WELL WISHERS of Charles Chukwuma Soludo, new Governor of Anambra State, and himself, may be troubled about the governor’s revelation, during an interview on Arise TV Morning Show, on Tuesday, March 22, monitored by Business & Tourism Times, that his predecessor, Willie Obiano, left behind a pathetic state of government finances in the State.
Soludo, during the programme, appeared ruffled in his expressions about the pathetic situation. He told his interviewers that Obiano left behind the neighbourhood of N300 million in the state coffers. And he inherited debt of hundreds of billions of Naira from the former governor. The state finances, he said, are in bad shape, and needs rebuilding.
His words: “In terms of debt I inherited, it runs into hundreds of billions of naira. In terms of cash, we met about 300 million Naira only. In fact, let’s not talk about it. Our treasury is funny. But I hope we shall make money henceforth to help us fulfil our promises for infrastructure and development of the state.
“But in terms of what I met in our coffers, my brother, it’s pathetic. Please, let us not go there. God will help us”, the governor added.
Soludo’s reactions during the interview, appears to be more on “moving the state forward”, than bemoan or give details of the position of the State financial situation left behind by Obiano. But observers noted that “accountability” is the hallmark of governance, and the public needed to know how former Governor Willie Obiano ran the economy of the State for eight years in office.
“TO MOVE FORWARD”, either the country or state, a cliche, has become verbal charm invented and pushed into constant use, especially, by politicians who rule and ruin Nigeria. It also has a patronage cliche “in national interest”, or “in the interest of the state”, mouthed by those who derived power and wealth by deceiving the people and stuffing their ears with such dishonest cliches.
For Soludo, in “moving Anambra State forward”, the citizens and tax payers need to know, how their former governor, Willie Obiano, who was entrusted with the leadership of the state for eight years, managed the economy of Anambra State. To whom much is given, much is expected. Again, another cliché.
Anambra people have given much to have Soludo as their governor. They will expect much from him. As Soludo stated, the state is strapped for funds, that put him in a difficult situation to fulfill his electoral campaign promises. Huge task is before Soludo – among which is to expose any misrule in Obiano’s running the affairs of the State for eight years.
Willie Obiano, is presently with Nigeria’s anti-graft agency, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, perhaps, explaining how he managed the State’s funds during his eight years tenure as governor of Anambra State.
He was taken into the agency’s custody, after his arrest on Thursday night, March 17, 2022, in Lagos, at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, on his way out of the county to the United State of America. The same day he handed over to Chukwuma Soludo.
The EFCC, however, said he has been granted administrative bail, but he is being kept in its custody, to enable the former governor perfect his bail conditions. No doubt, a developing story.
