AWKA — GOVERNOR Chris Ngige of Anambra State yesterday made his first official statement on the Okija shrine episode with a warning that the people should not hide under the shrine issue to cause a breach of the peace in the state. Ngige warned that nobody should hide under the “so called shrine saga or episode” to cause trouble and destabilise the state. Ngige’s reaction came through a broadcast he made to the people of Anambra State to mark the state’s 13th annivresary.
The state was created in August 1991 by Gen. Ibrahim Babangida’s regime. Ngige also touched on some other issues including road projects, health and agriculture. He appealed to the civil servants to give him more time to pay their outstanding arrears of salary and allowances, saying that the state is experiencing “little financial hitches.” Let me take this opprotunity to admonish the people of this state not to take the so-called “shrine” saga or episode being bandied about as an excuse to cause a breach of the law nor align with some unscrupulous individuals to cause trouble and destabilise the peace of the state.
"Also, in this regard, I want to take this opportunity to warn all Anambrarians to disassociate themselves from any association, group or organisation by whatever nomenclature that has plans to disturb the peace of the land through unauthorised assemblage or celebration other than this 13th anniversary of the creation of the state being marked today.
Our agricultural reforms also, entails our involvement in the massive cassava, rice and palm-oil production to achieve food security for the people of the state. The College of Agriculture, Igbariam has been rejuvenated and very soon normal teaching will take off there. This, in addition to the Anambra Volunteer Farmers (AVF) project at Omor and Okija, which are designed to gainfully engage our youths providing them with job opportunity. Our roads reconstruction and rehabilitation project is still going on. We have not relented in this regard.
I want to use this forum to dispel the feeling in some quarters that we have reduced our speed in our road work project. We also hope to award three major roads whose tender analysis have almost been concluded after due process by next month,” Ngige promised. He also promised to embark on a rigorous water scheme rehabilitation programme will start from the begining of October 2004 to provide water for our people in the dry season.”
