Obi Says Anambra will Witness a Revolution * Doles out Billions to Schools and Vehicles to Traditional Rulers

Gov. Obi said what would happen to Anambra State by the end of the year would be revolutionary by all accounts and that all sectors would benefit. He said this today at the Women Development Centre Awka, during The Town Hall meeting at which he explained to critical stakeholders- traditional rulers Presidents General of towns, Religious leaders, among others - how the Government intend to carry out comprehensive rehabilitation of 253 Government owned secondary schools in the State. This follows the rehabilitation of the schools already handed over to the Churches by the Government.

The Governor who at the event flagged-off the distribution of the 10 million Naira, a total of 2.53 Billion Naira to Principals of those Secondary schools, said it represented the first phase of the exercise. He explain the delay on the need to set up a monitoring group for proper deployment of the money and warned that any Principal who would be found wanting would be dealt with accordingly.

Besides, the cheques, the Governor said that the EXCO had just approved the sum of 6.5 Billion Naira for school in the State assuring that by the end of the year, all the schools in the state would get school buses, Microsoft Academy, computers to schools according to their population to the average of 1 computer to 10 students ( including primary schools), Laboratory equipment, Sports equipment and various learning materials. He said he was paying INTERNET, Microsoft and other subscriptions for 3 years to allow the person coming after him the latitude for settling down.

Charging the principals to be on guard, the Governor who continued apologizing for take over of schools, appealed to them to emulate the Church, who are doing commendably with the money similarly given to them.

On another development, the Governor today presented 200 SUV vehicles to all the traditional rulers in the State. He said the vehicles which were completely free from any charges, was in recognition of the pivotal roles of traditional rulers in the State and the need to endure they work in relative comfort for the good and progress of the State.

He said the choice of INNOSON manufactured vehicles is to tell Nigerians that with a Motor manufacturing company in the State, they need not search elsewhere. He said that the State Government has unofficially adopted INNOSON vehicles as the State brand and revealed that the next set of official vehicles he would use would be bought from INNOSON and called on Nigerians to be proud of their own.

On the source of finance for the projects, the Governor said it was mainly from the money he attracted to the State. Using the education sector as an example, he said that the budget was 3 Billion Naira, but that by the end of the year, 13 Billion Naira would have been spent.

In his remarks, the Chairman, Anambra Traditional Rulers Council, Obi Alfred Achebe, described what the State is witnessing under Obi as unprecedented. He said he was particularly thrilled not by the vehicles, but by the revolution in schools which he noted, would be for the benefit of the children of the State. He assured the support of traditional rulers for what he described as renaissance of learning taking place in the State.

In his own remarks, the traditional ruler of Umuoji, Igwe Cyril Iwueze thanked the Governor for his attention to all sectors. Agreeing that what is taking place in the State was a revolution , he said that after witnessing billions given to the Church to rehabilitate schools handed over to them, that it was encouraging witnessing the extension of the same gesture to public schools in the State.