Lawrence Ndubeze, Awka
Former Chief of Staff to the immediate past Governor of Anambra State, Chief Primus Odili, has alleged that some lawmakers who once served in the State House of Assembly had no secondary school education before their election.
Odili, who spoke at the monthly Congress of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Anambra State Council, in Awka, said the situation prevailed before the emergence of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) as the ruling party in the state.
“Before the advent of APGA, we know the situation in Anambra State. We had other political parties ruling the state. Some burnt down government facilities. Prior to the coming of His Excellency in Anambra State, we had House of Assembly members who did not attend secondary schools,” he claimed.
The former aide, who is also the founder of the Okosisi Political Movement for Soludo, commended APGA for what he described as a transformation of Anambra’s fortunes since the tenure of former Governor Peter Obi.
He noted that successive administrations, from Obi’s ANIDS Initiative to Obiano’s consolidation and Governor Charles Soludo’s current programmes, have contributed to the state’s all-round development.
Odili stressed that continuity of APGA’s leadership remained in the best interest of the state.
Also speaking, the Managing Director of the Anambra ICT Agency and CEO of Geeks and Founders’ Alliance for Soludo (GEFAS), Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata, said Anambra had become a leading state in digital governance under Soludo.
According to him, ministries, departments, and agencies in the state have been fully digitised, easing the workload of civil servants.
“Gone are the days when workers had to go to Aroma to print documents. Now, the State Secretariat enjoys 24-hour internet connectivity. In the last three years, we have distributed over 5,000 laptops, PCs, and printers to various ministries. We have also digitised the State Executive Council Chamber. For the past two and a half years, not a single sheet of paper has been distributed at Exco meetings,” Agbata said.
He added that the government had extended free “Solution WiFi” to the public at designated spots, including Aroma Junction, Eke Awka, ABS Bus Stand, Ukwu Orji, and the UNIZIK Gate, to empower youths and other residents.
In a lecture titled “Beyond the Paycheck: Life After Retirement,” veteran journalist and lecturer at Paul University, Awka, Dr. Azubike Nkala, urged journalists to start preparing for life after active service.
“As you work hard and earn your pay, think of how your retirement will be. Think of whether the cheques will see you through in your retirement years,” he advised.
Nkala lamented the poor working conditions of journalists in the Southeast, describing the salary scale as extremely low, while the plight of retired journalists in Anambra State remained dire. He encouraged practitioners to enhance their skills in order to improve their bargaining power.
Earlier, the NUJ Chairman, Comrade Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, decried the impact of unethical journalism on governance and society.
He particularly criticised political media aides who, according to him, lacked proper orientation in journalism, and warned the public to be cautious about information spread on social media.
