The Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano has assured Ndi Anambra that their hopes and dreams for a prosperous year shall not fall with the falling price of oil in the international market.
Delivering his New Year Message to the people titled “Stretching to a New Height of Excellence,” Governor Obiano observed that “the future of any society lies in its capacity to look beyond the darkness and doubts of today and see a glimmer of hope in the shadows of tomorrow.”
According to him, though many experts have predicted a tough year for Nigeria in the face of plummeting oil prices, such forecasts would never dampen the aspirations of Ndi Anambra adding that “with our enormous human and material resources, we shall not surrender our ambitions to dwindling oil prices in the international markets. We shall draw on history and our past accomplishments to stretch the scope of our vision and expand the boundaries of our possibilities.”
Governor Obiano therefore explained that his administration had made bold efforts to triple the state’s Internally Generated Revenue from the present N1.1bn. “This will insulate us from the shock of falling oil prices and a possible dip in federal allocations to states. Therefore, the same determination with which we have pursued our security challenges is what we will bring to fighting the leakages in our IGR,” Chief Obiano further explained.
The governor therefore appealed to the people of the state to ensure that they pay their taxes regularly and on time as that would give him enough headroom to undertake capital projects and complete them on schedule.
Promising that his administration would change the game of purposeful leadership in Anambra State, Governor Obiano enthused that this year, “we shall complete many landmark projects like the three flyovers in Awka and the six-lane stretch of road from Amawbia to Amansea. We shall also complete and commission the Agulu Lake Hotel Resort and other critical road projects we inherited from my predecessor. We shall flag off more projects covering the Four Pillars of Development of this administration and lay the foundation for an ambitious economic growth.”
Governor Obiano also reiterated his administration’s commitment to the war against crime in the state assuring that further investments in security would be robust as the state would continue with its zero-tolerance of crime in the New Year.
Describing the New Year as a year of hope and fulfillment, Governor Obiano assured that “this year, we shall work for a new social and economic order in Anambra State. We shall build strong families to ensure the emergence of stronger communities. We shall force positive change on various aspects of our life that have been resistant to our march to progress.”
Reminding Ndi Anambra that the New Year was an election year, Governor Obiano urged the people to participate more actively in the electoral process and to cast their votes for APGA and President Goodluck Jonathan in the coming elections.
Concluding his message, Governor Obiano declared – “Ndi Anambra, before us lies an awesome year! This year, we shall stretch to a new height in our pursuit of Excellence and prove to the world that Anambra State can be great again! Let us build a land of progress and lift our homeland high!”