By Harry Awurumibe, Editor Abuja Bureau
Anambra state governor, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo has vowed to engage illegal revenue collectors in Anambra markets and motor parks on street fights to enforce the ban on their operations in the state.
This is even as Soludo also disclosed that his pet project: Operation Clean Anambra, which is targeted at clearing the state of filth, will commence this week just as his administration has declared a state of emergency on roads infrastructure.
Governor Soludo who spoke on Tuesday on Arise Television breakfast programme ‘The Morning Show’ on his Vision and Mission for the first time after his inauguration in Awka, Anambra state capital last Thursday, said he has hit the ground running.
According to the him: “We are in a hurry to deliver hence immediately after I took the Oath of Office on Thursday, we went into our first meeting which I thought would take three hours but lasted more than four hours. Since then it has been work, work and work. This is why Anambraians hired me and I have to work for them”.
On the resistance that has greeted his order banning illegal revenue collection in Anambra state, the former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said he knew that the ban will not go than well with the few benefiting from the illegal act.
Said he: “We are aware that it will come to this but we are focussed and determined to rid Anambra state of touts and undesirable elements who have chased away genuine businessmen and women who come into our state to transact their legitimate businesses”.
“Most of the people who come to our big markets especially in Onitsha to trade
have relocated to other states and we must reverse the trend and restore the old order. In fact, we are ready to fight the illegal revenue collectors on the streets of Anambra to liberate the common man, the vulnerable citizens”.
Soludo had in his inuagural speech said: “We must rid Onitsha and all our roads and markets of revenue touts and make shopping in Anambra a pleasurable experience. Today, I will sign an Executive Order to suspend all revenue contracts operating in the parks, markets and roads until we put in place a new system within the next four weeks,” he said.
“For sure, the revenue and park mafia that rake in billions of government revenue into their private pockets won’t be happy. But we commit to doing the right things,” he added.
Asked why Okpoko slum is close to his heart, Governor Soludo said it is because of his background and revealed that he will leave Okpoko slum better than he met it, adding that his urban renewal initiative will focus on five big urban centers of the state.
Said he: “Okpoko is a special place in my view because this is where the vulnerable citizens stay and each time I see their plights it pained me. It was important I visited Okpoko as a governor. I was closed to tears while I was speaking to the crowd I saw there”.
“The stench that come out of there due to the filthy environment is unimaginable. I can understand why nothing has been done there, it’s because of the humongous amount of money involved to clean up the place but we have to do something no matter how small. We must clean up Okpoko. Okpoko slum is the biggest urban slum in the South East and it is unacceptable”.
The Governor however disclosed that his administration has drawn up an urban renewal strategy which will see the upliftmemt of Greater Onitsha, Awka, Nnewi and Ekwulobia Urban centers which he said was created since the old Anambra state government under Chief Jim Nwobodo.
