The Anambra State Governor, Charles Soludo, has called for strong collaboration among all political parties that identify as progressive to drive Nigeria’s development forward.
Speaking to State House Correspondents after meeting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Abuja, Soludo stressed that parties must set aside differences and unite in the national interest.
“Well, you know, these caps were produced even from the time the President visited Anambra State and you saw all the billboards and all the stuff proclaiming that progressives are working together. Subsequently, it’s a fundamental idea that I believe very strongly, that all the political parties who profess progressivism should actually come out together in a massive coalition to deepen the process, not only of our democracy, but also of economic and social development of our country,” the Governor said.
He further explained his public endorsement of President Tinubu despite political differences: “So for me, when I say progressives working together, it’s a call for all those who support and talk about President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I mean, I don’t have any apologies about it. President Tinubu is my friend. He has been my friend for 22 years now and counting, so you don’t deny your friend. I began to be quivering about who he is. He is my friend. I support him, and I’m impressed by the bold steps he has taken, particularly in the areas of the economy, the structural reforms, and I have said so severally, we’re taking the right steps and we need to stay the course.”
On the President’s condition, Soludo said: “The President is in such high spirit, hale and hearty and it was such a pleasure to meet with him. It was quite a pleasant meeting.”
Tackling Insecurity
Governor Soludo also gave insight into the multi-faceted approach his administration is employing to address insecurity in Anambra State.
“If I have to tell you all the details about what we have done, it involves a holistic approach to the issue of security. If you realise, in January this year, we passed our Homeland Security Law, which is trying to deal with insecurity from the foundations. All the deadly native doctors are on the run from the state, because these are the guys giving false hope and so on and deceiving our young ones and luring them into criminality and all of that,” he said.
The Governor revealed that youth engagement has been key to preventing exploitation by criminal elements.
“But very fundamentally, we’re approaching it very comprehensively, what they call the kinetic and non-kinetic approaches. The kinetic is gone and the usual, but the non-kinetic, especially with what we are dealing with, the youths, the empowerment, the job creation, we have a unique programme one year through skills that is like no other, where we trained and empowered about 5,000 of them, and another 8,700 will be receiving some billions this month or next month, and we’re creating several thousands of youth millionaires right away within the first three years.
“This is cascading all over the state. The youths are very much involved, and we’re also dealing with the issue of hardship, beyond the massive infrastructural transformation, beyond fixing our schools, fixing our health and so on and so forth, we’re also very intentional about economic and social empowerment of the youth. So we’re doing quite a whole lot, the kinetic intelligence gathering and those who run afoul of the law definitely, will be decisively dealt with,” Soludo concluded.
PIAK