By LEO SOBECHI, Abuja

Anambra State governor-elect, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has restated his commitment to commencing work from the slums of Okpoko in Ogbaru Local Government Area.

During his campaign, Soludo had assured residents of the Onitsha neighbourhood slum that when elected into office, the first thing he intends to do is run to Okpoko to begin its transformation to reflect his administration’s smart city initiative.

Media Assistant to the governor-elect, Mr Joe Anatune, told The Guardian that his principal meant every bit of what he said, stressing that it was neither a campaign tactic nor intended as a political gimmick.

Recalling how the governor-elect declared at several fora that his first official engagement after swearing-in will be a visit to Okpoko to launch activities for the slum’s upgrading, Anatune said the pronouncement is in line with Prof. Soludo’s “goal to transform Anambra into the most liveable smart Megacity in Nigeria.”

“Liveability and prosperity are the fulcrums of the new Anambra he envisions. Ensuring that our major cities of Awka, Onitsha, Nnewi and Ekwulobia are clean, green and well-planned is foundational to the success of this goal,” he stated.

The media assistant recalled how Okpoko caught Soludo’s attention in 2010 in the course of his governorship electioneering tour of Onitsha and its suburbs, remarking that the “horrible image of Okpoko and the hilarious conversation he had with a young boy who asked for money from him had struck him vividly.

“Eleven years after, Soludo was overwhelmingly elected governor of Anambra State. And true to his words, he has not forgotten the promise he made to the little boy. He is poised to upgrade Okpoko slum for the benefit of the residents and to the glory of God.”

Okpoko, the eastern equivalent of former Maroko in Lagos State, is an unplanned settlement lacking in basic social amenities, especially clean water, sanitation, access roads and social facilities. (Text, excluding headline, courtesy The Guardian)

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