Tag: Chukwuma Soludo

Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has appointed Mr Joachim Achor as the new Accountant-General for the State.

The appointment was announced in a statement issued on Thursday in Akwa, by the governor’s Press Secretary, Mr Christian Aburime.

According to the statement, Achor emerged from a rigorous selection process.

Achor, who hails from Abia, first came to Anambra as a student and later completed his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in the state, where he received the state merit award for being the best corps member.

Impressed by his outstanding performance, the then military administration offered him automatic employment in the state civil service.

Over the years, Achor rose through the ranks, serving as Director and later Permanent Secretary, before his recent appointment as Accountant General.

The statement emphasised that the appointment was not politically motivated but a result of a transparent and merit-based selection process.

It noted that the process included computer-based tests, a rigorous screening exercise, and a final stage involving personal interaction with the governor.

“Historically, appointments to senior civil service positions in Anambra were often subject to political patronage, ethnic considerations or gubernatorial discretion.

“This appointment seeks to institutionalise fairness, professionalism and national integration within the state’s administrative architecture.

“The appointment of non-indigenes to such high-level roles reaffirms Anambra’s openness, progressivism and cosmopolitan spirit,” it said.

According to the statement, “It sends a clear political message that Anambra belongs to all Nigerians who are willing to serve with excellence.

“We are building a government anchored on merit, diversity, and service delivery, “it said.

Soludo congratulated Achor on his appointment and urged him to discharge his duties in the service of the state with integrity, professionalism and dedication.

Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has denied allegations that he consulted a native doctor regarding his re-election prospects in the November 8 governorship election in the State.

A video currently circulating on social media has sparked controversy, with commentators alleging it showed the governor was engaging a traditional doctors.

But in a statement by his Press Secretary, Mr Christian Aburime, Soludo described the viral video and publications as completely false and maliciously fabricated.

He clarified that the footage was taken during his recent official engagement with Anambra-based content creators

Aburime said the event was organised by his Special Senior Assistant on New Media, Mr Ejimofor Opara, as part of efforts to promote Anambra’s creative economy.

“During the interactive session, content creators were encouraged to present their talents and discuss the challenges facing the industry.

“One of the attendees performed a comedic skit involving a native doctor character — a common trope in Nigerian online comedy.

“This was purely an entertainment performance and not an actual consultation.The claim that Gov. Soludo sought the services of a native doctor is entirely false.

“It is disheartening that political opponents would distort an innocent artistic presentation to mislead the public,” he said.

Aburime said the Governor was confident of reelection based on his performance and the ongoing implementation of the Solution Agenda – his administration’s blueprint.

He said that Soludo’s track record in economic and creative sector development.

Aburime also said the recently inaugurated Solution Fun City project reflected his administration’s commitment to empowering the entertainment and tourism sectors.

According to him, this is part of a broader effort to diversify the economy.

Aburime quoted Soludo as urging Anambra residents, media outlets, and social media users to disregard the misleading narrative.

“Gov. Soludo remains focused on building a livable and prosperous Anambra and will not be distracted by politically motivated falsehoods,” he said.

Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has issued a warning against  pollution of streams and rivers by native doctors engaging in ritual practices in the State.

Soludo gave the warning while addressing All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) faithful in Awka on Thursday.

He urged  residents to support the state government’s efforts to rescue, reclaim, and rid the state of criminal activities.

“Stop contaminating our rivers and streams with ritual practices in the name of  ‘Odinani’ (tradition). Many people rely on that water for drinking, cooking, and other household needs.

“If you must perform rituals, use a container—like a bucket—fill it with water, and carry out your practices there.

“Do not pollute public water sources. Polluted water can make people sick, and we do not want that for our communities,” he said.

Ongoing crackdowns on criminal native doctors in the state,  had sparked outcry from some who viewed the arrests as an attack on traditional religious practitioners.

The governor clarified that he is not targeting traditional worshipers but  criminal native doctors who had  been defrauding people.

Soludo condemned the rising number of deceptive native doctors in the state, who lured young people with false promises of instant wealth.

He warned youths in the state not to fall for the tricks of the fraudulent individuals.

According to him, no native doctor has the power to make anyone a millionaire without hard work.

“Go to Indonesia, majority of people  on death row for drug related offenses are from Anambra.

“These native doctors will deceive you that they will prepare an ‘invisible’ charm that will make it impossible for scanners at airports to detect  trafficked  drugs.

“These young people believe them and today, many of our people are languishing in jails across the world.

“We must take action to rescue our future by focusing on raising our children with strong values of hard work, determination and discipline,” he said.

Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to tackling insecurity, emphasizing that his approach involves addressing the underlying causes rather than merely chasing criminals.

Speaking at the Governor’s Lodge in Amawbia, where he received a Good Governance Award from Vanguard Media Limited, Soludo stated that his leadership is fully dedicated to eradicating crime, as it is a divine responsibility placed upon him at this critical point in Anambra’s history.

The governor recalled that upon assuming office nearly three years ago, seven local government areas in Anambra South were under the control of non-state actors.

While security challenges persist, Soludo expressed confidence that his administration’s latest strategies would soon restore normalcy across the state.

Security Initiative and Recent Crackdowns Following the enactment of the Homeland Security Law by the Anambra State House of Assembly, the government launched the ‘Udo Ga Achi’ security outfit, with Agunechemba serving as its operational wing.

