The General Overseer of Soul Revival Outreach, Nnewi, Anambra state, Prophet Ikechukwu Uzukwu, yesterday, dismissed the solution accolade associated with the present administration under Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra state, insisting that the Governor has performed below expectations.
Prophet Uzukwu said the Governor had failed in the areas of security and other challenges facing the state.
He said that Anambrarians had been living in fear especially in recent time because of resurgence of kidnapping and other criminalities holding the state to ransom.
Prophet Uzukwu noted that the problem of commuters had been compounded with what he described as heavy taxation leveled on tricycle and okada riders as well as shuttle bus operators which he said they conveniently transfer to their passengers to add to the already existing economic hardship in Nigeria.
Uzukwu was of the opinion that those transporters and their passengers were paying for what they did not bargain for.
He reasoned that since over 85% of those transporters bought their motorcycles, keke and shuttle buses on a hire purchase agreement that they should not be subjected to heavy taxation to worsen their sufferings.
“The danger of it is that if those keke or okada riders could not meet up with the demands of the government to pay those taxes, some of them may drop the transport business and become bad boys in society. It is my suggestion that government can buy those motorcycles, keke and shuttle buses; give them to the youths by way of empowerment for them to pay back at a stipulated period.
“It’s only in this current administration in Anambra state where there is no monitoring team to checkmate petroleum marketers who increase the pump price of their products at will without minding how it affects the consumers.
“On road network, it took the former Governor of Anambra state, Dr Chris Ngige only six months to construct forty percent of the state road network and forty percent of the federal roads; Peter Obi in his time as Governor built forty percent of state roads and sixty percent of the local government roads which earned him an award.
“There are link roads between Nnewi North and Nnewi South which are cut off by erosion. Ukwaka bridge in Nnewi North, a link road to Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi is collapsed and there have been appeals for some years now to pay attention to that bridge to no avail.
“Touts who claim to be working for the state government have been harassing motorists in Nnewi, removing their vehicles number plates for trivial offences and extorting money from them whereas there is no designated motor parks in the industrial community. Government can investigate this to put a stop to it. Those boys must be warned to stop tampering with motorists’ plate numbers. Heavy duty trucks and lorries claim they pay between N30,000 and N40,000 to the touts, if their vehicles must be released to them. This allegation should be looked into and proper measures taken.
“Tell Governor Soludo to visit Abia state to see what his counterpart, Governor Alex Otti is doing in that state in just nine months without stressing his beloved people of Abia state. He can also visit Ebonyi state to see the wonders former Governor Umahi did in that state which is the reason people describe his achievements there as Ebonyi wonders.
“We can’t sit down and fold our hands. We will not hesitate to institute a law suit for the Governor to give account of how he has spent federal allocations to the state including local government funds, “he concluded.
