Yesterday, Thursday, March 16, 2023, Governor Chukwuma Soludo flagged off the construction of the Ekwulobia Flyover and adjoining roads. The project, when completed, will open up Ekwulobia as the destination of foreign direct investments. Ekwulobia has already become an urban town and the fourth commercial hub in Anambra State. However, the vision for the road is to signpost the town as the cradle of Anambra’s fourth industrial cluster. The auspicious occasion, significantly, completed the count of the first 365 days in office of Mr Governor. It marks the end of the first round in the Governor’s fulfillment of his social contract which he entered with Ndi Anambra on his inauguration. A first round of remembering communities and roads hitherto forgotten in the infrastructure distribution of the state. 365 days of building Anambra into a livable and prosperous, smart megacity. One year of keeping track with his bond.
Governor Chukwuma Soludo in his 4200 word inaugural speech, promised to build a new state on his “one Anambra, one people, one agenda” philosophy. Straddled against the heavy responsibilities that await him, Professor Soludo declared that his inauguration was not an occasion to cling cups and bask in frivolous revelry, but one that marked the beginning of a work that must be done for a new Anambra.
Charlie Nwa Mgbafor, as he would prefer to be called, went inter alia: “Yes, there will be a time to celebrate. We will celebrate when: security of life and property is guaranteed and law and order restored; every child of schooling age is in school; every school child is receiving the 21st century education for the digital age; everyone, especially children and women can access quality healthcare; the cost of doing business is down to near zero; our roads are tarred and we have an efficient transportation system with no one having to wait in traffic for more than a few minutes; we have access to 24 hour electricity; our streets are clean and green; our cities, communities and markets are planned and cleaned; the many millions of Charlie Nwamgbafors and the vulnerable persons are lifted up to realize their God
given potential; all our pensioners receive their gratuities;, workers are paid their leave allowances and contractors are paid; our youth can get jobs and business opportunities; the youth in Okpoko ‘Zone 9’ become global serial entrepreneurs; poverty is near zero and income levels rising….”
As he said these words, and many others, and as his voice rung out from the various media channels where Ndị Anambra listened or watched from round the globe — it meant hope and good tidings for many. But for pessimists, they were mere honey-coated words of another Nigerian politician. However, one year after, it is obvious that the development scholar was deliberate and meant every word of what he said. He said he can only celebrate when security of life and property of Ndi Anambra is guaranteed and restored. At the time, eight local government areas were under siege of unknown gunmen who glide along the different communities in the state and left their mucus of violence, destructions and deaths. Today, a year later, Ndi Anambra can now sleep with their two eyes closed. The Presidential and National Assembly elections were successfully conducted in Anambra state without a single report of attack, violence, voter intimidation or ballot box snatching.
Professor Soludo said there can only be celebration when every Anambra Child is in school and every child in school is receiving 21st Century education of digital age. One year later, he has taken the first major step in achieving this with the employment of 5000 qualified school teachers. This step practically ended the era of schools without teachers and is very pertinent to the journey standardizing our education system.
His vision is where everyone especially children and women will have access to quality health care. The primary health care centers in all the over three hundred and sixty wards in the state are receiving priority attention. Secondary Healthcare institutions such as the General Hospital Enugu-Ukwu, Njikoka Local Government Area, General Hospital Ekwulobia, Aguata local government area and General Hospital, Umueri, Anambra East Local Government Area are currently being upgraded in the first phase of hospital upgrades to meet the health needs of the
people. Already, more than 350 health care professionals have been employed to increase the work force and narrow the patient to doctor ratio in the state.
Can one forget his obvious exploits in road and public infrastructure? Certainly, No! With over 261 kilometers of roads going on at different advanced stages in the 21 local government areas of the state including nine in Okpoko that will set the land in squalor free and the new Anambra Government House under construction, it can only be said that the stage is just being set for the greater things to come in the days and years ahead. In one year, we can say it is not yet time to celebrate but we are obviously on track for celebration.
ABS EDITORIA
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