Geoffrey Anyanwu, Awka
Former Commonwealth Secretary General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku-led Anambra State Elders Council has asked the Federal Government to urgently refund to Anambra State Government the over N43 billion certified debt owed the state, without further delay.
The said amount was spent by the state government on federal roads and bridges in the state with the authorisation of the Federal Government and had reportedly been confirmed by it as authentic.
Arising from its first meeting of 2018, held at the Governor’s Lodge, Amawbia, the Council stressed that refund of the N43 billion was needed to take care of serious needs of the state.
In a nine-point communiqué issued at the end of the meeting and read by the Chairman of the State Elders Advisory Council, Chief Anyaoku, the Council expressed worries over the noxious activities of Fulani Herdsmen in many parts of the country especially the recent killings in Benue State.
It, therefore, advocated for commercial ranching as the best method for meat and dairy production and called on the Anambra State and other state governments in the country to reject the idea of Cattle Colonies which, according to it, has inevitable adverse security implications.
Also the Council emphasised the “need for concerted efforts among the major political and allied stakeholders in the South-East to intensify the call for restructuring of the present governance architecture to achieve true Federalism and guarantee greater unity and political stability in Nigeria.”
It congratulated Governor Willie Obiano and his Deputy, Dr. Nkem Okeke, on their overwhelming victory at the November 18, 2017 polls and expressed confidence that in the next four years, saying the state would continue to witness the productive governance that they observed was the hallmark of Governor Obiano’s first term in office.
The Council encouraged investors to tap into the safe and secure business environment which the state government under Governor Obiano had entrenched to invest in Anambra State and appealed to Ndi Anambra to embrace the “Aku lue uno” initiative, by joining hands with government to build a strong economy in the state.
The meeting, which was attended by members, including the deputy governor Nkem Okeke, former governors of the state, traditional rulers, heads of Christian Religious Denominations, representatives of Ohaneze Ndigbo in the state, among others.