- He’s God sent to Anambra, says Okpala
The Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited, publishers of the New Telegraph titles, has chosen the Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, for its Outstanding Performance Award for the year 2016.
The nomination was conveyed to the governor by the Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of the newspaper, Mrs. Funke Egbemode, who led a delegation to the governor in Awka, the state capital, recently.
The choice of the governor, according to Egbemode, was a product of intensive debate among members of the company’s board and management. She stated that the decision was not taken on the spur of the moment.
According to her, New Telegraph was impressed by the efforts of the governor to rewrite the history of the state, especially in the areas of security, infrastructure and business innovations.
She said unlike other states where governors are considering hiking taxes and just mulling diversifi-cation, Governor Obiano has approved rebate on taxes to small businesses and artisans, while export of vegetables has commenced in earnest.
Egbemode said: “Governance is not rock science. It is not about theories that date all the way back to Socrates and Aristotle. It is about a leader knowing why he wants to lead, what he wants to do when he gets into leadership position and going right ahead to do those things.
Good governance is about touching the people and making lives better. “A good governor is one who knows all of the above. Chief Willie Obiano is a good governor.
And that is why New Telegraph is here, to admit and acknowledge a good governor and good governance in Anambra State.” She added that the award presentation was to encourage good governance and inspire others to emulate the Anambra helmsman.
In his response, the governor thanked the company’s management for finding him worthy of the award, describing it as a confirmation of the point that the efforts at changing the people’s lives for good in the state is being noticed by people.
He said within the last two years and seven months that he has assumed the leadership of the state, he has devoted more time and resources to “cooking good soup for the entire people of Anambra State without any form of discrimination or special privilege accorded to anyone.” Obiano said:
“I am very delighted that your organization found me worthy to be honoured with Outstanding Performance Award. This is the fifth award I am getting, and I am only two years, seven months in office.
There is another on good governance that I am picking up in Ghana next month. There is also the award of UN Peace Ambassador, which is also hinged on transparency and good governance.
Silverbird is also making me the governor of the year in December, and many more. “These are signs that something is happening here and that some people are seeing them.
So once again, I am delighted that our little efforts here in Anambra are being appreciated. What that does is that it inspires us to do more, and we will not relent until we achieve big victories.
We have good potential here and we also have the tools and the people.” In his reaction after the presentation of the letter of award to the Governor, his Senior Special Assistant On Media Strategic Communications and Legislative Matters, Prince Oliver Okpala, described Governor Obiano as a Special gift of God to the good people of Anambra State.
He said that, judging from the performance of the governor, his pedigree and outstanding performance in governance Governor Obiano very much deserve this award from New Telegraph Newspapers.
He pointed at the massive distribution of democratic dividends to all the nook and cronies of Anambra State by Governor Obiano. He remarked that it has never been so well to Anambra State in the spread of dividends of democracy since the creation of the state.
– New Telegraph
