The Anambra state governor, Willie Obiano, has announced 10 Million Naira Choose your Project Initiative for the major markets in Anambra state.

Governor Obiano declared this during a meeting with leaders and representatives of the Anambra State Market Amalgamated Traders Association, ASMATA, at Professor Dora Akunyili Women Development Center, Awka.

The governor who had earlier commenced the initiative with the 20 million Naira ‘Community Choose your Project Initiative’ in the one hundred and 81 communities in Anambra state said the extension of the economic stimulus package to markets was in line with the resolve of his administration to continue to fashion out economic friendly strategies that would help cushion the effects of the present economic challenges on the citizens of the state.

Gathered for the meeting at the Professor Dora Akunyili Women Development Center, Awka were over five hundred leaders and representatives of the sixty one major markets in Anambra state under the auspices of Anambra State Market Amalgamated Traders Association, ASMATA.

On the arrival of the governor at the venue, excitement rented the air even as expectation mounted over the reason why the governor arranged for the meeting.

Addressing them on why he called them, Governor Willie Obiano, first, announced to them of his meeting with the three hundred and five manufacturers in the state where they ruminated over the various challenges of recession facing them in which they solicited federal government intervention and to which the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, would be visiting the state on Thursday to inspect seven manufacturing companies in Onitsha and Nnewi.

The second reason was to inform them of the stimulus packages in the area of low income earners and in education in which he had waived some taxes and school fees. “Every of those markets days, I send my men down there to make sure they do not harass those women and people selling because that’s where they earn their money to be able to feed the children.

Education is free up to JSS3, but parents are compelled to pay sometimes up to twelve thousand naira per annum. Now we have banned all those stuff.”

But for the main reason he called them, the governor notes that the stimulus package in the area of community development is ongoing in the Twenty Million Naira Community Choose your Project Initiative in the one hundred and eighty one communities of the state.

He announced that such gesture will be extended to the sixty one markets in the state in which project worth ten million naira which will be domiciled in the markets to be undertaken by the state government.

“And we are doing a project worth twenty million naira in each of the one hundred and eighty one communities in Anambra state. Now we are extending it to the markets. We are going to do choose your project that is worth ten million naira in sixty one of our major markets.

“We will start this project immediately after the 2017 budget is passed by the Anambra State House of Assembly. We have the cash and we will start that immediately and those projects will be done by contractors selected by the market association themselves.”

As the frenzied excitement died down, the governor still assured them that the project will not stop palliative measures on roads inside markets as well as the construction of bore holes and conveniences which would ensure proper hygiene in the market.

In their separate reactions, the chairman of the traders union, Mr. Okwudili Ezenwankwo, and the State Commissioner for Trade, Commerce, Markets and Wealth Creation, Mrs. Uzoamaka Ilobi, stated that Anambra state had never had it so good.

In the words of Mr. Ezenwankwo,

“What he has done now has shown all of us that he has the interest of the traders at heart. Considering what he has been doing in the market, most especially, providing the enabling environment for us to do our business and security of lives and property. So we are happy with him and we assure him that we are going to support him.”

Mrs. Ilobi added, “Just like what he is doing in the one hundred and eighty one communities, choose your project initiative, he has given them the opportunity of choosing what they want to do in each of these markets and to crown it all, they are the people that will choose the contractors that are going to execute those projects. So we are happy and we will pray for him, Like he rightly said that it is not even the end of it, he said at time goes on, if need be, in any of these markets, he is still ready and eager to do more and all for their own good.”

The project as announced by the governor will commence as soon as the State House of Assembly passes the 2017 budget and after the contractor chosen by the market association must have passed through a transparent Tenders Board processes of the state. (Channels TV)

•Photo shows Gov. Obiano.

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