In
what appeared an emerging political realignment, five Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) governors on Saturday graced the inauguration of
Chief Willie Obiano, who took office for the second time as governor of
Anambra State. Also at the impressive ceremony was the Ooni of Ife, Oba
Adeyeye Ogunwusi Enitan; Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris
Ngige, who represented Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; and all former
governors of the state.
The leading opposition party’s governors
that marked the register at the event held at state capital, Awka, were
Dave Umahi, Ebonyi State; Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Enugu; Ifeanyi Okowa,
Delta; Ayodele Fayose, Ekiti; and Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, Abia.
The sole ruling All Progressives
Congress (APC) governor in the South-east, Chief Rochas Okorocha, was
conspicuously absent from the gathering many political observers suggest
signposts the shape of things to come in the region as the nation
inches closer to the 2019 general elections.
There were heavy cheers and jubilation
as Obiano, who was elected on the platform of All Progressives Grand
Alliance (APGA), took his oath of office for a second term. He was sworn
in by the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Peter Umeadi, at 1pm amidst
jubilation by citizens of the state who thronged the Alex Ekwueme
Square venue of the inauguration in their numbers.
Obiano’s deputy, Dr Nkem Okeke, had earlier been sworn in at 12:45pm.
Obiano’s inauguration was heralded by a
21-gun salute and was followed by tumultuous shouts of Akpokuedike, his
traditional title.
The venue for the event was packed full
with people from all parts of the state, and across Nigeria, with
several dignitaries witnessing it.
In his address tagged: “A consolidation
of excellence,” Obiano acknowledged that a huge task had been entrusted
on him by the people of the state, and promised not to fail the people.
He said: “I am fully aware of the weight
of the history you placed on my shoulders with the landslide victory we
recorded on November 18, 2017. I understand your hopes and expectations
and I will never let you down.
“Our administration has established the
basis for hope. We have announced a new season of excellence. We owe it
to ourselves to be greater than those who came before us. Ndi Anambra
together, we shall carve out a future that posterity will be proud of.”
The governor promised that the next four
years would witness a bold effort to lend roots to the great progress
his government had made in the past four years.
He said: “We shall tighten the screws on
our security architecture to ensure that Anambra remains Nigeria’s
safest state. We shall install ultramodern CCTV cameras in strategic
locations across the state to give us a new advantage in crime
detection.
“We shall drive hard reforms in the
education sector to retain our position at the top and make education
accessible to everyone to ensure that no child is left behind in our
dear state.
“We shall build a state-of-the-art
teaching hospital in each of the three senatorial zones to deepen our
reforms in the health sector and initiate a medical scheme for people
above 75 years of age. Major roads in Onitsha, Nnewi and Awka shall be
dualised to ease traffic congestion and boost the aesthetic appeal of
our cities.”
Activities marking the inauguration
commenced on Friday with a business roundtable convened with business
partners and donor agencies of the state. The event continues today with
a thanksgiving ceremony, which holds at St Patrick’s Catholic
Cathedral, Awka.
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