By Emeka Ozumba
In a ceremony marked by a surprising display of understanding of the challenges of providing purposeful leadership back home, Anambra communities in Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America have paid glowing tributes to the Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano and his wife Chief Mrs. Ebelechukwu for their proven commitment to the service of the people.
The groups comprising of members of Anambra State Association (ASA), and Ogbunike people in Atlanta made the commendation over the weekend during an interactive session with the governor’s wife who was recently honoured with the 2016 Excellence Award by the Nigerian Women Association of Georgia (NWAG) at The Westin Hotel & Resorts, Atlanta.
Speaking during the modest event, the President of ASA, Atlanta, Chief Nnaemeka Chukka, said that one of the remarkable achievements of the over two-year old Obiano administration was that with the provision of security of lives and property he had boosted the confidence of Ndi Anambra that things could really work effectively back home with freedom of movement and investor confidence restored.
Recalling a life threatening encounter he had some years ago, Chief Nnaemeka stated,” In 2005, I almost died at Upper Iweka Onitsha, but God saved me. I have experienced insecurity and no one can tell me about what our governor, your husband Akpokuedike is doing. He is doing very well and Anambra is better for it.”
The ASA, Atlanta President congratulated Mrs Obiano on her 2016 Excellence Award for her commitment to charity and service to communities, noting that the positive news and progress Anambra was making could be attributed to her support and the dedication of the governor and his team.
He assured the wife of the governor that ASA was united in Atlanta and invited her to attend the Anambra Day scheduled for September 2016.
In the same vein, President of ASA USA, Mr. Oliver Nwabude, spoke glowingly about the charity initiatives and empowerment programmes for indigent widows, women and youths carried out by Mrs. Obiano and the positive impact on Ndi Anambra especially the less privileged.
According to Mr. Nwabude, “we have heard, read and seen some of the beneficiaries of your NGO activities, and we are also aware of the achievements of our Governor, and we urge you to sustain the tempo because we are proud of you. The Lord will reward you for the love you and your husband have shown to Ndi Anambra.”
Also speaking, Dame Adaego Ezeokeke, said that the award to Chief (Mrs.) Obiano did not come as a surprise because she was humane and had always shown a passion for caring for others.
She praised the open door approach of Governor Obiano and his wife which made them accessible and able to listen to advice from people, noting that the approach was promoting unity and progress across communities in Anambra state.
The Governor and his wife received more plaudits during another interaction with members of Ogbunike community in Atlanta who showered encomiums on their daughter and their in-law for changing the landscape of Anambra with infrastructure development particularly in Ogbunike where new roads were being constructed with plans underway to develop and make the Ogbunike Cave a tourist resort.
Speaking about Obiano’s giant strides in the development of Anambra state, Ogbuefi Emmanuel Azih said that the progress in Anambra had left most of them abroad with a sense of pride that the state was now a model for emulation in sectors like security, agriculture, education and infrastructure.
He thanked Governor Obiano for remembering Ogbunike in the scheme of things, and Mrs Obiano for ensuring that the less privileged were not left out too.
Ogbuefi Azih congratulated the governor’s wife for the pan-Nigerian acknowledgement of her selfless projects with the 2016 Excellence Award, as well as the growing global recognition of her efforts at helping the helpless with the Georgia citizenship and Goodwill Ambassador status.
In her response, the wife of the governor of Anambra State, and 2016 Excellence Award winner, thanked the various groups for coming to felicitate and interact with her and assured that the award which was the first she accepted amongst many offers she turned down because of her preference for quiet philanthropy, was a spur to do much more for Ndi Anambra and Nigerians.
Mrs. Obiano also commended members of ASA Atlanta and USA for their genuine interest and desire to contribute their quota to the development of Anambra state through medical missions and assistance to communities as well as the attraction of investors and the provision of employment opportunities for the youth.
In the same breath, she called on Ogbunike indigenes in Atlanta to take advantage of their interaction with her to restart their town union meeting in Atlanta which had been in ‘limbo’ so as to promote unity and think home spirit amongst the members.
The governor’s wife reminded the groups that although the times were tough economically, governor Obiano do not toil with the welfare of workers.
She equally assured that the governor would not waver in his determination to ensure that the people have the best in all sectors as well as paying salary to workers regularly and doing priority road projects that lead to agricultural communities.
Photo Captions
Pix1(L-R): Wife of the Governor of Anambra State, Chief (Mrs) Ebelechukwu Obiano listening to the President of Anambra Association America (ASA) Atlanta, Chief Nnaemeka Chukka addressing the meeting with Anambra State indigenes in Atlanta recently.
Pix2(L-R): Wife of the Governor of Anambra State, Chief (Mrs) Ebelechukwu Obiano addressing the meeting with Anambra State indigenes in Atlanta recently.
Pix3 (L-R):Cross-section of Anambra State indigenes at the meeting
Pix4 (L-R): Wife of the Governor of Anambra State, Chief (Mrs) Ebelechukwu Obiano receiving a gift from ASA Woman leader, Dame Adageo Ezeokeke during the meeting with Anambra State indigenes in Atlanta recently.
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