Since Aguleri Forest has been used for the Gulder Ultimate Search thus exposing its tourism potential, what else are you doing to actually tap into this to boost tourism in your state?

We have very good scenery and things that will promote tourism potential in Anambra. We have a lot of potential but they are not developed. I am currently working on a stretch of road that will lead to the Ogbunike Cave. It is one of the best caves in the world, with 11 entrances. If you go to that cave, you will be amazed. There are waterfalls and also rivers in there that can be explored. We will get a team of explorers to go in there to make sure that there are no dangerous animals like lions there before we open it to the public to explore. Igbo-Ukwu culture is also there, and of course Awka is known for our metallurgy and gun implements. Aguleri, as you know, is also popular for being the birth place of the Reverend Father Francis Tansi. We also have here the confluence of Ezu and Omabala rivers, where for 100 years there has been a boiling going on there because of the confluence. These are interesting centres that could fetch me the money needed for the development of this state.

This state has also produced some well-accomplished entertainers. What are you doing to use entertainment to drive the empowerment of your youth?

We are doing that in a lot of ways. The first thing is to restore security, which we have done. We are keen on reviving the entertainment sector in the state. In December, we are going to have a four-day cultural revival activities that will become the norm throughout my tenure. We are trying to create routes to beautiful places in the state that will encourage film makers to shoot their films. Miss Tourism Nigeria, I just employed her as the special assistant on tourism. Bob-Manuel is my senior special assistant on movie and entertainment. We are employing and encouraging artistes from Anambra to look home. We are also going to build malls just like you have in Lagos. The one in Onitsha is going to be the size of five football fields, while the one in Awka will be the size of four football fields, with cinemas. They will be ready in a year’s time.

What about sports?

We want to revive football especially at the primary and secondary schools level. Many Anambra indigenes have represented Nigeria in various tournaments. You all know the likes of Emmanuel Okala, the former national goalkeeper; he hails from Onitsha here. There are many more of them. Sports keep the youth very busy and keep them in the right focus. That is why we want to encourage them to be involved in sporting activities. We are also doing our best to protect the youth from external influences and hard drugs. We are working hand in hand with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, to destroy the sources of drugs that are made available to the youth. We have almost conquered Obosi, which is the drug capital of Africa. We are trying to make it a lot more difficult for students to get the drugs. We are also doing things on women empowerment. We are trying to set up three vocational schools in each senatorial district to assist women and youth in the area.

Oil and gas reserve has been discovered in Anambra. How will the state harness these resources?

Anambra is blessed with oil and gas reserves, yet it has not been tapped. We are working on producing oil from Enugwu to Aguleri. Already, Orient Petroleum is working on 11 oil wells, and they are producing about 2,000 barrels a day as we speak. We have a committee set up headed by Dr. Emmanuel Egbogah, to review these areas. We are also working on becoming a member of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC. This is because last year alone, nine states shared 20 per cent of N400 billion in projects. If we become the 10th state, it will in a significant manner contribute to the work we are doing here. The only active oil company here is Orient Petrol and they are in the process of setting up a refinery. They will be processing ATK, aviation fuel. We are also on the verge of having a cargo airport in the state. The airport will store the ATK and we expect international airlines to come to Anambra to refuel and all these will create jobs.

You were in the corporate world before now; how do you find politics?

The truth is, I did not wake up or plan to be a governor. I retired from Fidelity Bank plc after 23 years of a successful banking career. Before then, I was at Chevron Texaco as internal auditor. I was also at First Bank for one and a half years. At Fidelity Bank, I was number two man for 10 years until I retired in August 2012. Upon my retirement, I moved to Houston, Texas in the United States with my family to rest. While there, I followed developments at home and noticed that 24 people were vying for the governorship position to replace Obi, my predecessor. While reading about this in newspapers, I never thought I would be one of them. I am a very comfortable man and do not need anybody’s money. I never wanted to be a politician but my shoulder was tapped to come down to Nigeria for a political appointment. I initially thought it was about a ministerial request I had made in the past. When I came down I found out that I was needed for the governorship seat. I agreed to stay and I ran for the seat. Thank God I am where I am today. My experience as a technocrat is what is reflecting in our achievements in the state today.

Has anything changed about your person since you became governor?

It is my privacy. I miss my privacy immensely. I no longer have time for myself as a governor. You have to answer every call you get no matter how mundane. There was one I received recently, with the person calling repeatedly and when I finally picked it, the caller complained of a business competitor who bought all the goods from a dealer and left nothing for her to buy. She wanted me to intervene. I did not know whether to get angry or to burst into laughter. I had to refer her to her local government chairman. Another one called me saying his wife was in labour and did not have any money. He was commanding me to do something about the issue. I referred the case to the commissioner for health. Also, people believe that I have all the jobs and immediately they see me their children will get a job. I spend two days a week to go out to inspect projects. I also get feedback from the people. So as the governor, it is a selfless work; I now belong to the people and that has changed my life.