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ÍťÍ¸Ëœ ͺ͸͚΀ Ëž THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER
PLUS Anambra has rich tourist attractions like Owere Ezukala Waterfall and Cave, Ogbunike Cave, Aguve Trinity Tree at Enugwu Agulueri, Agulu Lake and Ojukwu bunker. Our state is also known for bronze works, we have many artistically talented youths, we are creating platforms to showcase these talents; we have been engaged in wow-factor exhibitions I Started Painting at 18, Inspired by Peace of Mind that some people get into trouble for doing. But I am happy in my own space and I like to reach out to people if I can be of h help to them and add value to their lives. I would w not like to meet people to gossip or to t just useless my time because our time on earth is short and we must use it judiciously.� Mbanefo’s comes from a close knit family no doubt. She professes her love for family eeffortlessly. ef f rtlessly. “I grew up amidst a lot fo lo of llove. lo ove. I am from the Uwechue family fam in D De l a State. My father, Owelle George lt G Delta U Uw echue, popularly hailed ‘O Uwechue, ‘Owelle th the he Law’ by Chief Arthur M Mbanefo, is a past chairman of the b body of be b enc n hers, member of the House benchers, off Representatives, o Representatives, a one-time o ssp peaker tempore and is speaker th current head o the of the U echue family. His imUw Uwechue m diate elder b me mediate brother was Ambassador Ambassa was R lph Uwechue, Ra Uwe Ralph a fo Oh former Ohaneze P esident GenPr President eral a of th eral the Igbos. Growing up, Growing all I rem al all remember to date date is that to none of o my none un uncles or aunti ever aunties fight Every fi fights. siblin is sibling very caring very towa to towards the other; o the th all they grew up in grew Kano, Sokoto Kano, and K Kaduna States, so they are very cosmopo cosmopolitan in their outlook. ou in You can im imagine the Mbanefo family came tw twice into the Uwechue Uwech famiily ly to marry our w women b ecause of our pedi because pedigree. M y father worked wi My with the ccolonial olonial masters. He was wa next in line. My parents all went wen to sschool chool in the north. My uncle uncles went to Raimi St. Johns including Ral Ralph U wechue who was a prefect every year. Uwechue They grew up not thinking I am Igbo, Igbo I am this. They grew up in an environmen environment where everybody was somebody not necessarily necess where you come from.� Mbanefo is passionate about the ar arts. Therefore, her appointment as the CommisCo sioner of Indigenous Art, Diaspora A Affairs and Culture & Tourism was not by accident. a She has put in some efforts to promote promo Nigeria as a tourists’ destination, som something she is very ecstatic about. She speaks about Anambra as a tou tourism destination, highlighting features like security, infrastructure, natural tourist sites and agriculture as magnets for tourist tourists to Anambra state. But first speaks for the th warm hospitality she has received. “Anambra is fabulous and treating me very well. I have been given a lovely green home and I am being pampered and looked after very well. I am popularly know known as the ‘Oyibo’ commissioner ‘ so it’s fun all the way and of course work. I dare say our cabinet is the most sophisticated and achieving a huge success su in bringing back so many disapora fr from out of the country to serve. Our governor is the only governor who has created a min ministry for diaspora affairs and we are tak fo taking it se eri riou o sly. seriously. He has appointed SSA o on d as di aspora affairs based in diaspora tthe th he USA and we are ccurrrently re ntly recruiting diaspora dia aam mba b ssadors all over ov the ambassadors worl r d. This gove world. government is taking taking Diaspo is Diaspora’s
Affairs, culture and Tourism to higher places. It’s a homecoming call to serve. Other commissioners are just very civilized and gentlemanly really have no choice but to emulate their governor who is a gentleman himself and lives his wife so much, professes his love for her publicly anytime he makes a speech. The cabinet is full of young enlightened and vibrant people. He has empowered so many young people and women. What I love about his government is the transparency and professionalism and I know this comes from his discipline as a banker. We are all workaholics, he inspects projects every day. Your mails are responded to instantly and he always encourages us to think outside the box. “Anambra has rich tourist attractions like Owere Ezukala Waterfall and Cave, Ogbunike Cave, Aguve Trinity Tree at Enugwu Agulueri, Agulu Lake and Ojukwu bunker. Our state is also known for bronze works, we have many artistically talented youths, we are creating platforms to showcase these talents; we have been engaged in wow-factor exhibitions. As part of our 100 days plans we have been working in alignment with the governor’s directives. So full force upgrade has begun with our first two major tourism site is Owerre Izukala caves and Ogbunike caves. Being an artist and painter and sculptor the artist community has been excited to have me as the HC because I understand their language and their needs. In addition to all this we are transforming our Minsitry of four ministries into a walk in exhibition Centre. For hotels, we plan to start hotel grading and classification in the next 100 days and will launch a new hotel solely owned by the govt Golden Tulip right by the crocodile lake to be launched by His Excellency. That we have artistic youths from Anambra is not surprising; remember it is from this our same state that we have the likes of Ben Enwonwu, Professor Uche Okeke, Professor Chinua Achebe, Alex Ekwueme, Laz Ekwueme, Chukwuma Soludo and Dora Akunyili,’’ she explains. Anambra boasts talents all over the world. “You can see that Anambra State is the only state that has created a Ministry of Diaspora. This is to make sure that we keep all our talents in a loop. Right now, we are going around the world identifying Diaspora ambassadors. We have Diaspora desks in the USA and we are now working with other parts of the world to ensure that Ndi (people of) Anambra are all connected to us.’’ Speaking on her ministry’s focus, she says, “we are focusing on creating and promoting the Anambra tourism brand; making celebrities from Anambra ambassadors, hosting Anambra talent shows, establishing a dance school, creating the Anambra portal, creating a painting club, training and sensitising tourism service providers and sensitising the tourism host communities.’’ She’s quite liberal about her passions. “The best book I have ever read is, ‘The Road Less Travelled’ by M. Scott Peck. It echoes my life philosophy, which imbibes values like discipline, delayed gratification and love for others in my daily life. Discipline has ruled my whole life; if you look at my CV, if you don’t have discipline, you can’t survive the types of jobs I have done. I’ve chosen, for example, not to wear expensive jewellery, except earrings, therefore, if I wear a rope around my neck, I will carry it more elegantly than a lady wearing chopard worth thousands of dollars or a 100-karat gold necklace. Psalm 24 verse 4, captures this very aptly in saying, ‘Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord? The man with clean hands and a pure heart, who does not desire worthless things’. It’s very important that when one is in abundant resources, one does not spend foolishly forgetting that there are others who have nothing. When God blesses you, it is for a purpose. It is not the jewellery and diamond we wear that make us what we are but our actions and how we treat our fellow human beings.�
Mbanefo