This unit, equipped with advanced logistics and patrol vehicles, has intensified efforts to curb crime.

A significant aspect of its operations has been the arrest of fraudulent pastors and native doctors allegedly luring youths into criminal activities with false promises of wealth.

After receiving the Vanguard Award, Soludo declared: “We have decided to take security issues to the foundation level. It’s not just about chasing criminals; it’s about getting to the roots. There are practices in the system that have continued to breed them, so we decided to uproot them. I am quite fascinated by how our efforts are being received.”

He noted that many parents, particularly mothers, had lamented losing their children to crime despite raising them with good values. However, his administration’s current actions have rekindled hope among families.

“Many of our women are lamenting that they trained their children, but they have basically lost them. They are now saying that they are beginning to have some hope and I know that this crusade is not a push button. In the coming decades, it will be appreciated that this generation imbibed certain attitudes,” the Governor added.

The Rise of Fraudulent Religious and Traditional Practices
Soludo strongly criticized the “get-rich-quick” doctrines promoted by some religious leaders, condemning their misleading messages.

The Governor stated: “As Igbos, our values are rooted in enterprise, hard work, and integrity. Unfortunately, there is this new religion that promises people a crown with no cross—where they bring money to the pastor, and God supposedly doubles it. But God doesn’t double money for them; they need your own money for Him to bless you.”

He further pointed out the hypocrisy of certain religious figures who claim to heal the sick yet seek medical treatment abroad when they fall ill.

Similarly, Soludo criticized fraudulent native doctors who deceive young people with promises of supernatural wealth: “I understand that one of the children of one of the native doctors we arrested is working in one hotel in Imo state as a waiter. And this is the man making ‘Okite’ (prosperous charms) for people to become rich, but he can’t make his child rich. The unfortunate thing is that because of their actions, thousands of our youths are languishing in jail all over the world.

“They made Okite for these youths with the promise that they will pass security checkpoints with hard drugs and the machines won’t detect them and when they pass, the machines will catch them and they are in jail all over the world.

“And when they can’t get that, they go into yahoo yahoo. And because that one had failed, they went into the bush and became kidnappers to make easy money because they were promised that they don’t need to sweat.”

The governor revealed that some of these individuals had misled young people into believing they could smuggle drugs past security checkpoints undetected, only for them to get arrested and imprisoned abroad. Others, having failed in online fraud (Yahoo Yahoo), turned to kidnapping and violent crimes in pursuit of quick wealth.

Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has announced a N10 million reward for anybody with useful information on each of the gunmen responsible for an attack during a burial ceremony in Ihiala.

Soludo stated this during a condolence visit to the family of the late Bridget Onuchukwu on Friday in Umuike, Ubahuekwem in Ihiala Local Government Area of the state.

The police confirmed that gunmen attacked people preparing for a burial ceremony in Ihiala community on Monday and killed nine people, including two security operatives.

Soludo expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy that resulted in the unfortunate deaths of seven individuals and two security personnel.

“I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of the victims and I want to assure this community that those responsible for this violent act will be brought to justice.

“We will not rest until the perpetrators of this heinous crime are apprehended. All of them will pay for it.

“We are on their trail as we speak. Anybody that will avail us information that will lead to their arrest will be appreciated. Ihiala security is currently being discussed and will be unveiled soon,” Soludo said.

Gov. Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra says he met almost a war situation at the inception of his administration, with eight Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the state under control of suspected criminals.

Soludo made the disclosure at a news conference on Tuesday in Awka, to mark his 33rd month in office and his efforts to address insecurity in the state.

He assured residents that in spite the “unique challenges of lucrative criminalities adorned with deceptive ideology and propaganda”, his administration was determined to make Anambra the safest state in the country.

“At the inception of our administration we met almost a war situation with eight LGAs literally under total control of criminals.

“We responded massively when we came in, and among other things set up a vigilance strike force that worked with federal security agencies to root out criminals from our forest.

“Within 12 months, we were able to recover those eight LGAs under siege. However, we noted that with time, all the criminal elements have returned to some of these locations.

“And there have been troubling reports of kidnapping for ransom with instances where lives were lost,” he said.

Soludo identified kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism, drug epidemic and touting as the major security challenges ravaging in the state.

According to him, another concern is the resurgence of criminals idolatry which offered the criminals a sense of invisibility.

He said the government had started tripling its efforts and would launch a comprehensive security ecosystem tagged – ‘Operation Udo Ga Achi’, by the end of January 2025.

“We will be donating 163 vehicles to security agencies to ensure active patrol of the nooks and crannies of Anambra, and install surveillance cameras to cover all major cities and forests used by criminals.

“We will have 20 vigilante personnel and forest guards in each community and work on changing the ideology where people see security agents as the enemy and the criminals as liberators.

“Government alone cannot do it, therefore, I call on our traditional rulers, religious leaders, town union leaders and civil society organisations to join the government to fight insecurity.

“Security is our collective responsibility. If you see something, say something by reporting crimes and criminals via the 5111 toll free line.

“We are also making sure we have a secured Christmas celebration,” he said.

The governor appreciated the Federal Government and service commanders for their efforts in securing residents in the state.