AN ADDRESS PRESENTED TO THE EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR OF ANAMBRA STATE.

H.E. DR. CHRIS NWABUEZE NGIGE, O.O.N (ONWA)

ON THE OCCASION OF SOLIDARITY VISIT TO AND AUDIENCE WITH THE GOVERNOR BY THE OGBARU CLAN

Your Excellency,

First of all, we wish to thank your Excellency for the very warm and fatherly reception accorded Ogbaru Community during the solidarity visit to the Governor at his country-villa at Alor. The priority given to us was a further confirmation of our long-standing conviction of your love for our People.

We are fully aware of the tremendous travails which you have gone through since July 10, and we join the millions of Nigerians world-wide in thanking the Almighty for giving you the courage and strength to pull through, and also for the wisdom to focus on the myriad's of problem confronting Anambra State; problems for which you were elected to solve.

Your Excellency Sir, before we go further, we like to express our immense gratitude and appreciation, for your wisdom in choosing one of our Illustrious Sons Dr. Fred Nnamdi Oduah (Ochiagha Ogbaru) into exalted office, as the Deputy Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of peoples Democratic party in Anambra State.

Ogbaru Road

Your Excellency, we wish to go straight to our other major reason for seeking audience with you. When you visited Ogbaru during your campaign tour on the 10th April, 2003, you saw the TRAGEDY that is called OGBARU ROAD. You touched on perhaps the most sensitive and pressing need of Ogbaru people -the Onitsha-Atani-Ossomala-Ogwu Ikpele road. The thunderous applause you received when you promised to do something about the Road within your First Hundred Days in Office, was a clear indication of your identifying with the innermost feelings of our people. We are aware of the massive and severe cash crunch confronting our Government headed by you, and of course the fact that the road project is definitely beyond the scope of the State Government.

Our son who represents us at the Federal House of Representatives has fought hard and succeeded in not only getting this State road listed as a SPECIAL PROJECT, but also ensured that funds were appropriated for same in the Budget of the Federal Republic of Nigeria since the year 2000. Furthermore, a complete linear survey of the Road has been done and documented including the Quantities. Let us also assure your Excellency that we are aware of several contacts you have made in recent times Regarding the Road. In effect, the Road is now ready for effective reconstruction.

We are calling on Your Excellency to please use the weight of your esteemed office to appeal to the Federal Authorities to not only list this very important road, but also to put it on the priority list of jobs to be embarked on as soon as rains are over in October/November 2003. We are very convinced you can do this for your good people of Ogbaru. Perhaps we may remind your Excellency that the road connects us with our kith and kin in Rivers State, and the Governor of the State is an Ogbaru indigene. He definitely will be most willing to lend his support to your effort in this regard when contacted.

It is pertinent. Your Excellency, to draw your attention to one other major issue regarding the economy of the nation, and 'Anambra in particular - CRUDE OIL. Ogbaru is blessed with large reserves of this commodity, which has been listed as part of strategic reserves of the nation. As efforts are currently on to start the exploitation of these reserves, we wish to appeal to your Excellency to ensure that Ogbaru interest in this sector is fully taken care of. Ogbaru is definitely an important Oil-thrust of the State as well as a major food basket of the State.

Appointments.
Your Excellency, Ogbaru people are in all the professions, it is therefore with dismay that we have to observe that successive Governments in Anambra State have not exploited this human reservoir. It will be to the eternal credit of your Administration if this trend is reversed.

Conclusion
We salute your wisdom and courage in tackling head-on the hydra-headed monster, also known as Corruption in Low and High Places, which has been the bane of Anambra State. We wish you continual good health, God's guidance and successful tenure as you move to identify with our cause.

Yours faithfully,

 FOR OGBARU DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION

 

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H.R.H. EZE VBC Onyema, III
Patron

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Chief Obibulu G.N Esimai.
Secretary General, ODA

 

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Hon. (Ojiba) Okwudili Uzoka
Member, Federal House of Representatives

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Chief G.C.Nwabueze.JP
President, ODA.

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Dr. Nnamdi Oduah
Member, ODA