed her coming to Abia State in general and his local government in particular. The people were pleased with the DG ‘for not staying in her plush office in Abuja and talking grammar of domestic tourism without venturing to see the places by herself. This has distinguished and sets her apart from the crowd of armchair DGs.

    “We are happy to see you. We are seeing the seriousness of purpose in you. We pray that God Almighty will see you through.”

    Mrs Mbanefo described the ceremony as wonderful and unexpected reception held in her honour. “I am also short of words. This reception and your kind words are not only appreciative pills but rejuvenating tonic to do more. I promise you to do all within my capacity to promote the tourism potentialities of this great country and this wonderful community.”

    The DG assured the people of her desire to assist in the promotion tourists sites in the state. “We are going to collaborate with the state government, members of the private sector and foreign investors to turn this great lake into a global tourism site,” she added.

    DG and her team also visited the War Museum and said: “Though these are reminiscences of our past which might be not too palatable, but the right efforts should be made in preserving for the generations yet unborn, our strides and struggle during the process of becoming a nation. Also, it showcases to the world the innate ingenuity of the vibrant people called Nigerians. We at NTDC will not shy away from our charter in ensuring the effective marketing and promotion of these sites.”

    Governor Orji said: “I have to thank you for not only identifying the tourism potentialities of Abia State but also coming personally with your team to visit the bastion of tourism in the Southeast. I have been monitoring your activities since your appointment and I can boldly say you are an asset to the tourism sector. You have raised the stake in that sector. We shall support without looking back.”

    The Governor assured the DG of immeasurable support for the

    DG and NTDC, saying “we are going to reinforce your efforts

    which are geared towards the mobilisation of the hidden tourism wealth of the nation. You have displayed within a little time, your sincerity of purpose and commitment to the mission of the Federal Government. We are not going to let you down. Thank for coming to Abia State. We appreciate you.“

     

  • Orji hails result in WASSCE

    Orji hails result in WASSCE

    Abia State Governor Theodore Orji has hailed the state’s performance in last year West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

    The state emerged second in the federation in the result released by the West African Examination Council (WAEC).

    Orji, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Charles Ajunwa, hailed the development and attributed the feat to the reforms introduced by his administration in education.

    He noted that the sector was the key to development in the state, stressing that the state introduced free education to assist parents who could not afford to pay the fees of their children.

     

  • Abia gets first woman CJ

    Abia gets first woman CJ

    Abia State Governor Theodore Orji has sworn in a substantive chief judge three years after Justice Sunday Imo retired in December 2010.

    She is Justice Nnenna Chioma Oti, from Ohuhu in Umuahia North.

    Governor Orji said the swearing in of a new chief judge would strengthen and solidify the judicial system.

    Orji said since December 2010 when Justice Imo retired, many people within the system had been appointed in an acting capacity.

    The governor said he had received many calls, urging him to appoint a chief judge “without their knowledge of the things that are involved in the appointment, which is not within the sole capacity of the governor.”

    Orji said: “The state judicial commission nominated and sent her name to the Nigeria Judicial Commission, which approved before I sent her name to the House of Assembly.”

    The governor also swore in two new judges; Justice Innocent Ahunanya Nwabuogu and Justice Eleazar Onyekachi Enwereji.

    He urged the new judges to abide by their oaths of office and dispense justice on time.

    Orji said the present judges were doing well, “but you need to work harder so that when the people from Abuja come, you will not be found wanting. I was not happy that no judge from Abia was among those appointed into the Court of Appeal.”

    Justice Oti, speaking for all, assured the governor and people of quality service, stressing that they would abide by their oaths.

    She said the public was not happy with the judicial system and promised that transformation had come.

    The chief judge explained that the judiciary system required more judges because of the volume of cases, stressing that the two new judges would help in the quick dispensation of justice.

     

  • ‘No automatic ticket in Abia PDP’

    ‘No automatic ticket in Abia PDP’

    Abia State Governor Theodore Orji has said that there will be no automatic ticket for any of the elected member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the next year’s election.

    He assured party members of a level playing group, adding that there will be no imposition of candidates.

    Orji said automatic tickets will breed mediocrity and prevent a healthy competion during the electioneering.

    The governor spoke at the PDP stakeholders’ meeting in Umuahia, the state capital.

    He said: “ Competition is the best way to bring out the best in any society. Appointing people to contest for elective positions does not give room for true democracy to thrive”.

    Orji charged party members to shun “money politics” and vote for candidates who have vision and the love of the peopple at heart.

    The governor described Abia State as the stronghold of the PDP, urging the stakeholders to sustain the tempo.

    He said: “There is no vacancy for any other political party, except the PDP, to exist in the state. There is no room for any other political party to survive in Abia State because we have set a very high standard, which will be hard for any political party to beat.”

    Orji recalled that the PDP won all the elections in the state in 2011, saying that the feat was unprecedented.

    He said that the state started to make progres when it refrained from worshipping idols.

    The governor said that President Goodluck Jonathan is happy that the state is making progress.

    He added: “Whenever the President sees me, he will ask me how are my people and not how is Abia State. This shows the level of love and the value the Presidency has for the state.”

    The party chairman, Senator Emma Nwaka, urged the party chieftains to work for the peace and progress of the state at all times.

    Nwaka said that someone in a ruling party will not understand what it means to be in opposition. “Therefore those of you in the ruling party should hold tenaciously to what you have as being in opposition will not be to your benefit.”

     

  • Alleged attack: Okorocha berates Orji over statement

    Alleged attack: Okorocha berates Orji over statement

    Imo State government has described the utterances of Abia State Governor Theodore Orji on the alleged attack on the convoy of Senate President David Mark, by suspected gunmen, as a cheap blackmail.

