On his first full day in office and in fulfillment of one his campaign promises, Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, in the early hours of Friday, stormed the slums of Okpoko in Ogbaru council area of the state.
While on the hustings prior to the election, Soludo had assured residents of the Onitsha neighbourhood that when he emerges governor, he would come to their town to begin its transformation to reflect his administration’s smart city initiative.
The governor who was sworn into office on Thursday had during his inaugural address to Ndi Anambra, in Awka, said he would visit Okpoko on Friday at about 9 am.
The Governor who was welcomed by a mammoth crowd visited the refuse dumps in the area and assured them that work will begin in ernest to make the city habitable.
Soludo was welcomed by market men and women, landlords and other residents of the area.
Read Also: Soludo, Deputy, sworn in amidst high expectations
Recalling how Soludo declared on several occassions that his first official engagement after swearing-in would be a visit to Okpoko to upgrade the slum, Anatune said the pronouncement was his goal to transform Anambra into a smart megacity.
“Livability and prosperity are the fulcrums of the new Anambra Soludo envisions. Ensuring that our major cities of Awka, Onitsha, Nnewi and Ekwuolobia are clean, green and well-planned is crucial to the success of the goal,” he said.
The media assistant recalled how Okpoko caught Soludo’s attention in 2010 in the course of his governorship electioneering tour of Onitsha and its suburbs, saying: “The horrible image of Okpoko and the hilarious conversation he had with a boy, who asked him for money had remained vivid with him.”