By Ifeizu Joe
Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo has revealed that the federal government may not reimburse the state for monies spent on constructing a stretch of federal road in the state.
The governor stated this on Wednesday in a statewide broadcast to commemorate the 34th anniversary of the creation of the state.
During a broadcast at the Light House, Awka, Soludo also said that he is not perturbed by the federal government’s decision, saying that what is important is that the infrastructure is being used by the people of the state.
He added that his administration is developing Anambra with the intentionality of what the state would be in another 100 to 200 years when the state projects that it would be home to about 35million people.
He said: “About reimbursement for the construction of Amawbia-Nise-Agulu-Ekwulobia-Uga federal road which someone asked, Federal government has said they won’t refund for the road.
“That road should have been done 60 years ago but it was not done and this is the best time to do it. Our projection is that in 2070, we would have about 35million people in this tiny piece of land called Anambra, so everywhere would have been built up, and people will not be able to move around.
“Our plan is to dualize most of the roads in Anambra, because we are intentional with what we want to achieve. If you leave it until then, everywhere would have been built up. So, whether they refund us or not, the important thing is that it is Anambra people that will ply the road.
“Our planning is for the next 100 to 200 years. We are intentional in our planning because we know we have the smallest land mass in the country as we are second to Lagos State.”
Soludo expressed happiness about the steady rise of Anambra State through successive administration, stating that the state has been on an upward trajectory all along.
“In this 34 years of our existence, Anambra has been on an upward trajectory of development. From the military administrators to the democratically elected governors. From Chukwuemeka Ezeife to Mbadinuju to Ngige to Obi, then Obiano and now, the state has been on upward trajectory.
“In this administration, we are prioritizing investment over transient consumption. Our own model of stomach infrastructure is different. It is modelled towards creating opportunities for a wide range of people, to lift the boat for millions of people.
“We are not doing stomach infrastructure where we dip our hands in the government coffers to give few people money. That is not the kind of government we run, and people who are used to free money from government are not happy.
“There is very limited resources with government, so we don’t have enough to share because the needs of the people are humongous.
“Our stomach infrastructure model is such that we have put money back into the hands of the people. The free education policy, the free antenatal are all putting money back in the pocket of the people because they keep back the money their would have paid.
“It is better than giving appointments to thousands of people who will do nothing, that is not the kind of stomach infrastructure we mean. Our model of stomach infrastructure is much broader and creating value. We are doing this otherwise you take the resources of the state and dash it to a few people and you call that stomach infrastructure. That is how we are wired and we are thinking about value, value, and value only,” the governor said.
