Anambra hasn’t disappointed its founding fathers, says Soludo

How would you rate Anambra State in the last 33 years? On the 27th of August, 1991, the current Anambra State was created out of the old Anambra and today, as we celebrate the 33rd anniversary of its existence, I want to use this opportunity to felicitate with ndị Anambra all over the world, those at home and in the diaspora. Anambra State was created out of an aspiration that resembles the vision and the mission of the current administration to create a liveable and prosperous homeland. Thirty-three years on, it is safe to say that Anambra is truly on the rise.

Anambra today ranks among the top six largest economies, among the 33 states. Anambra State, obviously in terms of poverty indicators , ranks as one of the lowest in Nigeria. About 65-70 per cent of Anambra State is largely urbanized with four major cities subsisting, and one of them housing the largest industrial and commercial hub and, as they say, the largest market in West Africa.



And so, Anambra today, be it in the social sector, economically, sports-wise, etc, has been rising as a major leader. If you take in the social sector; in education, Anambra is certainly rated as one of the best. Our students are representing Nigeria all over the world, winning all the laurels and certainly always in the first three secondary school performances.

Today, due to our free education programme in public schools in Anambra, the state currently ranks as number one in terms of having the lowest number of out of school children. What are the areas that you feel Anambra State could rank among other states created along with it ? If you take in terms of technology and innovation, infrastructure revolution, and rural transformation, we are number one. In the area of health, we are second only to Lagos in terms of having the smallest infant mortality rate in the country, and so on and so forth.

The simple message today is that Anambra; the dreams of our forebears, founding fathers and heroes past of creating a land of opportunity and prosperity- a liveable homeland; I want to say that everything put together, that Anambra is largely on the rise. The state of our State is very strong indeed and all ndị Anambra wherever you may be, despite whatever may be the challenges, everybody has cause to be proud of our homeland- Anambra state. I want to use this opportunity to remember several of our heroes past who actually gave Anambra brand names, including the late Rt.

Hon. Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe of blessed memory, the founding father of Nigeria (the Zik of Africa), Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu (Ikemba Nnewi), the late Dr.

Alex Ekwueme, late Chinụa Achebe, Kenneth Dike, Jerome Udoji, Chuba Okadigbo- the list is quite long. And other Eminent ndị Anambra who have contributed, not only to the growth and foundation of our dear state, Igbo land, South-East, and Nigeria, generally. You also have countless other thousands of ndị Anambra in Anambra and all over the world, who are champions.

They deserve to be celebrated – those who are still alive and those who started the journey thirty-three years ago but have died. We remember you all today. We use this opportunity as well to celebrate our today and our future, celebrate our children and youths who happen to be our bridge to the future, for the wonderful work that they are doing in schools, excelling in Anambra and all over the world.

We celebrate our youths. Recently, much of Nigeria was enveloped in protest, and so on, but our youths did what we are known for – go to work, find a solution, do something. Our youths decided to do something about the challenges rather than occupy the streets to complain We celebrate our women who bear quite a large chunk of the burden of building the family- raising the families and building our society.

Anambra is one state in Nigeria, where, in fact, the women dominate the public sector and various aspects of our lives, and we celebrate our women today. Our primary school teaching enrollment is about ninety seven per cent dominated by women, our secondary school teachers, eighty nine per cent of the teachers are also women. Our civil service is dominated by over sixty per cent women.

So, they constitute the foundation of our society. Anambra State used to be home for all but the toga appears to have been the cause of insecurity in the area? Today Anambra State is called and addressed as the Light of the Nation and no longer Home for All. However, it still remains home for all because we have the largest market in Sub-Saharan Africa and that explains why everyone sees it as a destination point.

That is why you see the highest population of non-indigenes in the state and people come to Anambra to settle and do business here And I must commend the residents of Anambra- non indigenes of Anambra State, who are flooding into Anambra as a land of opportunity, as well as those who are contributing positively to the economy and social development of Anambra, we use this opportunity to celebrate you. And to all our friends and all our partners all over the world- the federal government, our neighbouring states, other states of Nigeria, the international community, the private sector, the investors who are flooding into Anambra as a land of opportunity, helping to create the prosperity that we desire. This is a moment that we celebrate with all of you.

We also celebrate the battle against insecurity which we have made modest and remarkable achievements because you would recall that when we came into office about eight local government areas were under the control of hoodlums and we took them head long and that accounts for the peace in the state though we have not gotten there yet . Anambra is one of the states that are always affected by the perennial flooding, this year what are your plans? The last time it happened, about two years ago, eight local government areas were totally swamped with flooding, damaging goods and wealth and assets, worth hundreds of billions of Naira, displacing hundreds of thousands of persons. This is going to cost the state a humongous amount of money.

The Federal Government, for example, sent some 24,000 bags of rice, which we are keeping for this particular major emergency that is expected to happen any moment from now. Anambra State will not be caught napping this year because we have made adequate provisions against the flooding. The Ministry of Environment has taken it as a first line charge of creation awareness and sensitizing the people that reside at the coastal regions.

Also the Ministry of Health is already putting in place medical personnel and facilities to take care of the needs of those that would be at the holding camps . We also urge corporate bodies and public spirited individuals to assist in ensuring that those that would be at the holding camps are given the best of attention within the limits of the resources available and we are currently taking a demographic study of those areas that are always affected and the documentation is ongoing. Today your party, APGA, has leadership challenges which is between Barr Sylvester Ezeokenwa and Chief Edozie Njoku? There is only one APGA and APGA is one.

We hear of Edozie Njoku who has always laid claim to the National Chairmanship of the party and we used to have Maxi Okwu and the rest of them but yet our party has always endured. Even the document that is being talked about, I have not seen it and no one has ever brought it to me. So I state that this will not and cannot have those effects on the party.

Let us keep our fingers crossed and watch as it goes but our party is in tact and we remain together and soon the air will be clear about those issues..