Prof Charles Soludo
Prof. Charles Soludo, the Governor of Anambra while making his acceptance speech at his inauguration said every money spent on his low-key inauguration ceremony were personal expenses, not from state purse.
Dressed as he had earlier pledged in Akwete cloth, an indigenous fabric popular with Anambra people, Soludo gave a clear roadmap of his socio-economic plan for the state anchored on backward integration,
The new Anambra governor roused the small crowd and the entire state via electronic transmission to a new consciousness and orientation of responsibility. He promised to spend the state funds with a high degree of probity, urging the citizens to pay their taxes and levies.
He warned persons who collect taxes and levies in cash to stop, branding them as criminals.
The professor of economics and former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, said he would work hard to ensure that foreign direct investments flow into the state.
He charged traditional rulers, the clergy and residents of the state to take up active roles in the peace and security of the state; saying “if you see something, say something and do something.”
After the brief inauguration ceremony, Soludo marched to his office for a short prayer with some clerics after which he said “we will start work immediately.”
Meanwhile, a cross section of Awka residents had expressed dismay over the restriction of the public from attending the March 17 inauguration of Prof. Charles Soludo as governor of Anambra.
Soludo’s inauguration took place at SSG Conference hall within Government House, Awka, as against the popular Dr Alex Ekwueme Square, Awka where previous event was conducted.
However, some residents of Awka, who spoke in separate interviews with News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday expressed sadness at the arrangement, describing it as strange in the political history of the state.
Mr Chidiebere Igbokwe, a resident said inauguration of a governor was a very big event that usually attracted people from all walks of life, saying that barring people from catching a glimpse during such occasion was wrong.
“Since the advent of independence in Nigeria both during military and civilian rules, people are allowed to attend swearing-in of a governor because the occasion usually enable people to predict the direction of the new government,” he said.
A government official who pleaded anonymity said the media in the state was given only four slots to cover the event.
Mr Sunny Orji, an Awka-based lawyer, said it was wrong for Prof. Soludo to shut out Anambra masses who massively voted him during the inauguration.
“The crowd who attend state function such as inauguration of a governor at times provide avenue for petty traders to make some income and barring people from getting close will be harsh decision to that class of people,” he said.
Shedrack Nwosu, a chieftain of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) said some members of the party were disconnected with the flow of information between the out-going and in-coming government.
“We don’t seem to understand what is happening because those in the outing going Government are not being carried along in the scheme of things.
“Inauguration of a new governor should be an event for the outgoing government, but the reverse is the case in this one and some of us are already confused,” he said.
