By Tony Okafor, Awka
The monthly cost of cleaning Governor’s Lodge has been cut down to N11m by Governor Chukwuma Soludo against N137m used by previous administration for the same purpose.
Similarly, the wife of the governor was not assigned any o official vehicles by the state government as was the case in the past.
These were disclosed by the state chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Odogwu Emeka Odogwu,PhD after the officials of the Nigeria Labour Congress ( NLC), Anambra State Chapter visited the governor.
The NLC’s visit was in respect of the plight of the workers of the soon-to-be-rested state-owned newspaper outfit, the National Light.
Reporting the outcome of the visit, Odogwu, who was amongst the NLC delegation to the governor, expressed satisfaction at the level Soludo had reduced cost of governance in the state.
Odogwu said during the visit, Soludo emphasized that the era of wastage in governance had gone ,noting that all he( Soludo) was using as governor were inherited from his predecessor, Chief Willie Obiano, especially the things at the Governor’s Lodge.
Odogwu said,”Unbelievable! We know another person may order for total renovation running into millions. His Innoson brand of vehicles are cheap and cheerful when he has opportunities to buy higher models of vehicles.
“Her Excellency, wife of the governor, Mrs Nonye Soludo, as first Lady of the state has no official vehicles. She uses her husband’s personal vehicles.
” Do you know that cleaning of the Governor’s lodge and office is N137 million a month before he( Soludo) came into office? Today, it’s about N11 million conservatively.
“Cost of Governance reduced to the barest minimum. He hasn’t borrowed a dime even when House of Assembly gave him N100bn borrowing window in the existing budget.
On the fate of the staff members of the National Light, who were earlier pencilled for sacking, Odogwu said the governor assured the NLC delegation that the workers would now be absorbed into relevant ministries in the state.
