News

2023 PROF. NGOZI CHUMA-UDEH SPELLING BEE CHAMPIONS REWARDED: COMMISSIONER HAILS PUPILS’ DEDICATION

By Obiageli Nwankwo :

In her resolve to upscale the literacy skills of Anambra Students, the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Ude has rewarded the winners of the 2023 Spelling Bee competition.

The competition held last year at Best Western Meloch Hotel, Awka featured first and third positions clinched by Master Delight Okeke and Miss Lois Igube from Holy Ghost International Primary School, Awka.

Presenting the gifts to the pupils at Holy Ghost International Primary School Awka, the commissioner praised the pupils for their dedication to education and encouraged them to appreciate their parents’ efforts.

She also acknowledged the school and its teachers for their role in shaping their futures.

The school’s proprietor, Mrs Ubosi-Okeke Kenechukwu expressed gratitude to the commissioner and Governor Chukwuma Soludo for their contributions to the education sector.

The highlight of the event was the presentation of prizes to the winning pupils by the commissioner.

*Obiageli is of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State*

ANAMBRA ICT AGENCY APPLAUDS GOV. SOLUDO’S TRANSPARENT APPOINTMENT PROCESS, CONGRATULATES DR. FLORENCE IDIGO-IBENTA’S SUCCESS

By Angela Nwanodu :

The Anambra State Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Agency has extended its sincere appreciation to Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo for the transparent and merit-based appointment of new permanent secretaries in the state’s civil service.

According to the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Mr. Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata, the agency

attest to Mr Governor’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and good governance and his prioritization of meritocracy, which ensured that the appointments are based on the candidates’ qualifications and commitment to service.

“It is also not lost on us, the meticulous consideration of criteria such as professional spread, which helped identify high-performing individuals from different professions and climes, who have shown great commitment to serving Anambra State.

“Among the distinguished appointees is Dr. Florence Idigo-Ibenta, a Director in the state Civil service, serving with the Anambra State ICT Agency.

“Dr. Florence’s contribution towards the state’s recognition at the 11th National Council on Communication, Innovation, and Digital Economy (NCCIDE) meeting in Kano, signposts her dedication and leadership.

While appreciating Governor Soludo’s visionary leadership and expresses profound gratitude for the appointment process that upholds the principles of fairness and equal opportunity, the agency congratulates one of her own, Dr. Florence Idigo-Ibenta for this great accomplishment and wishes her greater breakthroughs and success in her new role.

_Angela is of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State _

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

OCTOGENARIANS’ INITIATION: SOLUDO COMMENDS OBOSI PEOPLE, SAYS OBOSI IS CITADEL OF LONGEVITY

By Juliana Nwachukwu :

Gov. Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State, on March 2, at the initiation of 200 octogenarians into Ogbueshi society of Obosi community, Idemili North Local Government Area, Anambra State, described the community as citadel of longevity.

Explaining further, he said, “this is my first time of coming to Ito ogbo ceremony of Obosi, we want to celebrate, thank Obosi people for giving Anambra, Nigeria and the world a celebration of longevity.

“Let the world learn how to celebrate with the living and not the dead, Obosi is one ward that is more than a local government. It deserves to be a local government. The celebration is part of the burial law in Anambra State. It is better to slaughter a cow for the living than dead.

“I urge the youths to decide to be 80 years and above, but killers, touts, among others will not live up to 80 years. Live a decent, responsible life style to be able to live up to 80 years,” he charged the youths.

Earlier, the Traditional Ruler of Obosi, HRM, Igwe Chidubem Iweka, while commending the governor for being physically present at the function, described it as an age long cultural heritage of the people, adding that about 200 octogenarians were initiated into the Ogbueshi society.

“Those initiated have been exempted from all manners of taxations/levies, and my prayer is that all who attended this ceremony will attain 80 years and above.

In his contribution, the Prime Minister of the community, Chief Austin-Anibogwu, said that the aim of the occasion was to promote longevity.

One of the inductees, Ogbueshi Paul Ebugobe Uwakwe, aged 80, thanked God to have attained 80 years and prayed for more years.

Another beneficiary, former Minister of State for Defence, Chief Dan Chuke, expressed satisfaction to have attained 80 years, adding that extra years from God means the person is lucky.

Highlight of the occasion was honouring of some people who have distinguished themselves in serious fields of human endeavor that included, Commander, Special Anti Cultism Squad, SPACS, Obosi, Mr. Isaac Nuhu, who dedicated the award to the IGP, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, and Anambra CP, Mr Ederemi Adeoye, for posting him to Obosi where the community found him worthy to be accorded the honor.

