Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano, has promised to make the state the Dubai of Africa. He made the promise this afternoon in a speech to celebrate his one-year in office as governor.

Speaking to a capacity crowd at the Alex Ekwueme Square in the state capital, Awka, Obiano said that the state is too gifted and too blessed and endowed to wander in the wilderness of purposeless leadership for too long and without a capacity for moral re-armament for self-renewal and self re-discovery.

He highlighted his administration’s achievements in the last 365 days and spoke of its plans for the future. Obiano said: “We have flushed out kidnappers from Anambra State. We have cut off their weapons supply lines and sealed off their supply routes.

“We have pulled down their physical and psychological empires. Ndi Anambra, when those bulldozers mow down the warehouses where kidnappers hold their victims in captivity, when we bring down the mansions they built with the blood money made from their human cargoes, we pull at the psychological root of their business; we hack at the very source of their evil energy. Today, we breathe a new air of freedom! Today, we give our loved ones out in marriage under the wise gaze of our elders in the village.

“Today, we feel free to bring our children home from cities to listen to the fantastic tales of their grandmothers under the full-moon. Ndi b’anyi, Anambra adigokwanu nma! Oburo eziokwu?

“The second significant foundation we have laid in our journey to new Anambra is in the area of electricity generation. Apart from the problem of insecurity, there is no greater obstacle to the full manifestation of our people’s famous can-do spirit than the challenge of electricity supply.

“For several decades, our people’s inherent inventive genius that sparkled through the dark years of civil war appeared to have been cut off by a failure of leadership. We failed once again to harness his ingenuity which showed itself shortly after the civil war, in the manufacture of quality household products that were generally referred to as ‘Igbo-made’.

“Ndi Anambra, I stand before you today to invoke the spirit of ‘Igbo-made’ and to reclaim that genius! Yes! We must bring that spirit back! Ndi b’anyi, okwa anyi ga eme ya?

“I am delighted to announce that we have laid a solid foundation for the provision of reliable electricity that will help us recover our Midas touch. Late last year, we concluded arrangements with UD Independent Petroleum Production Company (UDIPPCO) to build a gas-powered plant that will generate 80 mega-watts of electricity.

“Similarly, barely a fortnight ago, we signed on Falcon Corporation Limited to build another gas-powered plant that will generate 100 mega-watts of electricity. When fully operational, the combined output of these two power plants will wipe away our tears over poor power supply in Anambra State.”

The event also featured a thanks-giving church service, masquerade displays, a performance by highlife star Flavour, and the donation of empowerment tools by the governor’s wife, Chief Ebelechukwu Obiano, to graduates of training programe sponsored by her NGO, the the Caring Family Enhancement Initiative (CAFÉ).

Dignitaries who graced the event included former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, oil magnet, Prince Arthur Eze, and National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Sir Victor Umeh.

•Photo shows Governor Obiano delivering a speech.