FG has refused to refund Anambra money spent on federal roads – Soludo

The governor stated this on Wednesday in a statewide
broadcast to commemorate the 34th anniversary of the creation of the state.

During a broadcast at the Light House, Awka, Soludo also
said he is not perturbed by the federal government’s decision, saying that what
is important is the infrastructure being used by the people of the state.

He added that his administration is developing Anambra with
the intentionality of what the state would be in another 100 to 200 years when
the state projects that it would be home to about 35 million people.

He said: “About reimbursement for the construction of
Amawbia-Nise-Agulu-Ekwulobia-Uga federal road which someone asked, the federal
government has said they won’t refund for the road.

“That road should have been done 60 years ago but it was not
done and this is the best time to do it. Our projection is that in 2070, we
would have about 35million people in this tiny piece of land called Anambra, so
everywhere would have been built up, and people will not be able to move
around.

“Our plan is to dualize most of the roads in Anambra,
because we are intentional with what we want to achieve. If you leave it until
then, everywhere would have been built up. So, whether they refund us or not,
the important thing is that it is Anambra people that will ply the road.

“Our planning is for the next 100 to 200 years. We are
intentional in our planning because we know we have the smallest land mass in
the country as we are second to Lagos State.”

Soludo expressed happiness about the steady rise of Anambra
State through successive administration, stating that the state has been on an upward
trajectory all along.

“In this 34 years of our existence, Anambra has been on an
upward trajectory of development. From the military administrators to the
democratically elected governors. From Chukwuemeka Ezeife to Mbadinuju to Ngige
to Obi, then Obiano and now, the state has been on upward trajectory.

“In this administration, we are prioritizing investment over
transient consumption. Our own model of stomach infrastructure is different. It
is modelled towards creating opportunities for a wide range of people, to lift
the boat for millions of people.

“We are not doing stomach infrastructure where we dip our
hands in the government coffers to give few people money. That is not the kind
of government we run, and people who are used to free money from government are
not happy.

“There are very limited resources with government, so we
don’t have enough to share because the needs of the people are humongous.

“Our stomach infrastructure model is such that we have put
money back into the hands of the people. The free education policy, the free
antenatal are all putting money back in the pocket of the people because they
keep back the money their would have paid.

“It is better than giving appointments to thousands of
people who will do nothing, that is not the kind of stomach infrastructure we
mean. Our model of stomach infrastructure is much broader and creating value.
We are doing this otherwise you take the resources of the state and dash it to
a few people and you call that stomach infrastructure. That is how we are wired
and we are thinking about value, value, and value only,” the governor said.