The Commissioner for Information in Anambra State, Dr. Law Mefor has disclosed that the Soludo administration has made significant strides in transforming the state’s health and education sectors.
Mefor, who was speaking during an exclusive interview with THE WHISTLER, stated that these achievements are under-reported, and therefore under-appreciated.
“So, the challenge and task before for me is clearly cut out; to get Ndi Anambra, in particular, and the rest of the world to appreciate what Soludo has done especially his vision, the overall dream he has for the state, what he has done so far, sector by sector, and what is left to be done. And when they will be done,” Mefor, who was appointed recently as the Information Commissioner, said.
Listing some of the significant achievements of the governor in the health sector, Mefor stated that Soludo has ensured that the well-being of pregnant women in the state are being taken care of with the introduction of a free antenatal services and free cesarean section for women who need it.
“The Soludo administration has provided free antenatal care for pregnant women across all government hospitals. No woman pays a penny. Also, you don’t pay anymore for cesarean sections,” he said.
He added that the governor has also built about five brand new general hospitals in the last 30 months.
“Soludo has also constructed a brand new General Hospital in Fegge. There is something unique about that hospital. For the first time, Anambra State now has a general hospital that is 100 percent owned by the government.
“Three other general hospitals are also reconstructed, refurbished, given a new look, and uplifted to the proper status of reference hospitals,” he said.
To ensure adequate work force in the hospitals, the Commissioner stated that the government has also employed 1000 health workers, ensuring that no community is lacking a primary healthcare center and medical personnel.
In education, Mefor stated that the Soludo-led administration had declared free education from primary through junior secondary to senior secondary in all government schools in Anambra State.
He added that apart from free education, the governor has continued the payment of teachers of dozens of schools in Anambra State that have been released to the churches, also called mission schools.
“Now, all their teachers, who were recruited and teaching when the schools were released to the churches, are still being paid by Soludo. Even though the schools are now owned by the church, he still pays the teachers. That is a subsidy to mission schools,” he said.
He added that the governor has made significant strides in education, by hiring 8,115 teachers, with 3,650 assigned to primary schools and the remaining to secondary schools.
This move, he noted, was aimed at bolstering the state’s educational system, and providing quality education to students in the state.
“The governor was able to conquer the era of schools without qualified teachers. That’s a revolution. The teachers were not just recruited on a known man-to-man basis. You have to sit for a public competitive exam, and there is a cut-off. What that means is that unless you even reach the cut-off, helping you does not arise.
“So it’s not a matter of giving commissioners or senators slots. You must first pass before you are interviewed. This was how they were recruited. So they are not ordinary teachers, they are qualified teachers,” he said.
Apart from the health and education sector, Mefor noted that Soludo has been constructing ‘stone-based technology’ roads and building many infrastructure to ensure that the state wears a new look.
The Commissioner noted that the government also has ensured timely payment of workers’ salaries and has signed the minimum wage law, effective October, adding that all these have provided a significant boost to employees’ financial well-being.
“There is no worker in Anambra State that doesn’t get alert on the 25th of the month. Not just health workers, everybody. He doesn’t owe salaries or pensions. The pensions and gratuities that are yet to be fully cleared are those inherited from past administration,” he said.
Soludo Has Transformed Education, Health In Anambra- Commissioner is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