    In a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, Sam Onwuemeodo, government said: “Orji’s utterance is a rude shock, emanating from such office as the Chairman of the Southeast Governors Forum.

    According to the statement, “Orji’s utterances are full of insinuations. Government has taken cognisance of the reaction of the police command, which denied the attack.”

    Onwuemeodo said in the reports on the alleged attack, the reaction of the Abia governor and denial by the police aroused suspicions on the veracity of the alleged attack.

    He said since the reports of the alleged attack did not disclose the exact spot the incident occurred, the allegation looked vague.

    His words: “The reaction of Orji was surprising and shocking. He spoke as if he knew those who carried out the alleged attack. He condemned the purported attack and said it was aimed at eliminating the Senate President, urging him not to be deterred.

    “In an attack like the one being alleged, Orji would have called on the police to investigate the incident, where the attack really occurred, to know whether those behind it were after the Senate President or it was a mere coincidence, and whether it was politically-motivated or purely a criminal operation.

    “These questions have justified our suspicion as a government that the allegation could be aimed at blackmailing the Imo government and denting the state’s record as the most peaceful state with the lowest rate of crime.”

    The governor’s aide also wondered why Mark or his convoy should be attacked in the state by anybody or group when he is not from Imo or Southeast.

    “Of what need would his elimination serve any state in the Southeast and Imo in particular?” Onwuemeodo asked.

    He urged the Inspector-General of Police to conduct an investigation into the alleged attack to know the truth.

  • Anambra agog as Obiano takes the rein

    Anambra agog as Obiano takes the rein

    It was the first time power would be transferred in such an orderly manner since the creation of the state.

    Anambra was agog yesterday as Wille Obiano took over as governor with the exit of Peter Obi.

    The crowd was heavy. It was unprecedented in Awka, the state capital.

    The ceremony lasted over four hours as people irrespective of party affiliation, united to say goodbye to Obi and welcome Obiano –the banker-turned politician.

    Anambra’s business moguls, Sir Emeka Offor, Prince Arthur Eze ans senators Joy Emodi, Onyeabor Obi, Emma Anosike and Margery Okadigbo were among the guests.

    Throughout the ceremony yesterday, Obi looked sober. But Obiano and his deputy Dr. Nkem Okeke were all smiles. They were attired in uniformed black suits and ties to match.

    Different cultural groups from across the 21 local government areas were on parade including the popular Kponkiti dance from Umunze in Orumba South Council Area and the Ohafia war dance from Abia State.

    Abia state Governor and chairman Southeast Governor’s Forum Chief Theodore Orji, his wife Odochi, wife of the Delta State Governor Mrs Roli Uduaghan, also attended.

    There were also All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) chiefs.

    Security agencies had a hectic time controlling the crowd.

    At exactly 1.55pm, Obiano’s Deputy Okeke was sworn in by Chief Judge. Justice Peter Umeadi . Governor Obiano took the oath at exactly 2.08pm.

    Nollywood actors and actress were not left out which saw Bob Manuel Udokwu performed as one of the compeers.

    President Goodluck Jonathan was represented by his Special Adviser on Inter Party affairs, Senator Ben Ndi Obi.

    He said very soon, Obi would join the federal executive council.

    Senator Obi said the hint was given penultimate week by Finance Minister Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala at the Women Development Centre in Awka.

    Catholic Archbishop of Onitsha, Most Rev. Valerian Okeke, in his prayers said Obi had served meritoriously and was leaving gloriously.

    He prayed for God’s guidance, wisdom and vision for the administration of Obiano.

    Obi in his farewell speech, said it was the first time such event was taking place in the state sine its creation.

    He said when he took over he drove and left the arena in his own vehicle adding that he had provided a brand new bullet proof vehicle for Obiano.

    “I have finished my work, the job is done; today you can look around and say that we have a state and Anambra is the most financially stable in Nigeria today and that is why we are the Light of the Nation”

    Obiano said his administration would launch Anambra into a new economic place through “the four pillars of development.”

    He said: “We shall engage in a serious production of cassava, maize and rice where we have the comparative advantage.

    ”In addition, we will re-train, re-equip and organise our farmers into cooperatives to enable them share resources and attract funding from donor agencies and financial institutions.

    “These efforts will lead to massive increase in food production in the medium to long term and the emergence of Agro-based industries in the area of storage, processing, manufacturing and packaging. That will create a lot of jobs for our people.”

    “We will provide the enablement for Oil & Gas companies to prospect for natural resources in our state and set up a refinery within one year of my administration.”

    “Commencement of a refinery will attract oil & gas ancillary companies to come to our state. This has a lot of job creation potentials for our people.

    “We shall provide an enabling environment for our traders to switch from importation to manufacturing the goods they currently import to Anambra.

    “This state hosts a large number of industrial clusters. My administration will strengthen this advantage with an appropriate policy framework that will boost our indigenous capacity in this sector.

    “This will have a direct impact on wealth creation in the state and bring down unemployment” Obiano said.

  • Oluchi Faith Chiana shines

    ABIA State first female film maker, Lady Oluchi Faith Chiana, now wears the garland as the “Most Outstanding Female Film Producer, South East”. In appreciation of the rare recognition given to her, Chiana dedicated the award to the governor of Abia State, Theodore Orji and his lovely wife, whom she called Osinulo Maranma.

    Chiana was recognised for taking Abia youths off the streets through movies and film making. Chiana studied Mass Communication at the Abia State University. She joined the movie industry with pomp as an actress/producer in her first movie, “Father Must Die”. She has produced and featured in many movies. She is reputed to have brought A-List Nollywood artistes Yul Edochie, Chika Ike, Oge Okoye, Amaechi Mounagor and a few others to Umuahia.