The Anambra State governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, on Monday, flagged off the construction of Saint Stephen’s Road, Inland Town in Onitsha, the commercial centre of the state.
Speaking at the event, attended by traditional rulers, residents, and members of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Soludo described Onitsha as the state’s biggest investment hub, requiring sustained infrastructure upgrades to retain its economic appeal.
The governor said his administration had focused on environmental cleanup and road projects since taking office, citing past desilting works, clearing of refuse dumps, and rehabilitation of slum areas.
He said, “For us, to rescue Onitsha, the biggest investment hub, what we had to do was to rescue the environment, build the roads and try to recover the city; otherwise, people were already relocating to neighbouring states because of congestion and other environmental issues.
“What I came here to do today is to flag off this all-important road that will put smiles on the faces of residents. We applied for this job and we have been in the office for three years plus now. In the past, when it rained in Onitsha, people got drowned, and we started desilting.
“We went to the River Niger area and saw that people have constructed houses blocking the drainages. We started making deliberate efforts to rescue the environment, and today, we are happy that we have rescued the environment.
“After swearing-in, the next day I began work at Okpoko, the biggest urban slum in Nigeria. After that, we went to Ochanja, we saw a refuse dump that was as tall as a building, we started clearing it and when we were clearing, we found a corpse, but today, what we have there is a water fountain.”
Soludo insisted that he was more focused on working for the betterment of the people than campaigning for election, adding that his achievements are there for all to see.
“My dream is for water to be running in everybody’s home. We are designing a water system. My eyes are intensely focused on the ball. What I have come to do here is to tell the Onitsha people that we are ready for the development of the area.
“The contractor of this road is New Idea Construction Company. He told us he would finish the road in three months, before Christmas. We are going to commission it and as we are commissioning it, we are doing other roads. The last time Onitsha witnessed the construction of a road was over 56 years ago,” he added.
The governor used the opportunity of the flag-off to also remind the residents of Onitsha of the forthcoming by-election on Saturday, while drumming support for the APGA candidate in the Onitsha North 1 constituency in the state Assembly by-election, Ifeoma Azikiwe.
He disclosed that APGA still maintains the majority of lawmakers in the State House of Assembly, more than the Labour Party and urged the people to vote for the APGA candidate so that development will continue seamlessly in the area.
He, however, lamented the untimely death of the former Labour Party lawmaker who represented Onitsha North 1, who was kidnapped and killed, Justice Azuka, adding that his death prompted the by-election for his seat, billed for this Saturday, August 16.
Soludo claimed Azuka had planned to defect to APGA before his death, saying the late lawmaker “realised there was no need labouring in vain in the other party.”
He said, “Justice Azuka, before his death, and some other members were speaking to me about the possibility of crossing over to APGA, where it is happening. And I think he realised that there was no need to labour in vain in the other party. But unfortunately, death came suddenly.
“Now, there is a by-election, and it is coming up this Saturday. The APGA candidate is Ifeoma Azikiwe; she is the daughter of Onitsha. We are bringing her out because we want a female to represent the constituency.
“APGA has the vast majority, and I know by the time those other people in the other party who are labouring in vain, realise they are labouring in vain, I am sure most of them will cross over to the majority. It is in your best interest to vote APGA candidate.
“What I say I do, I am not a politician who speaks with four sides of the mouth, there is no room for abandoned projects. When I came, I met several roads that were flagged off all over the place. We have left the state to be one of the top five sustainable states.”
