By Our Correspondent
Students from the various tertiary institutions in Anambra State have given Governor Chukwuma Soludo a 30 -day ultimatum to declare publicly to contest for the November 8 governorship election, otherwise they will mobilize for protest in the state capital.
Chairman of the National Association of Nigeria Students Joint Campus Council in Anambra State and convener, Solution Students of Nigeria, Okoye Matthew Okpala, said at a news conference in Awka that although the governor’s body language might be showing interest in the race, they want him to say it to the public immediately.
According to him, all the Students Union Government, SUG, presidents in the tertiary Institutions in Anambra State have taken the decision, adding that there is no going back on their demand that he should make his declaration public.
He said further that the students have taken the decision to contribute money for the purchase of the governor’s nomination form as part of their support towards ensuring that Soludo’s good governance continues in the next four years.
Okpala said: “The Nigerian students under the Solution Students of Nigeria, demanded two weeks ago at the Igbariam Campus of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, that they want Professor Soludo to declare his intention to contest for the November 8 governorship immediately.
“We, the students, sent the message to the governor, but we have not heard from him. Rather, he is busy building roads, offering free education and free antenatal services, empowering youths through the one youth, two skills programme and employing more professionals in strategic areas and upgrading infrastructure in all parts of the state.
“He is not even talking about second tenure and that is why we are giving him 30 days ultimatum to declare his interest to contest for second tenure.
“After the 30 days and he fails to heed to our demand, the entire Anambra students will protest in Awka and shut down the state capital.
“The students have also said they are ready to pay for his nomination forms and they have agreed to contribute between N500 and N1000 each for that purpose. By the time the over 146,000 students make the contributions, we would have collected over N100m. even if his party says the cost of the forms is N100m.”
Okpala described Soludo as the best governor the state ever had, adding that the people of Anambra State cannot afford not to re-elect him for another four years.
“This is a governor that has constructed over 500 kilometers of road within three years of being in office, employed 5000 quality teachers, 2500 medical staff, built five brand new General Hospitals, providing students wifi in our various institutions and has approved loans for the students.
“The highest is the unveiling of Agunechemba security outfit which has reduced crime to the barest minimum in Anambra State. So the students are saying, we won’t let this one go because we might not see his type again in the nearest future”, he stated.
