From David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi

The All Progressives Grand Alliance ( APGA) executive members and other stakeholders in Aguluzigbo, Anaocha Local Government Area,  Anambra State may have shut out other aspirants for the state governor, Willie Obiano, who is seeking relection.

To demonstrate this, stakholders in the council area have dissociated themselves from alleged governorship ambition and purported endorsement of one of their sons, Dr. Elo Aforka.

The party members, after their  respective emergency meetings, also had a joint meeting in the town, and declared that “the entire APGA Aguluzigbo Ward Executive and stakeholders never endorsed or supported the governorship ambition of Aforka as he claimed.

“The purported endorsement by Aguluzigbo APGA Ward as carried on Face Book never took place. Our unflinching support for Chief Willie Obiano, the governor of Anambra State and his second term bid is total,” they affirmed.

A statement signed by Mr. Marcel Okafor and Mr. Ebele Aniekwe, chairman and secretary of APGA Aguluzigbo Ward, on behalf of 21 APGA executive members and 28 APGA stakeholders, condemned Aforka’s ambition, describing it “as a huge joke. “We dissociate and condemn in its entirety, the so called Anambra State governorship position declaration by Dr Elo Aforka.

“Aforka is currently serving in the present administration of our ever working governor, Chief  Willie Obiano, at the time of his governorship ambition declaration. It is confirmed that he is being used by political opponents of Obiano to bring distrust and misunderstanding to the relationship between the governor and our dear son and former APGA national chairman.

“The alleged governorship candidate endorsement, according to Dr Aforka, is also targeted to destroy the good relationship the entire Aguluzigbo town has with the governor, under whose administration we benefited much.”

“The acclaimed official endorsement by the APGA executive of Aguluzigbo Ward never took place. the APGA Executive Aguluzigbo Ward, APGA Stakeholders Forum, and the entire citizenry at home, abroad and in Diaspora do hereby reaffirm strongly and incontrovertibly their unflinching support for Chief Obiano’s government and his second term bid which will definitely come to full realisation.”

They however, urged the public to disregard and discountenance like they have done, “the so called inordinate governorship declaration of Aforka.

as such portends a calculated attempt to disorganise, destabilise and cause unnecessary disharmony in APGA and Aguluzigbo town in general.” 

Ugwuanyi of Enugu State is among recipients of The Authority Newspapers Awards (2016) for Excellence and Good Governance.

Presenting the letter of notification of the Award for Excellence and Good Governance in the areas of Development and Infrastructure to the governor at the Government House, Enugu,  the Managing Director of the Authority Newspapers, Mr. Madu Onuorah said the gesture was in recognition of the governor’s development strides in the state in the face of the daunting economic challenges in the country.

Onuorah added that the award also seeks to honour Ugwuanyi’s exemplary leadership style anchored on good governance, fear of God and regard for the well-being of the people.

He stated that the governor is “one governor who is not afraid of defending the interest of your people,” adding that his administration’s prompt fixing of federal roads in Enugu and provision of other critical infrastructure in the state stood him out as the most outstanding governor for the award.

“A trip round Enugu State shows your indelible imprints. It is all too glaring to be ignored. You’re not a man who goes for half measures. You are a man whom Nigeria needs at a time like this as you are the new face of the Nigerian spirit that won’t give up even in the face of challenges but opt for a noiseless but massive development of the state’s infrastructure,” Onuorah said.

The managing director also noted that the rate of development especially with regard to infrastructure in Enugu State in spite of the fact that Enugu is not an oil producing state “and therefore, gets little from the Federation Account and does not have cluster of businesses and major urban centres like some surrounding states to tax to lift up the states IGR” equally informed his selection for the award.

“It is still a surprise that with the developments going on here, Enugu is one of the few states in Nigeria to pay workers’ salaries as at when due, I understand by the 25th of every month. We still don’t know how you do it, especially in  a country whose governance landscapes are filled with governors who amass debt for their states and give reasons for failure. You’ve no time for excuses.

“This is the reason that we, The Authority Newspapers, are honoring you with the Outstanding Governor of the Year 2016 on Development and Infrastructure.You are not used to giving excuses. Right from your first day in office, you rolled your sleeves to work and you are still working.”

In his response,  Governor Ugwuanyi accepted the letter of notification, thanked the management team of the media organisation for the honour, dedicated the award to God and promised to remain committed to the development of the state and welfare of the people.