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There was heavy cheers and jubilation in Awka on Saturday as Anambra State governor elect, Chief Willie Obiano took his oath of office for a second term.
Obiano was sworn in by the Chief Judge of the state, Hon Justice Peter Umeadi at exactly 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 swearing in was heralded by 21 gun salute and was followed by a 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 attendance were; Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo who was represented by Dr Chris Ngige, Ebonyi State governor, Engr Dave Umahi, Enugu; Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Delta; Ifeanyi Okowa, Ekiti; Ayodele Fayose and Abia; Dr Okezie Ikpeazu.
Others are; Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Ogunwusi Enitan, all former governor of the state, except, Mr Peter Obi and many others.
In his address tagged; a consolidation of excellence, Obiano acknowledged that a huge task has been entrusted on him by the people of the state, but promised not to fail the people.
“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.”
He promised that the next four years will witness a bold effort to lend roots to the great progress his government has 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 dualized 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(Sunday) with a Thanksgiving ceremony who h holds at St Patrick’s Catholic Cathedral, Awka.
Emmanuel Ndukuba, Awka
