100 days in office: Victims of gunmen attacks in Anambra will not die in vain — Soludo

Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has said that people gruesomely murdered by hoodlums called gunmen terrorising Anambra State would not die in vain.

He said the state government under his watch would ensure Justice for the dead ones to please their families.

He announced that the criminal gunmen and their sponsors have been exposed. 

He also says his first 100 days in office has been very bumpy, but added that it has also been good as well.

Soludo who marked his first 100 days in office on Saturday with a state-wide briefing said he looks forward to better time ahead as governor of the state, while also assuring that every promise he made to the people of the state will be actualised. 

Nigerian Tribune, however, observed that in his over 30 minutes broadcast, the fight against insecurity topped the activities of the state government, within the period of his swearing-in, on 17th March to date, where he informed the media that the victims of gunmen attack will not die in vain.

Soludo in the briefing said: “We just clocked our first 100 days in office, as I and my deputy, Dr Onyekachukwu Ibezim serve you as your governor and deputy governor.

“I am not a fan of marking 100 days in office. I prefer to give you an annual report and we look forward to the first one in March next year.

“The last 100 days have been very bumpy and challenging. It has been a case of so far, so bumpy, but so good. Every day we work 24 hours to ensure that we do not disappoint you. We have resolved that we must do that to make you happy and proud.”

Speaking on the security challenges in the state, Soludo said: “I remind everyone who wants to commiserate with me that I duly applied for this job.

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“We have launched a campaign to restore our homeland. Most people can attest that the grave insecurity is gradually being contained and we remain undaunted. Even as I speak to you now, something is going on in various communities in Anambra State.

“This administration is built on five pillars, our first pillar is security, law and order. We have created a new ministry, the Ministry of Homeland Affairs, which has also unveiled the security and emergency crack team. We have embarked upon mobilization, and sensitisation and worked with clergymen and others to mobilize the people against insecurity.

“The people are united in fighting against the lucrative criminal enterprise and idolatrous acts. The criminals have been exposed and our people are leading the fight and changing the narrative. We declared war on them and government is determined to deal with it.

“It took years for criminality to take root, and we have a long way to ensure we stop it. No bushes, forest or home will accommodate criminals in Anambra,” Soludo added.

The governor decried the worrisome zero oil revenue to deal with the humongous challenges in the government and governance systems in the state.

He said that though he is not a fan of 100 days in office, pointing out that within the short period the administration had embarked on addressing fundamental issues towards ensuring a liveable Anambra state where law and order thrives.

He noted that the government has been faced with the daunting task of insecurity aimed at routing criminal elements, priority for youth empowerment, redefining the character of the government,  cleaning mountains of refuge, efforts at massive road construction, and recruitment of teachers which would take greater vigour after the rainy season and several other policy programmes aimed at repositioning the state.

“We just clocked the first hundred days in office since you employed me and Dr Onyekachukwu Ibezim as governor and deputy governor respectively. I am not a fan of this fad about this hundred days, I prefer to give a comprehensive annual report and look forward to the first one in March 2023.

“To be sure, the last hundred days have been bumpy and challenging as expected with insecurity and red treasury being the most impossible.  Since February 2022, the contribution of oil revenue from the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)  to the federation account has been zero and many states have difficulty paying salaries,” Soludo stated. 

“The declining revenue and the context of insecurity and over N20bn in the areas of gratuity to pensioners since 2018 vis a vis the sky-high expectations from you our employers, since then some fundamental disruptive tendencies are then inevitable.”

“We have spent the last hundred days addressing some key foundational issues, part of which are to make some key appointments,  mobilize the people of the state to take back the state from criminals, domestic and comprehensive attack on criminals, reverse the 2022 budget, declaration of State of Emergency on roads and traffic and preparation to begin over 220 kilometres of road constructions”, amongst others across the state.  

He assured the people that, “so far, so bumpy and so good, we are unrelenting,” adding that despite the challenges the people are united and collaborating with the state government as well as security agencies in fighting criminal elements to rid the various forests, bushes and houses of criminals.

“No forests, bushes and houses will be safe for criminal elements. We will smoke them out.

According to him, “Criminals invaded us and they are mostly not from Anambra’ state because money is involved. Anybody that tells you that he is agitating for anything it’s false but because they are doing whatever because of lucrative criminal enterprise.”

The governor explained that thousands of teachers would retire between this and next year and that’s why we are recruiting teachers as well as doctors and nurses for the health sector. 

He commended the security agencies, Civil society organisations and the media for supporting his administration.