By Okechukwu Onuegbu
Anambra State governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, Friday, inaugurated Kaanyi Dozie Anambra Volunteers and Ambassadors Network (KADAVAN), a movement geared towards entrenching peace, progress and grassroots development across all sectors and strata.
KADAVAN, founded by Comrade Dr Okechukwu Cyril-Nwuche, was inaugurated at Amawbia, Awka South Local Government Area, with all their members, including 21 Local Government coordinators, State officers, patrons and others.
The State Deputy, Dr Onyekachukwu Ibezim, who performed the inauguration on behalf the State government, urged the citizenry to uphold the virtues of good work in whatever they do to earn a good name, which according to him is progressive and worth remembering for.
On his part, the Keynote Speaker and Dean of Student Affairs, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Prof. Kingsley Ubaoji, emphasised on dignity of labour, adding that with consistency people with little beginnings would attend greater heights in life.
Ubaoji urged Anambrarians and residents to embrace the State government ongoing efforts to drive value orientation and reformation by living exampolary lives, which according to him, would encourage children to action.
Also speaking, the former Managing Director of the Anambra State Civic and Social Reformation Office, Mr. Chuka Nnabuife added that supporting good government policies was necessary and requires everyone's attention for development and progress of Anambra.
To Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Value Reformation, Dr Law Mefor, the ministry had set up a technical committee that would adopt the “carrot and stick approach” to restore the virtues the State was known.
He further submits that “The objective of this group is the same as that of the ministry. Let all of us join hands to rebuild Anambra State. We are talking of value reformation and reorientation in this government because a lot of things have gone wrong. And we cannot allow them to continue if we want to make progress in the state.
“We need to tell our youths the truth, the need for value reorientation. Our youths no longer believe in hard work but in quick wealth, and it is destroying our value system. We will go after those who work with fake certificates after dealing with the fake pastors and native doctors. We must compel the youths to accept the reality of hard work. We have to rescue Anambra State from this wrong value,” he added.
Earlier speaking, the Founder/General Coordinator, KADAVAN, Comrade Dr Okechukwu Cyril-Nwuche, said they would constructively engage with government, communities and institutions to support programmes and initiative, for welfare and prosperity of Anambra populace.
According to him, KADAVAN aimed at becoming a powerful platform for service, unity, responsible citizenship and sustainable development under visionary and people-centered leadership.
"KADAVAN was born out of a simple but powerful conviction: Anambra belongs to all of us, and the responsibility to build a greater Anambra cannot be left to government alone. Every citizen is a stakeholder. Every community has a role to play. Every young person has something valuable to contribute. Every Professional, Entrepreneur. Traditional Institution, Religious body and organization can become an ambassador of positive change.
"Our theme today, 'Together, We Build a Greater Anambra,' captures the very essence of our mission. We seek to mobilize, educate and empower Ndi Anambra at home and in the diaspora to become active volunteers and ambassadors for development, good governance, civic responsibility, environmental sustainability, entrepreneurship, innovation, peace, security and values reformation.
"KADAVAN is therefore not established merely as another organization. It is movement responsible for citizenship, community service and collective development. We shall work constructively with government, communities, institutions to support programmes and initiative welfare and prosperity of our people
"As we formally inaugurate this network today, I call on Ndi Anambra to embrace the spirit of service, ownership, leadership, unity, discipline, opportunity, zeal, integrity and excellence the values represented in our KADAVAN Identity. I particularly charge our young people to see themselves not merely as beneficiaries of development, but as partners and drivers of development. The future of Anambra will be determined by the quality of character, ideas, enterprises and leadership that we cultivate today," he added.
FactcheckNg.com reports that the group's BOT members, Executive Council Members, Town Representatives and Local Government Coordinators were present during the occasion.