ANAMBRA: TINUBU AFFIRMS TACKLING CHALLENGES FACING STATE, ASSURES PARTNERSHIP

By Juliana Nwachukwu

The President of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR has assured Ndi Anambra of tackling the challenges facing the state and the request for assistance and partnership, promised to make ecological investment that would megate Anambra State, Southeast by the National master plan.

President Tinubu who gave the assurance and affirmation at Alex Ekwueme Awka during his reception after commissioning of the monumental projects built by Governor Chukwuma Soludo, said that Anambra as the gully erosion capital of the world, he has taking serious notice on various challenges facing her.

He also said that he would rectify the abandoned road project from Anambra- Kogi State, assuring that the already designed and the Ministry of Transportation are aware to conclude the connection in the master plan, saying “With our progressive ideological alliance, we would continue to partner with your state to deliver prosperity in Anambra State”

“Southeast, I salute your enterprise, your innovation, commitment to progress, Soludo is a brilliant man, he is the brain, he knows the way, when I became the President, Soludo was one of those advisories who would bring prosperity back to you, for what I have seen on ground, from the evidence of what I have seen today is the solid foundation and Anambra is on the rise.

“I just commissioned several legacy projects particularly the Solution Fun City, Government House, Anambra Tower of Light, the unveiling of Emeka Anyaoku Institute for International Studies and Diplomacy.

He lauded Governor Soludo for naming the Umueri Airport Boulevard before his predecessor, Willie Obiano, commending Anambra State Government on security and assured of the federal government partnership with the state and the southeast to secure the future.

The president expressed his joy on the Chieftaincy title bestowed on him by all the Traditional Rulers in the State on behalf of Ndi Anambra, noting that it is historic, and will treasure it the rest of his life.

Earlier in his address, Governor Soludo said that the last visit by the President of Nigeria to the State was in 2012, to commission a brewery and another enterprise, noting, “TInubu’s visit in Anambra is historic and consequential, not just to commission projects, we have over 500 km roads, flyovers, bridges, completed and awaiting commissioning among others.

“We are very strategic in our choice of projects deserving presidents attention, what you commission today are mere symbolism of the audacity of our dreams for a new Anambra State. Like the Americans would say and I have repeatedly affirmed with Ndi Anambra, you’ve not seen nothing yet.

“It is an agenda with a vision of Anambra as an African Dubai -Taiwan Silicon Valley as the best axis of sustainable prosperity with a 50 years master plan which we are in a haste to lay foundation. In simple terms, we are determined to change the strategy of Anambra to a destination of choice.

“We know the state of Nigeria economy with all less sustainable dysfunctionality when you assumed office, you had the courage to tame the Atlantic Ocean in Lagos and now you have the courage and courageously, systematically getting the economy work again.

“In less than two years, the important building blocks are already falling into place, we thank you for the Southeast Development Commission, for also appointing many Ndi Anambra into your administration. Of course your pan african disposition is an evidence, when as Governor of Lagos, you appointed an Anambra son, Ben Nwabueze as your Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning.

“Here in Anambra, you just saw a Permanent Secretary from Osun State, another one from Abia. During recruitment of 8,115 teachers, we did not care which state you came from because the interest of an Anambra child is to be taught by the best teacher in the world not from the incompetent teacher from the village.

“We are deeply grateful for several road project being currently executed by your administration that benefit Anambra State running into hundreds of billions of naira especially the Enugu-Onitsha road.

“We appreciate your Minister of Work who came recently to flag off and being working tirelessly to get this project on track rehabilitation of Onitsha-Owerri road, phase 2 access roads to 2nd Niger bridge, rehabilitation of Oba-Nnewi road, section 2 in Anambra State, when completed there would be important game changes for our people.

“That your master plan for Ndi Anambra is to dualize all the trunks A road in Anambra both state and federal and also for spending almost over 70 billion on sundry federal roads including ambitious dualization of about 140 km of them.

“To sign point the point that the partnership between Anambra State and Federal government is working well, we benefit fully from all the federal roads including federal programmes, including programmes on ICT, Agriculture, Health, Infrastructure among others.

According to Soludo, the federal government rewarded Anambra 300,000 dollars and 700,000 dollars on health as national champion in Primary Health Care for 2024, we are benefitting in area of transformation.

“There is abandoned project that links Anambra between Kogi State, upon completion, the journey between Anambra and Abuja might be shortened to 3 hours from the 9 hours, believed that these things would systematically get your attention and be addressed.

“We are to support in every possible way and to excel or support to Tinubu is rooted in history, on principle and ideology, both of us served in the government between 2003-2007 and as President Economic Adviser and later Governor of Central Bank, member of National Economic Council.

“I greatly admired principle stance of the government of Lagos and now President Tinubu on federalism, he was our professor on federalism on every NEC meeting.

“In Anambra, we are progressives, in 2011, APGA as an official position to support and work with the party and government at the center, APGA adopted the sitting president then as its Presidential candidate,”Soludo posited.

Others that spoke at the event include the Elder states man, Secretary General, Common wealth, Emeka Anyaoku, and Chief Sir Emeka Offor.

Juliana is of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State