Governor of Anambra, Chukwuma Soludo simultaneously congratulated his 20 commissioners and also commiserated with them after he swore them in on Saturday.
The swearing-in, he noted, was conducted on a Saturday, an indication that he wanted the business of government to run 24/7 under his watch.
“To all my newly inaugurated Commissioners, I congratulate them all as well as commiserate with them. This is a call to action. The challenges are humongous!”, he said.
Soludo, who performed the swearing-in at the state Executive Council Chamber, Government House Awka, charged them to deliver optimal services to the people of Anambra.
He said that his administration would declare a state of emergency in all the sectors starting with security.
“All sectors will be given due attention beginning with security which we have already started doing something,” he said.
Soludo said that the assignment of portfolio to each of the new commissioners before the swearing-in was a clear departure to known tradition.
He said that the commissioners were selected based on their areas of specialisation.
“More than 22, 000 people applied to serve, out of which more than 1, 000 indicated interest to serve as commissioners.
“It is from this list that we picked the 20 commissioners and another commissioner nominee yet to be cleared by the lawmakers because I submitted his name after the initial list was sent,” Soludo said.
He said each of the commissioner would be given his election manifesto, Anambra vision 2070, document and the report submitted by a transition committee before his handover.
“Each of you must study the three documents because the documents constitute the template best tagged social contract with more than 15 million residents of Anambra and our people in the Diaspora,” he said.
“As they all came knowing the Ministry they have been assigned to, this means they were selected and are fit-for-purpose for the huge task ahead.
“I’m not a fan of the “100 days in office” frenzy, as I recognise that it is a four year bout that must be benchmarked to appraise performance.
“I therefore, have charged them all with a 50 days in office delivery plan. We will be exerting because the Anambra people cannot wait.
“What this means is that we expect nothing but excellence – that is the Anambra spirit.
“I once again extend my congratulations and commiserations to them all”.
He appealed to the people of the state, especially the families and close relatives of the commissioners, to ensure that they did not place much demands on them as their services were more to the state.
Responding on behalf of her colleagues, Mrs Sylvia Ifemeje, the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, thanked God and Soludo for their appointments, adding that they would not disappoint the state.
