DR Alex Ekwueme

Onyebuchi Ezigbo 
Former Vice-President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, and  Governor Peter Obi of Anambra  State on Tuesday night joined other prominent sons and daughters of state to seek for lasting solution to the political and economic problems besetting the state.

As part of moves to ensure smooth transition of power in the state, Obi told journalistas that all the stakeholders have agreed to a plan to zone the governorship seat to Anambra north which had hitherto not produced governor in the state.

At the formal launching/presentation of a book by the Anambra State Public Officers Forum, containing the final report of the Anambra State Summit on Security and Development held in 2009, Ekwueme drew the attention of the state government to the yearning desire of the people to see greater infrastructural development.

Ekwueme, who gave a keynote address, suggested that a clear-cut physical and economic development plan be put in place to ensure that the state is given a face-lift within the next decade.

While appreciating the efforts of the governor, Ekwueme asked  the government to devote more energy on the physical development of the state, especially in the area of fixing infrastructures and ensuring sustainable economic growth.

He said such a well-mapped out economic and  physical plan should form the basis for even development of the state’s abundant human and material resources.
“There is need for concerted effort to get this done so that within the next decade the state will be a pride of place and most of the youths roaming the streets in other parts of the country seeking for the non-existent jobs will return home to become useful  and more productive,”  he said.

In his address, Obi tried to give a brief account of his stewardship to the Anambra people who attended the event held at the main bowl of the Yar’Adua Conference Centre in their numbers.

He said his administration is desirous of leaving a legacy of good governance and honest service to the people.

“We are trying to bring civility and order in governance and we are getting near there.  The state is financially stable and we are doing well. When we came to office, there is hardly any tangible investment, but today we have invested over N15 billion and we hope that before the end of the year we would hit N20 billion in invested fund.” 

Obi said no state in the country today can boast of financial stability as Anambra, adding that the state has resisted the temptation to borrow money for its operations since he became governor.