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100 days in office bumpy, not worth celebrating, says Soludo

Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State has said that there was nothing to celebrate in his 100 days in office, insisting that he was not so particular about calling for celebration as according to him, it has been bumpy and challenging. This is coming as the Anambra State House of Assembly is yet to pass the Supplementary Budget of N170 billion presented by Soludo last month.

 

According to his broadcast at the governor’s Lodge, Amawbia, he noted that massive road construction and rehabilitation would commence at end of the rainy season while waiting for the State Assembly to pass the budget. Specifically, the governor decried the worrisome zero oil revenue to deal with the humongous challenges in the government and governance systems in the state.

 

He said that though he is not a fan of 100 days in office, pointing out that within the short period the administration had embarked on addressing fundamental issues towards ensuring a liveable Anambra State, where law and order thrive. He noted that the government has been faced with the daunting task of insecurity aimed at routing criminal elements, priority for youth  empowerment, redefining the character of government, cleaning mountains of refuse, efforts at massive road construction, recruitment of teachers, which would take greater vigour after the rainy season and several other policy programmes aimed at repositioning the state.

 

“We just clocked first 100 days in office since you employed me and Dr. Onyekachukwu Ibezim as Governor and Deputy Governor respectively. I am not a fan of this fad about this 100 days. I prefer to give a comprehensive annual report and look forward to the first one in March 2023.”

“To be sure, the last 100 days have been bumpy and challenging as expected with insecurity and red treasury being the most impossible. Since February 2022, the contribution of oil revenue from the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to the federation account has been zero and many states have difficulty paying salaries,” Soludo stated.

 

“The declining revenue and the context of insecurity and over N20 billion in the areas of gratuity to pensioners since 2018 vis a vis the sky high expectations from you our employers, since then some fundamental disruptive tendencies are then inevitable.”

 

“We have spent the last hundred days addressing some key foundational issues, part of which are to make some key appointments, mobilize the people of the state to take back the state from criminals, domestic and comprehensive attack on criminals, reverse the 2022 budget, declaration of State of Emergency on roads and traffic and preparation to flag of over 220 kilometers of road constructions”, amongst others across the state. He assured the people that, “so far, so bumpy and so good.

 

We are unrelenting,” adding that despite the challenges the people are united and collaboration with the state government as well as security agencies in fighting criminal elements to rid the various forests, bushes and houses of criminals. “No forests, bushes and houses will be safe for criminal elements. We will smoke them out,” he said.

According to him: “Criminals invaded us and they are mostly not from Anambra’ State because money is involved. Anybody that tells you that he is agitating for anything it’s false but because they are doing whatever because of lucrative criminal Enterprise.”

 

The governor explained that thousands of teachers would retire between this and next year and that’s why we are recruiting teachers as well as doctors and nurses for the health sector.

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