Charles Onyekamuo
20 July 2004
Awka — Anambra State may soon join states like Lagos and Rivers in the acquisition of Independent Power Plant (IPP).
Governor Chris Ngige, made the disclosure in Awka, yesterday when a group, Igbos in Commerce Consultative Forum" (ICCF) visited him and said arrangements had been concluded for the acquisition of the power plant.
The power project when completed, will supply and link major commercial cities in the state like Onitsha, Nnewi and Nkpor with electricity, and it would arrest the perennial power outage, which have hampered industrialisation of the state.
Ngige urged members of ICCF to imbibe the state's "think home" philosophy and invest a part of their earnings at home, promising to provide a parcel of land to the group to enable it build a secretariat.
Ngige frowned at the raging controversy on indigene/settlers phenomenon, saying it is a fall-out of the country's inability to practice true federalism.
He noted that in the practice of true federalism, one's place of abode where he lives, works and pays taxes becomes his home, and expressed regrets that the reverse is the case in Nigeria.
He assured the forum whose membership cuts across all Igbo speaking states and community of his administration's readiness to assist and support them in times of need.
He also commended them for being "good ambassadors of the Igbo nation" and urged them to continue to co-operate and co-exist peacefully with their host state governments and communities.
The group's Vice President, Chief Nnamdi Nwigwe, who read an address on behalf of its President, Chief John Nzewi, commended Ngige for his modest achievements in the past one year, in spite of "obvious distractions," saying that he had demonstrated a measure of visionary and purposeful leadership within the time frame.
He, however, urged him not to relent, and called on the federal government to restore the governor's official security, including all the rights and privileges of the office withheld from him.
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