“The honour will spur me to perform more than I have been doing for the interest of God and humanity. The award is a call to duty,” he said.

*Juliana is of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State

INVESTMENT: ANAMBRA GOVT INITIATES PLAN TO ESTABLISH ECONOMIC TIES WITH INDONESIA

By Amaka Isikala :

The Industry Commissioner, Anambra State, Mr. Christian Udechukwu has said that the state government have initiated plans to establish economic ties and investment relationship with Indonesia as well as open the doors to bilateral travels.

Mr. Udechukwu said, “such is a unique opportunity for Nigeria, especially Anambra to build a stronger relationship in respect to industrial development.

The Commissioner made this known during a live conference call of the “2nd International Forum of Higher Education,Industry, Government Partnership Meeting and Education Expo” hosted by Anambra-Indonesia Industrial Partnership Development.

“Our interest in participating in this program is primarily to update ourselves on the opportunity that exist on both sides.”

According to the commissioner, Indonesia and Nigeria have a lot of things in common, saying that in terms of population, Indonesia is estimated to be about 275 billion while Nigeria is about 260 million.

“There is opportunities for companies in Indonesia to participate in infrastructure development for Nigeria particularly Anambra.

“I speak particularly in respect of oil and gas, food crops development such as palm oil, coconut, rice soy beans, sugar, corn and more.

“I am aware that between the periods of 1978 to 1988, Indonesia facing some good challenges made significant investments in food development with the result that there is a higher degree of food sufficiency in food production for Indonesia.

“Today, your research development and investment policies will be very useful to Nigeria at this moment. The global cost of living crises that started in Europe, UK and America last year has come to Nigeria and so we are facing food security challenges.We can benefit from Indonesia experience to repeat what they did in 1978 to1988.

The Commissioner expressed that the state is building industries for the purposes of participation in agro food processing, automotive development, economic free zones where companies from Indonesia can benefit from making pioneer incentives in terms of taxing the availability of lands, approvals for establishment of industries which some may be solely owned by Indonesians or joint venture with local partners.”

According to him, the participation of Indonesia in our industrial development would be a significant development as we are very viable in ICT development. We have a Centre called the Solution Innovation District which is entirely dedicated to ICT development and in the next few weeks, we will be launching a program designed to train 1 million digital citizens of the state.

Mr. Udechukwu noted that Anambra has a population of about 8.5 million people and will like to train a million to be literate in ICT and industrial processing so that they will be able to work remotely to serve Indonesian companies as well as come over to Indonesia with their ICT skills if the need arises.

“Nigeria is also African’s fastest ICT economy but the size of the market and the volume of trade in servicing is not as high as that of Indonesians, we are just about to take off because the size of the market in Nigeria is just under five billion.

The Commissioner highlighted that Indonesia is a market leader in tourism, hospitality, hotel development and in the service sector and for us in Nigeria and Anambra in particular it is a very high growth sector.

“We have the population of 8.5 million and we have a national population of over 260 million and with the Africa free trade areas, we have a population of 1.2 billion as well as a market size of over 7 trillion dollars.

“I know that this is a market that Indonesia will be happy to be in. With the Africa free trade growing, companies from Indonesia that are investing in Anambra can serve the entire 1.2 billion people in Africa and get the share of 7 trillion dollar economy.The is the new future that we are opening up to our partners who chose to do business with us.

“We have just concluded a master plan for an industrial city on a 4000 hectare plots of land and in that portion, we are dedicating about 400 hectares to automotive and pharmaceutical product development. We know that Indonesia is also very viable in pharmaceutical production so we welcome your company into the state to participate in the development of Africa’s new 65 nation market located in the state.

The Commissioner emphasized that the state have a population that is highly literate at about 97 percent, adding that the state recently launched a free education program which implied that literacy rate will be approaching 100 percent in the next five years.

According to him, the state is also interested to see that there is a deepening of bilateral relationship in aviation thus having Indonesian airlines flying into Nigeria on a direct flight basis where possible or one stop over in whatever location they prefer.

Mr. Udechukwu added that the state also wants to grow significantly in area of aqua culture, saying that between 2018, Indonesia had an outstanding breakthrough in sea food production to about using 99,000Km of coastline and they were able to excel in sector alone to about 9.3 million tones of production.

Nevertheless, Nigeria does not have the same length of coastline but we have about 400km of miles for fish and aqua culture development as well as about 450km of coastline.

“In this specific areas, we will like to see a growing partnership, a partnership that works and I consider that the opportunity to speak through this forum is a first significant step in deepening and establishing business relationship.”

