The YPP candidate for the November 8 Anambra State gubernatorial election, Sir Paul Chukwuma, has said that the current government in Anambra State led by Professor Charles Soludo has failed to deliver his promise of a liveable homeland to Ndi Anambra.
According to Paul Chukwuma, Soludo’s inability to perform is more profoundly dramatised by his failure to ensure that Anambra residents have access to portable water, which is fundamental to the very existence of every modern man.
This failure, Chukwuma said, is far removed from Soludo’s traditional weakness in ensuring security, embarking on sustainable, people oriented infrastructure, among others.
Speaking, Sir Paul Chukwuma said that he has observed that the so-called restoration of water in parts of the state, particularly Onitsha and Awka, is “a fluke” or at best “mere political stunt.” Yet, “humongous amount of public funds were disbursed in pursuit of that jamboree,” Chukwuma regretted.
Buttressing his position, Barrister Paul Chukwuma pointed that most of the water treatment plants particularly the gigantic water treatment plant erected with the assistance of the World Bank in Onitsha has been there without any attention from the government.
Regretting the collateral loss to Anambra, Sir Paul noted that such standard territorial infrastructure were not only set up to meet basic needs of the people, but could also serve as employment opportunity for dozens of our youths and provide a value chain of different kinds of work for hundreds of skilled labourers.
“Let me point out that such infrastructures are designed not only to provide portable water, but also to serve as opportunity for employment for our young people. It also can add multiple value to our skilled labourers along the value chain. Remember, we are talking about a government’s inability to utilise an existing public infrastructure. It’s unfortunate.”
However, in contrast, Paul Chukwuma observed that similar Water Works in Enugu, Lagos, Abakaliki, and Kaduna are currently operational and undergoing expansion.
Sir Chukwuma, whose late father was once a staff member of the Anambra State Water Corporation, said that he understands what it means for Anambra not to have a functional water treatment plant.
This he said, accusing Soludo’s administration of playing with the public good and the welfare of the people of Anambra State.
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