Anambra props security, declares state-of-emergency on roads

…Plans vigilante overhaul, youth mobilisation
…Says no going back on job creation, rebooting Onitsha

By Stanley Nwako

A state of emergency has been declared on roads in Anambra State.

  In prosecution of the order, the state government would commence massive road construction and rehabilitation of other infrastructure across the state to ease movement of goods and services.

  Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, stated this while addressing ndi Anambra during his town hall with traditional rulers, presidents-general, women leaders and community leaders, as well as youth representatives from the 179 towns in the state in Prof. Dora Akunyili Women Development Centre, Awka, yesterday.

  Promising to complete Anambra Cargo Airport and International Convention Centre and position them to become economically viable, the governor also said he had reclaimed the state from dirt in the last 49 days through massive waste evacuation and desilting the drains in Onitsha and Awka, as well as constituted his cabinet within three weeks of his inauguration.

  Also giving assurance that all structures built on natural water channels or drains would be pulled down to make for free flow of water, Prof. Soludo said his administration would retrieve Onitsha from steady degradation and restore it to its old days of glory as the biggest market and preferred destination for business in West Africa.

   “We have started desilting Sakamori, where floods wash people away every year from Obodoukwu to Idemili. We have started clearing it for free flow of flood water. But there is a bad case; people built structures on the drainage from Nwangene to River Niger. But I promise that as night follows the day, all those structures must come down,” he said.

  Also, he said that the neighbourhood security and other community policing strategies under the aegis of Anambra Vigilante Service (AVS) will be rejigged for more efficiency in tackling insecurity.

  He explained the proposal of his government to co-opt neighbourhoods and communities in intelligence gathering, Prof. Soludo added that with people participatory security architecture, it will also bring culture of silence to an end by making everyone his brother and sister’s keeper.

 Saying: “If you see something, say something” the  governor released dedicated telephone lines  through which he urged active citizen participation for the achievement of a peaceful, secured and livable Anambra State.

  The numbers are 07039896429 and 09017280990.

  According to the governor, the strategy will also give more impetus to government’s drive of making the state a prosperous and livable homeland by allaying suspicion among households and businesses, and consequently creating room for more investment in socio-economic development.

  “My administration will revive the state vigilante service, mobilise the youth on our respective societies to ensure that they begin to play more role in securing the state. We’re committed to programmes, policies and projects targeted at socio-economic development through job creation opportunities to help deliver on our vision for prosperous and livable home land and making Anambra the most secure commercial centre in Nigeria.

  In doing this, we’ll succeed in sustenance of hope in the hearts and lives of people in the state,” he said.

Making a presentation and sharing ‘before and after’ pictures of various dump sites which hitherto blocked access roads, Deputy Governor of Anambra State, Dr. Onyekachukwu Ibezim recapped the vision of the present administration to restoring a livable environment.

  Speaker of Anambra State House of Assembly, Uche Okafor, Secretary to State Government, Prof. Solo Chukwulobel, Commissioner of Information, Sir Paul Nwosu, among other dignitaries attended the event.