Anambra at 30: The next decade is brighter than we can imagine – Valentine Ozigbo

Valentine Ozigbo, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) flag-bearer in the 2021 Anambra governorship election, has congratulated the people of Anambra State on the state’s 30th anniversary, assuring of his readiness to lead Anambra state into her next decade.

With its capital in Awka, Anambra is one of the nine states created on August 27, 1991, by the administration of former military President Ibrahim Babangida. The state was carved out of the old Anambra State, which included what is now Enugu State.

In a statement issued from his Udoka Housing Estate Campaign Office, Awka, on Friday, August 27, 2021, Ozigbo expressed gratitude to the Almighty God for “his many mercies to our dear state”. The respected business mogul also expressed optimism about the future of the state.

Ozigbo, a grassroots favourite in the race for the governorship, applauded Anambra’s past leaders for their contribution to developing the southeastern state. He stressed the urgent need for purposeful, visionary, and competent leadership in the state.

According to Ozigbo, he is running for the governorship of the state because he believes in the god-given capacities and potentials of Anambra to rule the world. He also declared that he believes that he has “the right combination of competency, capacity, and character to lead the state into a bright new future”.

“My vision for Anambra is clear, that our light will shine, and in shining, we shine brighter than any one of us can imagine,” Ozigbo, the multiple-award-winning global CEO, said quoting a famous poet.

“In the past thirty years, we have recorded remarkable events in the history of our dear state. We have had setbacks and great wins too. In all, we have recorded progress as individuals and as a people.

“Everywhere you look – in business, academia, sports, entertainment, technology, philanthropy, healthcare, governance – Anambra has produced exceptional leaders who have made an indelible impact on humanity. I congratulate all of us, Ndi Anambra, for our resilience and our achievements.

“Thirty years ago, when our state was created, I was just a youngster in my 2nd year in Accountancy at the University of Nigeria. My story is one of grace, where a lowly villager, who left a village secondary school to meet the best and brightest in one of Nigeria’s most prestigious universities, yet emerged the best graduating student in the department and faculty, and I believe that that grace will speak for Anambra this time.

“I desire that we all realise our full potential and that the possibilities that are before us as a people come to life. These are the reasons I am running for the governorship of our state.

“We need to restore our glory. We need to build a new Anambra that we all will be proud of – a state that will win the admiration of its peers. We know we have it in us. We can do better. And, we can be better.

“I want to give life to the dreams of our youth for a better tomorrow. I want those dreams to become a reality today if only we have a leader with the mindset of excellence, who understands the problems of the youth, who feels their heartbeat, and who has the will to do what it takes to bring about the positive transformation that will benefit all.

“I believe that I am that leader. So I offer myself to serve Ndi Anambra as your governor. I will do what I promise. I will make you proud if you vote for me in November,” he asked.

Ozigbo ended his message on a note of optimism after he decried the sorry state of the governance in Anambra and sought to inspire the people to more outstanding achievements.

“The decay in the infrastructure and governance of our state is of concern to me as it is to millions of Ndi Anambra. These developments need to be arrested, and November 6 is the opportunity to take our collective destiny into our hands,” Ozigbo said.

“I urge Ndi Anambra, wherever we may be, to join hands with me and my running mate, Mrs Azuka Enemo, a woman of great wisdom and grace, to rescue our state from this embarrassing decline.

“I am super confident that the next decade for Anambra will be glorious, and I am ready to march Anambra into that next decade,” Ozigbo declared.

Valentine Ozigbo is the immediate past President and Group CEO of Transcorp Plc, one of Africa’s biggest, most diversified conglomerates with investments in oil and gas, hospitality, power, agri-business, and energy.

He resigned from Transcorp Plc in March 2020 to dedicate the next chapter of his life to public service. He Ka Anambra Chawapu message spurred one of the most significant political movements in South-East Nigeria. His rise in politics is one of the most inspirational stories in Nigeria’s recent political history.