By CHARLES IWUOHA

The Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, governors, royal fathers and other distinguished Nigerians will on Saturday, February 7, storm Imo as the state celebrates the golden jubilee of its creation.

Already, the state capital, Owerri, is in a festive mood, adorning decorations, and the people are in high spirits as the celebration gets underway.

Saturday’s ceremony, which will be the grand finale of the week-long celebrations, will also attract business moguls, entertainers, and other friends of the state.

Governor Hope Uzodimma, who is the chief host, will use the occasion to unveil a book, Imo@50: The Full Story, as well as confer honours awards on distinguished indigenes of Imo State and others.

Imo State Commissioner for Information, Public Orientation and Strategy, Hon. Declan Emelumba, disclosed in Owerri on Thursday that apart from the Vice President, several governors have indicated interest in joining Uzodimma for the ceremony.

Similarly, he said the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, and other prominent traditional rulers have confirmed their attendance at the event.

According to him, high-profile Nigerians will start arriving in the state on Friday, February 6, ahead of the festivities, as this is the first time the government is organising such a lavish birthday ceremony for the state since its creation in 1976.

He announced that an interdenominational thanksgiving service had already taken place last Sunday, where the governor and Imo people expressed their profound appreciation to God for His grace upon the state in the last 50 years.

He also disclosed that a quiz competition that attracted 2,313 participants online had been held, with 18 persons emerging tops.

He said that the Governor has already released N50 million as prizes for the winners, which will be credited directly into their accounts, while a symbolic cheque will be presented to them on Saturday at the main ceremony.

The money, he announced, shall be shared thus: winner, N20 million; first runner-up, N10 million; second runner-up, N5 million, while 15 others will receive one million naira each.

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