Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State has asked indigenes of the state who own businesses in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, to invest in their home state for the development of the state and the South-East.
Gov Soludo, who spoke last Thursday during a town hall meeting with Anambra indigenes who reside in Abuja, also assured them that his administration had concluded an arrangement to end the infamous sit-at-home order in the state.
The Monday sit-at-home is usually enforced across the state and in the South-East by a faction of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a group seeking the secession of the South-East and some parts of the South-South regions out of Nigeria.
“God did not make a mistake to make us Igbos and Anambra people. On the last day, God will ask how you contributed in developing the place.
“Every Anambra person has a role to play in developing our state. We, as Anambra people, have all it takes to make the state an (investment) destination rather than being a departure lounge,” he said in a mixture of Igbo and English languages.
“Anambra, this is the time to come in (and invest). I can tell you, the next axis of prosperity that will be sustainable over a long time is down in our place (South-East region).
“With the 2nd Niger Bridge now in place and the crop of new governors in the South-East now, if we collaborate together, the South-East will sing a new song,” Soludo stated.
The governor said there were many areas that the people could invest in the state, saying the state government was on the verge of acquiring large hectares of land for estate development in Awka, the state capital.
“We can only do it through strategic partnerships. I said earlier that the political party you belong to is irrelevant. It is just for the purpose of contesting elective offices. After that, we have only one project and that’s Anambra,” he said.
He also urged the National Assembly members from Anambra State to work harmoniously to bring resources and developmental projects to the state.
The National Assembly members in attendance at the event were the Senator representing Anambra Central District, Victor Umeh; Anambra South District Senator, Ifeanyi Ubah; his counterpart in Anambra North District, Tony Nwoye, and some members of the House of Representatives from the state.
“Let’s work together. If we do our part in Awka, you people in Abuja will help to make it work here. If there are things to be brought home from here, try and do so too,” he told the National Assembly members.
Gov Soludo said he had concluded an arrangement to end the IPOB’s sit-at-home in the state.
The governor said his administration had dislodged terrorists disturbing residents of the state, stressing that plans were underway to strengthen vigilante groups in various local communities in the state to stop the sit-at-home order.
“We are determined. The moment we put this in place over the coming weeks, we are going to focus very aggressively on opening up Anambra and ending the sit-at-home once and for all. We are going to end it,” he said.
This is not the first time Mr Soludo would be announcing efforts to stop the sit-at-home order in the state.
Since his inauguration as the state governor in March 2022, Mr Soludo has repeatedly declared an end to the sit-at-home in the state.
The governor had, in April 2022, organised a prayer rally to mark the end of the sit-at-home in Anambra and subsequently called for dialogue with the IPOB and other gunmen enforcing the sit-at-home order in the state and region.
But the action continued afterwards.
In May 2022, after visiting IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu at the facility of the State Security Service, the governor said those enforcing the civil action were criminals hiding under the cloak of Biafra agitation.
Like other Igbo leaders, the governor repeatedly appealed to the Nigerian government to release Mr Kanu in order for the South-east to ascertain those behind insecurity in the region, including the sit-at-home order.
The Nigerian government has , however, refused to release Mr Kanu who is being prosecuted for treason.
Despite all Mr Soludo’s efforts, the sit-at-home has continued to hold on Mondays across the state and the region.