By Chuks Eke
Former Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige has advised Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra state to concentrate more on tackling insecurity and massive road construction and rehabilitation in the state so as to prove his mettle.
Ngige said as former Governor of the state, he embarked on massive solid road infrastructure targeted at lasting for an upward of 25 years, adding that barely 20 years when he assumed office as Governor in 2003 and constructed the roads, most of them are still intact till date.
Ngige who spoke to newsmen at the weekend during the 2nd Ofala festival of the traditional ruler of Ojoto, Idemili South Local Government Area, Anambra State, HRH, Igwe Gerald Mbamalu, said what Anambra people expect from Soludo now is to maintain the dilapidated portions of the roads and then construct new ones to enable the people enjoy the dividends of democracy.
On security, Ngige accused some state Governors of pocketing the security votes of their respective states.
Ngige who expressed dissatisfaction over the development stated that, “Security votes are meant to be spent by State Governors to stabilize security in their different states. “Security votes are not pocket money but some governors have converted them to personal money”.
“It is meant to maintain the security equilibrium of their states or Homeland. However, Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo is trying on security”.
“This governor is trying on security but I have told him to do more. Security is like information, publicity, when you are spending money on publicity you won’t see it, it is not tangible, but you will see the effect. If you put stability in your security you will see prosperity following it because there will be economic activities”.
“Economic activities have been distabilized in the Southeast zone for the past 18 months by the sit-at-home and all these activities by the State actors who hide under the camouflage of Nnamdi Kanu, to perpetrate criminality.
“So our governor in Anambra is trying. He has also infrastructure, he is trying but I will advise him on maintenance culture just like prevention in medicine. If you prevent a disease you don’t spend much money than curing somebody. If you maintain them they will last another 10 years. The ones I constructed are 20 years now,” he disclosed.
