The outgoing governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano, on Wednesday, conferred state awards on some prominent sons and daughters of the state who have contributed to the growth and development of the state.
Obiano will be leaving office on 17th March after a successful eight-year tenure while his successor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, would be sworn in on the same day.
The governor, while presenting the awards to the awardees, said that he was empowered by the Anambra State Honours Law of 1995 to perform the duty.
He listed the award categories as Grand Commander, Commander and Merit Awards.
Obiano said that the awardees were painstakingly selected based on their track records of achievements and contributions to the growth and development of the state.
Some of the awardees are: the 2019 Vice Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former governor of the state, Mr Peter Obi; former Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations, Chief Emeka Anyaoku; and Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe.
Others are: Chief Mbazulike Amaechi, Sir Emeka Offor, Archbishop Jude Okolo, Papal nuncio to the Ireland; Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN; CEO of Innoson Group, Chief Innocent Chukwuma.
Also awarded are: Senator Uche Ekwunife, Senator Victor Umeh, Chief Victor Oye, Senator Ben Obi, Dame Virgy Etiaba, Justice Onochie Anyachebelu, the state Chief Judge; and Igwe Kenneth Orizu, the monarch of Nnewi Kingdom among others.
Posthumous awards were also conferred on Senator Chuba Okadigbo represent by Fidelis Anosike, the publisher of Daily Times newspapers; Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe represented by one of his sons; Prof. Dora Akunyili and others.
Before the awards presentation, a book on the governor written by the Chairman of Anambra State Investment Promotion and Protection Agency (ANSIPPA), Ike Chioke, was launched.
The book titled Akpokuedike: Duty Call in Anambra, according to Chioke, was written for the purposes of documenting “the impact that I had observed working in Anambra State over the last nine years.”
The author praised Obiano for his achievements in the past eight years, saying that the outgoing governor performed wonderfully well.
Meanwhile, the governor officially inaugurated the multi-million naira International Convention Centre (ICC) which his administration started and completed.
