By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, has described the state as work in progress, saying that Dubai, Taiwan and all other big cities in the world were not built in few years.

He said that against the backdrop of naysayers querying where the skyscrapers that make up Dubai were, that ground work which include road, rail lines, pipe borne water, clean and green luscious environment need to be achieved before skyscrapers begin to emerge.

Soludo said: “Skyscrapers will come. Dubai we see today was not built in three years. My government is doing a massive ground work to get the state up and running.

“Anambra has a 50 years development plan and our vision is to rebuild it to a prosperpus mega city, from a departure lounge to a more livable state.

“Over 19 years of governance under the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Anambra has witnessed a kick with progressives steering the ship.”

The Governor stated this while addressing journalists on Wednesday at the Light House to mark Anambra State at 34.

Reeling his achievements in three years of leadership, Soludo said that the seven local government areas – Ihiala, Awka North, Nnewi South, Aguata, Ayamelum, Orumba North/South – which were under the siege of criminals before he took the mantle of leadership have been liberated with people, including candidates vying for his seat moving about freely.

He said: "That was not the case when I was campaigning for governorship election. Some areas like Osumenyi, the town of APC Governorship candidate, Nicholas Ukachukwu were no go areas but today he is moving about there claiming territory, these criminal elements kidnapped a governorship candidate who was going for campaign and up till now, he has not been found. The criminals even came to my own area to attack me. But. Today, everybody us moving about campaigning.

“There is no society without criminality, not even the United States of America. We watch police choke people to death in broad daylight and the people have not called for the scraping of police but here, they are calling for the security Apparatus that is working round the clock, risking their own lives to make sure they sleep well at night to be scrapped.

“I have condemned in clear terms the way the security operatives treated the female corper. I have four wonderful daughters and wouldn’t want something like to happen to then, beating her to the point of stripping her naked. We have code of conduct and whoever airs will be punished. It’s a work in progress.

“Anambra State cannot be safe for any criminal group, okeite propagator, and the rest of them. We are going after them in a comprehensive manner.”

According to the Governor, his administration has successfully eliminated more than 60 criminal camps located across ten troubled local government areas of the state and elections were successfully held in all the areas marked as red zone few weeks ago.

On infrastructural development, the Governor said that about 758 of road have been asphalted, with 7 bridges, iconic flyovers also in place, with five major urban water scheme.

While revealing his government’s long term plan, Soludo said that all the Trunk roads in the state would be dualised, saying that the future of Anambra is Technology based with Agriculture in the long run because of scarcity of land.

He said that under his leadership, a 34 years jinx with Anambra not having a befitting government house and lodge was broken.

Speaking on youth development and empowerment, Soludo said that 8115 teachers have been recruited competitively from all parts of the country.

“Smart teachers that can offer the best. The free education has raised the number of enrolment in public schools. Five general hospitals have been built, all In the North. North is the place I lost two local government areas during the Election, but, I was not deterred by it. I started working after I was sworn from the north, not even my area which is South. Okpoko was my first pot of call, because it was more like a dump site snd I promised myself that if I win, I will transform the area. Today, Okpoko, the biggest slum in Nigeria, has a General Hospital, pipe borne water with street lights.

“Over 10,000 women have benefited from the free antenatal and delivery. We are prioritising needs. Over five thousand youths have been trained in the One Youth Two Skills. Over 800 of them are millionaires building other millionaires.

“The aim is for our youths to be productive at home and exportable abroad. We are bringing public finance to the part of sustainability. The mantra is, doing more with less. If you combine what we have spent in 3 years. It’s far less than what was spent in one year in 2013.

“We are building to last. We have an agenda with a deadline.”

The Governor called on citizens of the state to join hands with his government to make Anambra State great.