On assumption of office on March 17, 2022, Governor Chukwuma Soludo promised to transform Anambra State in all ramifications. He emphasized that a critical approach to this transformation vision must take root from the grassroots. Governor Soludo underscored that his “disruptive change” mantra must take a bottom-top approach.

 

 

 

As such on the second of August, 2022, He inaugurated the Transition Committee Chairmen of the twenty-one local government areas of the State, with their ward councilors. Dr. Anslem Onuorah was inaugurated as the TC Chairman of Anambra East.

 

 

 

One of the mandates given to him was to keep Anambra East clean. It was a simple but challenging mandate. Anambra East environment was hitherto littered with refuse; the council secretariat was an eyesore; overgrown grass littered the fence area. The challenges were enormous but he set to work. His team of consultants set out on a mission to draw a framework that would see them achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals’ three, six, thirteen and seventeen.

 

 

 

Recognizing that sanitation is pertinent to clean, healthy living and that a sustainable environment and safe climate could only be achieved through meaningful partnerships, he drew a strategy that is all-inclusive and prioritizes the engagement of critical stakeholders.

 

 

 

Therefore, on the ninth of September, 2022, in line with the Governor’s mandate, Dr. Onuorah launched Anambra East Clean and Green Initiative at the Local Government Secretariat, Otuocha.

 

 

 

Prior to this inauguration, Dr Onuorah and his team had a chat with traditional rulers and Presidents General, where they made presentations to them and got their suggestions, blessings and buy-in on the project. They furthered this by engaging

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the council members with the representatives of various interest groups, market leaders and other relevant departments in the local government. The NYSC members, who are their critical vision drivers, were equally engaged. Some of political stakeholders and partners were not left out.

 

 

 

The main goal of these conversations were to achieve total and immediate waste evacuation process in collaboration with the contractors, complete eradication of litter points through the creation of street and market waste masters, total desilting of drainages around the LGA to channel flood water properly and mitigate the effects of flooding in the local government, the clean and green campaign – through which to sensitize people on proactive ways to prevent indiscriminate refuse disposal.

 

 

 

Dr. Onuorah maintained that the strategy aligns with the environmental sustainability vision of Mr Governor, for a liveable and prosperous smart mega city, and that Anambra East is taking the leap towards a clean and green environment that will be a replicable model everywhere in the state.

 

 

 

Dr. Anselm Onuorah, is an upbeat social influencer, motivated team player, scholar, human rights activist and entrepreneur. He is enthusiastic about African development, especially in education, gender studies and impact of brain drain through regular and irregular migration of Africans and has continued to discuss and write about them.

He majors in African Philosophy and Jurisprudence, and is one of the youngest emerging voices in contemporary African Studies. He is a member of different academic and business organizations across the world and has researched, written and presented academic papers in different fora.

 

 

 

In 2017, he convened the first Pan African Business Conference in Nigeria which had in attendance the likes of Professor Plo Lumumba of Kenya, representatives of Kofi Annan and heads of European Union Commission and ECOWAS Parliament and State Government officials.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 2019, he aspired to represent the good people of Anambra East and West at the House of Representatives, Anambra East and West Constituency.

 

 

 

Now, occupying the position as the Transition Committee Chairman of Anambra East Local Government Area, one can only say that Governor Chukwuma Soludo made the right choice in Dr. Anslem Onuorah. Collectively, Anambra will become a liveable and prosperous homeland under Governor Chukwuma Soludo and his innovative team.

 

 

 

Written by     CHIBUZOR OKOYE