The decision of Anambra State Government to evolve a 50-year development plan for the State has received the backing of the State Elders Council.
The State’s vision 2070 committee was set up by Governor Willie Obiano last year with former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Professor Chukwuma Soludo as its Chairman and members are drawn from various spheres of human endeavor.
The Committee has the charge to craft a 50-year development plan for the security and prosperity of the state and in the process, is expected to among other things, identify specific sectors the state should focus on, initiate development measurement frameworks as well as determine critical milestones and success factors.
The move has been heavily criticized by the opposition in the State on the basis that the composition of the committee was highly partisan and that other political parties were not involved in the process.
At a meeting of the State Elders Council today at the governor’s lodge, Amawbia, Chairman of the Committee, Professor Soludo made a presentation on their mandate and what they had done.
According to former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Emeka Anyaoku who spoke on behalf of the elders, “we support the strategic plan to make the state attain the status of a fully developed entity within the next 50 years.”
The Council acknowledged the state government’s efforts to maintain security and stability in the State, commending the workers done by the Anambra State Cattle Menace Committee set up by the governor in 2015, in preventing skirmishes between farmers and herdsmen from escalating beyond remedy.
The elders leaned their weight behind the agreement to rotate the governorship seat among the three senatorial zones in the state, expressing its expectation that the next governor of the State will come from Anambra South Senatorial Zone.
The meeting also had in attendance former governors of the State, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife and Dame Virgie Etiaba, the Chairman, Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, former Minister of Health, Tim Menakaya, Ohaneze Ndigbo leadership in the State and religious heads as well as other stakeholders.