Present during the live conference meeting is the SSA on Industry, Mr Eloka Mmaduekwe.

*Amaka is of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT ACTIVATES PARTNERSHIP WITH FEDERAL MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT IN ANAMBRA STATE

By Ifeoma Aniagbado :

Today marks a significant milestone in the quest to transform the lives of youths positively as the Commissioner for Youth Development, Mr. Patrick Agha Mba, commenced the activation of a crucial partnership arrangement in upskilling the youths with a working visit to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment in Anambra State.

The visit stems from a Memorandum of Agreement earlier reached on 24th May 2023 between the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, under former Honorable Minister, Dr. Chris Nwabueze Ngige, and the Anambra State Government under the leadership of Executive Governor Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo.

This agreement was geared toward the implementation of the Skills Upgrading and Vocational Training (SUVT) Program, in order to intensify efforts on human capital development within Anambra State.

In his remarks, Commissioner Patrick Agha Mba said that the visit was in furtherance of an earlier agreement and to finalize arrangements for the activation of a Vocational Skill Training Centre , Alor in Idemili South and Ifitedunu in Dunukofia LGAs of Anambra State.

He said that these centres are poised to serve as hubs for the next batch of the 1 Youth 2 Skills Solution, which is targeting the training of over 10,000 youths across 55 vocational skills areas of their choice.

The Commissioner emphasized the timely nature of the visit, especially now that the preparation for the upcoming training is in top gear.

He explained that 5,000 youths successfully graduated from the first phase of 1 Youth 2 Skills and got empowered financially for business start-ups/expansion with a total sum of ₦2 billion, the first of its kind in Nigeria.

The Commissioner while highlighting the strides of the Anambra State Government in youth and all aspects of human capital development, commended the Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo for his great vision and initiatives like the Anambra Business Summit, Solution Innovation District (SID), and Solution Sports, which had contributed significantly to addressing unemployment challenges in the state.

He emphasized the importance of these programs in societal harmony and development, as the youths constitute about 65% of the state’s population.

Mr. Agha Mba called for continuous collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Employment through the National Labour and Employment in order to open up doors of opportunities for the youths of Anambra State.

He used the medium to inform the State Controller that the Ministry of Youth Development Anambra State has over 200,000 registered unemployed youth in its Data Bank and expressed the readiness of the Ministry to provide such information to FMLE for policy and program implementation.

Responding, the State Controller, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment (FMLE) Anambra State, Mrs. B. U. Oji-Ogbuehi, expressed her delight at the commissioner’s visit, saying that it was the first of its kind since her years in service.

The Controller, while promising that FMLE will offer all that is required to ensure that the youths of the state are effectively developed, commended Gov. Soludo’s administration for being proactive with the kind of his workforce and approach to governance.

The meeting was attended by the Acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth Development, Mrs. Chito Osili, Executive Assistant to Governor on Youth Development, Mr. Chibuzor Udeh, Assistant Chief Executive Officer (Admin) FMLE Awka, Ndubuisi Nwamaka, Assistant Chief Executive Officer (Admin) FMLE, Awka, Ifeoma Ndibe, and the Media Team of the Ministry of Youth Development.

*Ifeoma is of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State

ASMATA PG INAUGURATES UNITED PETROCHEMICAL ASSOCIATION IN ONITSHA

By Juliana Nwachukwu :

The President General (PG), Anambra State Markets Amalgamated Traders Association ( ASMATA), Chief Humphrey Anuna, has inaugurated the new executive of United Petrochemical Dealers and Crushers Association of Nigeria, headed by Mr Onyekachi Nwafor as Chairman.

Inaugurating them at the ASMATA Secretariat on February 22, the ASMATA PG charged them to live by their oath of office and avoid acts capable of dragging them to ridicule, adding that they should key into Gov. Chukwuma Soludo’s move to restore the lost glory of the markets.

“You should be your brother’s keeper by telling your fellow traders the truth and see yourselves as partners in progress which is the APGA slogan of ‘Onyeaghana Nwanne ya”, he pleaded.

In his post inaugural speech, the new Chairman of the Association, Chief Nwafor, said, “What is expected from us now is that we will unite all the members of the market and make sure we follow government directive.

“We need mobile fire service which we were promised to get. We need permanent site that will accommodate the whole traders,” he noted.

On the allegation that the association deals on fake products, he denied the allegation saying, “We don’t produce or sell fake products, we sell processed products, that is already processed petrochemicals,” he affirmed.

“I will handle our opposition as ourselves and if any case that requires the attention of ASMATA leadership, I will kindly surrender to ASMATA to keep a clean hand.

