Most Rev. Dr Paulinus Ezeokafor, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Awka, has commended Gov. Chukwuma Soludo for his achievements so far.
Ezeokafor made the commendation during the interdenominational church service to mark Soludo’s two years in office, in Awka on Sunday.
He said it was impressive that Soludo had so far awarded contracts for over 400 km of roads and completed over 200 km.
He commended the governor for his commitment to serve the people and promise to deliver good governance.
“You applied for it, you have no option but to deliver.
“Any careful observer will agree with me that Soludo has tried, he has done well in the construction of high quality roads,” he said.
Ezeokafor, however, noted that power supply in the state had failed and become a challenge to development.
He said there was no way Anambra would become the envisioned Dubai-Taiwan if power was not guaranteed.
“We are the Light of the Nation without light; those in charge should act fast and I call on Gov. Soludo to think of our Geometric so that we can be like Abia which has become a reference point.
“I want to thank Gov. Alex Otti for what he is doing. I want to thank that woman that defied rain and storm to announce the correct result. Indeed, when the righteous is on the throne, the people rejoice,” he said.
Ezeokafor commended Soludo for his urban renewal programme and Mr Ossy Onuko, Managing Director of Awka Capital Territory Development Authority, for carrying out the programme effectively.
He condemned street trading and called for alternative locations for displaced traders so that they could continue their commercial activities to address the ‘hunger in the land’.
The Bishop raised concerns about the widening gap between parents and their children, saying that the government must address the school system.
Ezeokafor backed Soludo on the implementation and enforcement of Anambra burial law, saying it was in the best interest of the masses, especially the poor.
“I understand that children now leave home by 6:am and return by 6:30pm, some primary schools now have boarding arrangements; parents no longer want their children to be close to them.
“Our children do not have the opportunity to learn home fundamentals, I call on the government to look into our school system so that we do not have a generation of intelligent but criminally smart children,” he said.
How I will address electricity challenge in Anambra – Gov. Soludo
Gov. Chukwuma Soludo says the Anambra government would address the power challenge in the State by replicating the Geometric Power project.
Soludo said this while presenting the scorecard of his two years stewardship in office in Awka on Sunday.
The governor said the electricity generated by Geometrics today was a product of 20 years, vowing that the state government would replicate the same in the state within a shorter time range.
Soludo, who commended Prof. Barth Nnaji for his innovation, said his administration had studied the power plant process and set up a team to work out the Anambra version.
He said his government was struggling to do more with less as revenue available to the state had reduced significantly by over 25 per cent short of previous allocation on one hand and heavy inflation on the other.
According to him, “if you are to line up Anambra people and share the allocation coming to the state among them, it will amount to N2,800 per person a month and that is what we are using to do these things.”
Soludo said he was conscious of the prevailing hard times and as such running what he described as the most austere government such that he was not earning salary from the state and his wife had no official vehicle.
He said he was committed to putting money in the hands of the poor by providing free quality public education, free delivery services and other social services.
He said going forward, he would deepen governance delivery in security, technology innovation and digital economy, education and human capital
Earlier, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, former Secretary General of Commonwealth, said the last two two years had seen extraordinary achievement in Anambra.
