By Seyi Babalola
Labour Party (LP) stalwart and former governorship candidate in Anambra State, Mr. Valentine Ozigbo, on Monday, said that Governor Charles Soludo’s under-performance in his first two years in office has destroyed any hopes of actualizing a second term ambition in the State.
In an open “Wake UP” video addressed to Soludo, Ozigbo, a former President/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Transcorp Plc expressed his disappointment on the performance of the former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor.
Ozigbo stated that he is “certainly not impressed and I believe I speak the mind of Ndi Anambra especially after conducting polls across all the 21 LGAs (Local Government Areas).”
Lamenting that Soludo lacks durable solutions to the challenges facing the State, Ozigbo dared him to come clean in the area of road construction and publish the contract sum and let’s know the average cost per kilometer and let’s benchmark this appropriately.”
With this, Anambra people will be sure that “the cost of ‘Soludo and Sons’ (contractors) is not even higher than using Julius Berger. Some of the roads you brag about had been 60% completed but you sure know how to take glory and swallow the thank you.”
Expressing regret that Soludo has failed in “the primary role and the most important need” of providing security, Ozigbo noted that the State is still bedeviled by “kidnappings, killings and destruction of houses and palaces,” stating that even the Governor’s LGA of Aguata and many parts of Orumba, Ihiala, “from Lilu to Mbosi to Orsumoghu to Isseke, in Amichi, Ukpor, Nnewi etc, In Ogbaru, Onitsha and Awka,” suffer untold insecurity.
The full video reads: “Dear Gov. Soludo: I have always resisted the urge to take you up on many things you failed to do or did wrongly. I thought we should stand aside and watch, especially as taking advice is not one of your strengths and therefore, by speaking up, I may even be blamed for your distraction. So, I wanted Ndi Anambra to have a good feel of you and your governance for the first half of your entire tenor. Now is the best time, in my opinion, to hold you accountable by asking some basic questions;
“How have you fared in your first 2 year? Which sectors matter: Security, Economy, Transportation including roads, Education, Health and Agriculture.
“How have you managed critical institutions like civil service, traditional institutions, religious institutions, town unions, trade unions etc
“How have you improved on important cities like Onitsha, Ogbaru, Nnewi, Awka, Nkpor, Obosi, Ekwulobia etc.
“How have you fared in other important areas that will improve the lives of our young ones and women like sports, technology, entertainment, etc.
“I am certainly not impressed and I believe I speak the mind of Ndi Anambra especially after conducting polls across all the 21 LGAs.
“When it comes to Security, this is the primary role and the most important need. How do we end the kidnappings, killings and destruction of houses and palaces. In recent times, we have witnessed these in Aguata, your own LG, in Orumba, in many parts of Ihiala, from Lilu to Mbosi to Orsumoghu to Isseke, in Amichi, Ukpor, Nnewi etc, In Ogbaru, Onitsha and Awka.
“Where is safe in Anambra? We must tell ourselves the truth. And this is not to lament about the problem. It is also to point to the right direction. We don’t discuss security strategies openly, but we had situation like this in the past and Peter Obi solved it.
“Go and ask him how he engaged traditional institutions and security agencies to solve this problem. Go to Abia and ask Alex Otti how kidnappings have almost ended there. Learn what you need to do as a State, and how to align with other governors in the region and draw strength from the centre. I won’t say more than this for now.
“On economy, our young talents are migrating abroad and our businesses are finding home in Enugu, Asaba and Aba. Why? What have you done to term the tide and improve Anambra’s competitiveness? How is poverty rate trending? Solve the power problem, security problem and reduce thuggery and then work on more roads and see magic happen in Anambra.
“Talking about roads, while we acknowledge this is important and your little contribution here, this is the easiest thing state governments do. So, there is nothing unique about building few kilometer roads but today’s modern government must go beyond roads and do more creative things to enhance prosperity. And when it comes to road, let it not be that you do this because this is the easiest conduit to steal money.
“So, we will need you to come clean. Publish the contractors, the contract sum and let’s know the average cost per kilometer and let’s benchmark this appropriately. We need to be sure the cost of Soludo and sons is not even higher than using Julius Berger. Some of the roads you brag about had been 60% completed but you sure know how to take glory and swallow the thank you.
“I do not want this letter to be too long and therefore, I will be speaking on each of the important sectors separately. So, please get ready to be held accountable. This is my duty as an Anambra citizen desperate to see my State become better.
“Let me end this by asking that you also realise governance isn’t a family business and one man show. You need critical stakeholders to be part of critical decision making. You cannot know it all no matter how much you think you know. You need to stay humble and learn to listen to other views, including the opposing ones. This is how you can improve on your human relationships, a key ingredient to governing Anambra well.
“If you continue like this, you dare not ask for 2nd term, how much more deserve it. We should not reward failure.”
