By Ovat Abeng
The National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Mr Ejimofor Opara has attacked Prof Obiora Okonkwo for scoring Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo low on projects in the State.
The Paradise News gathered that Prof. Okonkwo had while speaking to journalists said that there is very little development on ground, to guarantee a second term for Soludo, come 2025 governorship election.
“Assessing the state government’s performance, Okonkwo who is also the Chairman of United Nigeria Airlines,, noted that poverty and sadness have pervaded Anambra State owing to the performance of the state government so far.
“Warning that the mood of Anambra people could be out of control if nothing is done to change the narrative, Okonkwo said Soludo has not translated his promises during the electioneering into reality.
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He said the expectation was that Soludo, as a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), would evolve policies that would change the fortunes of the people.
Okonkwo said: “I’ve not seen anything exciting on the side of Soludo that will warrant people to root for his second term.
“My rating of Soludo is not that of great score. I have known Soludo for a long time and he is my good friend. I have every reason to conclude from what I have seen that Soludo has not lived up to expectation.
“He promised to turn Anambra to Dubai, Taiwan and New York. We have not seen that. For someone who has been a CBN governor, his performance is below the benchmark. It is surprising that someone who has attained that height would go about the generation of revenues through excessive taxes.
“In this modern age and time, it is of great concern. The situation is so bad and many people are losing excitement in going home this Christmas. The insecurity in Anambra is also bad, he stated.
Replying further to this, the APGA scribe who is also a media aide to governor Soludo, described Okonkwo as being desperate to become governor of Anambra, saying; “His proclivity for always contesting every election gives him out as a “desperate politician”.”
In long reply, Opara said: “Beyond his private airline business, whose impact on our regional or national business outlook is only tangential, there is nothing of substance ascribable to Mr Obiora.
“To clear his deliberate ignorance, Obiora needs to be reminded that Anambra is not a State where “big men” like him wait for government intervention. He should borrow a leaf from the late Tonimas from Neni, Bobisko from Adazi and Ejison from Oraukwu. These are men who have deployed personal resources for public good.
“Coming to lash on Soludo just to present himself as the avatar as a prelude for another bound-to-fail electoral outing shows that he is a man who is self-distracted.”
He continued: “As at today, his kinsmen from Ogidi are still thanking Governor Soludo for Honouring their eminent Son, the late Prof Chinua Achebe, even if Soludo has achieved nothing, this very feat calls for appreciation from Mr Obiora, not talking about his delusional blindness towards Soludo’s manifest infrastructural revolution
“The Mmili John flooding issue in Ogidi that has continued to disturb motorist on that road has not been without attention. Even as I speak to you, a total redesign of that road is underway and the Soludo Administration has shown visible commitment to salvaging the situation. Mr Obiora should know this.
“Talking about whether or not Soludo deserves a second term is certainly not a concern to us right now, either as a Government or a political party. Talking about political Party, where does Mr Obiora belong? The last I checked he was in the ZLP after he was instrumental to tearing the PDP into carcass.
“Soludo’s second tenure will be determined strictly on the merit of his achievements some of which include very historic feats such as the recruitment of 5,000 teachers just within 5months in office; the flagoff of over 400km of roads at various levels of completion; recruitment of 300 health workers to end the era of hospitals without doctors; declaration of free antenatal and free delivery for Anambra women; declaration of a totally free and qualitative education for public primary and Junior secondary schools in the State plus the recruitment of 3,000 more teachers solely for public schools; the one youth two skills program that will be empowering over 5,000 Anambra youths with funding and equipment after few months of training; the restoration of security in 8 local governments hitherto occupied by criminals; the revamping of three General hospitals one in each of the 3 senatorial zones; the introduction of telemedicine in rural communities with a successful pilot at Awkuzu in Oyi local government.
“Mr Obiora should also avail himself of the recent data from the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics on Anambra’s rating on the ease of doing business and the the attraction of Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs).
“These things are clear to the blind, and if Mr Obiora can’t see them, then he should visit his eye doctor or cure himself of this compulsive disorder that has impinged on his ability to see good things,” Opara said.