“Once such case is beyond my settlement, I will involve central body of ASMATA to handle it for us. We come to support government,” he assured.

He, however, admitted that touts exist in the market, saying that they normally dealt with them when they misbehaved, warning, that now they are officially elected and inaugurated, they now have full power to tackle them appropriately.

“There is anti tout squad set up by state government, we will get their phone numbers to work with them toward fighting the touts,” he further added.

On the performance of the ASMATA PG since he assumed office, the new chairman said, “God is using him on the traders. He doesn’t discriminate whether you are rich or poor. Any problem you have, he will listen to you and solve it for peace to reign . There is peace in the market since he assumed office. We are happy that God gave him to us”.

Speaking, Mr Steven Uka, the Secretary of the market, added, “I promise that I will fully support the chairman, we are one body and will be working together to be in unity in order to get what we are fighting for.

“Before I was made the secretary, all of them knew me as a peace maker and trust worthy fellow, so if there is any opposition, we will join hands together to tackle them and we will take them as one of us, with time they will change from their bad ways, that’s our belief.

“Soludo is a solution to Anambra State problem, he is doing very well to Ndi Anambra. We are in full support of his work,” he said.

Also, the Assistant secretary, Mr Adolphus Udeh, added, “I am the assistant secretary of the market. We are solidly behind our chairman, if you know the nature of business we are doing, you know that whoever that abandons his machine and goes out, will lose a lot of things, but we wouldn’t mind, we will support him to be here,” he pledged.

*Juliana is of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State

ONITSHA DIVISIONAL LIBRARY TO UNDERGO TRANSFORMATION UNDER SOLUDO’S INITIATIVE

By Obiageli Nwankwo :

The Onitsha Divisional Library is set to undergo a significant transformation, as it has been earmarked for renovation and upgrade to a smart library by the administration of Gov. Chukwuma Soludo.

This was made known during an impromptu visit to the library by the Commissioner for Education, Prof Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, who urged the librarian and staff to collaborate in generating ideas to facilitate the transformation process.

Gov. Soludo’s commitment to the project was further demonstrated through the donation of 10, 000 books to the library.

Accompanied by the Public Relations Officer of the Ministry, Mr Nnaemeka Egwuonwu, and her Special Assistant, Mr Azubike Egotanwa, Commissioner Chuma-Udeh also paid a courtesy visit to the Divisional Police Officer of Onitsha, CSP Garuba Rabiu, who joined the delegation during the visit.

During the tour of the facilities, led by the librarian, Mrs Juliet Enemuo, Commissioner Chuma-Udeh was briefed on the library’s current state and challenges. Mrs Enemuo appealed for assistance in addressing waste collection issues within the library vicinity, which she identified as a nuisance.

*Obiageli is of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State

ANAMBRA STATE ADVOCATES GLOBAL COLLABORATION AGAINST CYBER THREATS

By Angela Nwanodu :

In the aftermath of the USTDA Reverse Trade Mission on Cybersecurity, the imperative for international collaboration to combat the escalating menace of cyber threats has become ever more apparent.

Among the Nigerian Delegation to the mission held from February 4 to 15, 2024, Mr. Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata, CFA, MD/CEO, Anambra State ICT Agency, played a pivotal role alongside counterparts from Ghana and industry leaders in the United States. Together, they shared insights, shedding light on the global implications of cyber threats and the necessity for collaborative efforts.

Highlighting the interconnected nature of cyber threats transcending geographical boundaries, Mr. Agbata underscored the significance of local cyber resilience. “Cybersecurity is an escalating issue that demands proactive measures through robust policies and infrastructure,” he emphasized.

In a groundbreaking move to secure its digital landscape, the Anambra State Government, led by Gov. Chukwuma Soludo, has taken substantial steps in advancing cybersecurity within the state, which underscored the administration’s deep understanding of cybersecurity’s pivotal role in modern governance.

Gov. Soludo’s administration stood out as the first in the state’s history to prioritize cybersecurity to this extent. This marked a critical shift toward safeguarding the state’s digital infrastructure and assets, demonstrating a commitment to security and sustainability.

The administration’s dedication is evidenced by the developing of a comprehensive Cybersecurity Strategy, Information security strategies, and frameworks. These initiatives aimed not only to protect the state’s digital environment but also to create a resilient framework against evolving cyber threats. This holistic approach ensured that Anambra’s digital transformation journey remained secure and sustainable.

In an interview, Mr. Nonso Okoye, Senior Special Assistant to Mr. Governor on Cybersecurity, emphasized that cybersecurity is everyone’s business. Recognizing the borderless nature of cyber threats, he stressed the need for a unified global effort to safeguard digital infrastructures.

