By Ifeoma Ejiofor
Activities to mark the celebration of the 58th years on the throne of the paramount traditional ruler of the industrial town of Nnewi, HRH Igwe Dr KON Orizu 111 began on Tuesday.
Igwe Nnewi who is the Patron of the Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council also used the occasion to celebrate his 96th birthday.
In his speech, Igwe Orizu commended the peaceful election that produced Prof Charles Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) as the governor.
The monarch said that it was a thing of joy that inspite of the fears and tension that pervaded the atmosphere before the election, there was no violence whatsoever during the election.
He said as a matter of fact that the eighteen governorship candidates that contested the election are qualified to be governor of the state but that it is only natural that an individual must emerge as a winner.
Igwe Dr KON Orizu urged the all the candidates to join hands with the incoming governor, Prof Soludo for the peaceful development of Anambra State.
The highly revered monarch who commended the incumbent governor, Chief Willie Obiano on his achievements in office especially the legacy projects urged the incoming governor to give priority attention to the important abandoned and uncompleted projects like the Machine Tools Foundry, the Nigerian Building and Research Institute both at Ozubulu, the Nnewi Automotive Industrial Park at Akwa-Ihedi, the mini water dam at Ubu stream and the Shopping Mall at Nkwo Nnewi Triangle.
He also informed the incoming governor that all the roads constructed by Dr Chris Ngige and Mr Peter Obi have collapsed due to lack of maintenance.
Igwe Nnewi commended Chief Innocent Chukwuma for the gigantic factory he is building at Umudim-Nnewi even as he urged government at all levels to make patronizing the giant motor vehicle manufacturer a priority.
“I also found time to visit the permanent site of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH) being constructed at Akamili Umudim-Nnewi and was very pleased that many structures have been completed and put into use. At the rate the new CMD, Prof Joseph Ugboaja and his team are working, I have no doubt that the hospital will soon move to it’s permanent site.” Igwe Nnewi declared.
In an interview with journalists, the President General (PG) of Otolo-Nnewi, Chief Sir Boniface Ikechukwu Obi thanked God for keeping HRH, Igwe Dr KON Orizu on the throne for 58 years.
He said that under the watch of the monarch, a whole lot of positive development have taken place in Nnewi which has transformed the town to an industrial city.
The celebration is billed to continue on Wednesday 29th.