Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo has declared a state of emergency on infrastructure, especially roads in the state.
He made the declaration, yesterday, in Awka during a town hall meeting with traditional rulers, presidents-general of communities, youths and women groups.
He said his government would commence massive road construction projects across the state to ease movement of goods and services.
The governor promised to complete the Anambra Cargo Airport and International Convention Centre and position them to become economically viable.
He said he had reclaimed the state from dirt in the last 49 days through massive waste evacuation and desilting the drains in Onitsha and Awka.
He said that he had also constituted his cabinet within three weeks of his inauguration.
Soludo gave the assurance that all the structures built on natural water channels or drains would be pulled down to make for free flow of water.
He said his administration would retrieve Onitsha from steady degradation and restore it to its old days of glory.
He described the commercial city as the biggest market and preferred destination for business in West Africa.
“We have started desilting Sakamori, where floods wash people away every year from Obodoukwu to Idemili. We have started clearing it for free flow of flood water. But there is a bad case, people built structures on the drainage from Nwangene to River Niger. But I promise that as night follows the day, all those structures must come down. Onitsha is the largest city in Anambra, it used to be the largest market, the preferred destination to all. But today, Onitsha is dying, while its neighbour is growing fast. Our first job is to resurrect Onitsha, the gutters are filled with dirt.”
Soludo regretted that touts no longer allow visiting businessmen to move freely.
“Every available land is covered with structures with no place to park vehicles but our mission is to restore the glory of the city,” he said.