A notable aspect of Anambra State’s cybersecurity strategy is its emphasis on developing indigenous technological solutions. This focus enhanced security and fostered innovation, economic development, and local expertise. Plans for establishing an incident reporting portal and drafting business and government continuity plans, further underline the administration’s commitment to a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy.

Mr. Okoye also stressed the importance of community-level cyber resilience, recognizing the localized impact of cybersecurity challenges. “The agency remained committed to staying at the forefront of cybersecurity developments, implementing proactive measures, and advocating for a collaborative approach to mitigate cyber risks”, he concluded.

Gov. Soludo’s administration’s efforts in fortifying the state’s cybersecurity showcased a commendable blend of vision, innovation, and strategic planning. As Anambra advances toward a fully digitized governance model, these cybersecurity measures ensured that the state is not only prepared to defend against digital threats but also positioned as a leader in digital security and governance.

The Anambra State ICT Agency invites stakeholders, industry partners, and the community to join hands in building a resilient digital future. By sharing experiences, and best practices, and fostering collaboration, we can collectively enhance our cyber defenses.

*Angela is of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State

MONDAY SIT AT HOME: ASMATA ASSURES ANAMBRA PLAZA TRADERS OF SECURITY, COOPERATION

By Uzo Ugwunze :

The Anambra State Market Amalgamated Traders Association (ASMATA) has urged traders who transact business in various Shopping Plazas in the State to defy the purported fear of the unknown gunmen or hoodlums and resume their normal businesses on Mondays.

Speaking during a meeting with Shopping plaza Chairmen and Secretaries at Onitsha on February 19, the President General (PG), ASMATA, Chief Humphrey Anuna reminded the plaza executives on the huge losses being incurred by both individuals and government because of no full business activities every Monday in Anambra and entire South East.

He said that Gov. Chukwuma Soludo who has the interest of Ndi Anambra has been using the tax payers money judiciously having almost completed about 400km roads among other interventions and projects.

“Soludo is working. Last time when Soludo empowered youths, many traders in the market benefited but people from the plaza could not submit any names because you were secluding yourselves.

“Let us unite together, sit up and support Soludo’s government because he is a good and very intelligent man that has the interest of the masses.

“His Excellency hosted a meeting for market leaders and joint task force comprising the Military, Police and AVS and they promised to be patrolling every Monday near the markets and plazas in case of any eventuality.

“So, you leaders should organize yourselves under one umbrella and select a 7 -man committee that will be part of ASMATA leadership meetings so that traders doing business in plazas all over the state can enjoy other privileges which include defending yourselves against multiple taxation from illegal revenue contractors.

“Plazas are Incorporated in ASMATA constitution and nobody will take you serious if you put up any official document without ASMATA letter headed paper.

“Also, remember never to remit any revenue to even I or anyone in cash because all payments are done through the bank with the ANSSID number generated for your own plaza,” Anuna said.

Moreover, Chief Anuna with the support of plazas executives appointed the duo of Engr. Samuel Nwankwo, Manager of Emeka Offor plaza and Mr Chris Nwadilibe of the Young Shall Grow plaza to organize a meeting for all the plazas from major cities in Anambra as soon as possible for further information.

Earlier during the interactive session, Mr Chinedu Udemba of Atlantic plaza Nkpor, Simon Onwe of Ike Dunukofia plaza, Afam Nwagu of Collymart plaza after expressing the fear of endangering the lives of the traders said that plaza owners were also afraid of their plaza being burnt down by hoodlums.

They thanked the ASMATA PG for extending the opportunity for plaza traders to participate in ASMATA affairs and to defend the plazas from intimidation and exploitation, saying that this was the first of its kind.

According to Engr. Nwankwo of Emeka Offor plaza, 50 percent of plaza traders are ready to open for businesses on Mondays but they need to be convinced that government will provide adequate security both at the markets, plazas and roads leading from residential buildings to the plazas.

Nwankwo further requested for the ASMATA constitution and guidelines to enable the plaza traders to participate fully in the ASMATA affairs, urging the PG to ensure that plaza traders have enabling environment for business without interference from touts with many so called authorization form both LG Secretariat and State Government.

Moreso, Ochiagha Chukwunonso of Bethel plaza Niger Street, Onitsha eulogized Soludo for channeling the tax payers money into visible projects like the newly constructed road network within Fegge Onitsha.

He further suggested that South Eastern Governors should go to Aso Rock, Abuja and demand for the unconditional release of the IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu instead of increasing the number of security agents in the state which may scare citizens from going about their normal businesses.

*Uzo is of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State