Obiano receives award for drone technology, digital broadcasting

THE Nigeria Communications Week, an ICT publication, has honoured Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State an award of the Beacon of Information Communication Technology (BoICT) award.

At a colourful ceremony on April 25, 2015 at the Eko Hotel & Suites, Lagos, the governor was recognised for his use of ICT to tackle insecurity. According to the organisers of event, Obiano’s commitment to ICT in security matters has opened up the state up for local and foreign investments.

The citation specifically appraised the state’s use of the “drone technology for mapping purposes against crime and use of ICT in education, media,” among others.

The governor also received commendations for his commitment to changing the fortunes of the Anambra Broadcasting Service (ABS) by financially supporting the ongoing transition of the station from analogue to digital broadcasting. The state, it was stated, is one of the few state-owned broadcasting organisations in the country to have done so.

Meanwhile, governor Obiano has announced the donation of his salaries to the less privileged.

Disclosing this in Awka, the governor pointed out that he had sent a written instruction to his Principal Secretary, Mr. Willie Nwokoye, to ensure the directive was implemented with immediate effect.

According to one of his aides, the governor’s directive followed his long practice of philanthropy and public spiritedness, which had informed his earlier decision to donate his salaries to the churches since he took oath of office on March 17, 2014.

“I have been donating it to the church since I became a governor,” Obiano explained. He further said that he figured that giving it to the underprivileged people in the society through properly structured charity organisations would make for more impact.

According to the governor, “After spending many fruitful years in leadership positions in the private sector, I earn enough pensions to sustain the needs of my modest family. So, I felt that my salary would be more useful if it puts a smile on the faces of some underprivileged members of society to whom the smallest amount of money would make a huge difference.”

He further observed that he and his wife had always been deeply involved in charity and philanthropy, long before they went into public life. According to him, his administration has always carved out a place for the underprivileged members of the society, awarding scholarships to physically challenged students in the state and setting up a Rehabilitation Center for the destitute in Nteje, Oyi Local Government Area.