Peace has returned to Anambra’ — Soludo hails security improvements

As the November 8 governorship election draws closer in Anambra State, Governor Chukwuma Soludo has assured residents that the security situation in the state has significantly improved under his administration.

Speaking on Sunday, Soludo, who is seeking re-election for a second four-year term, said that Anambra has witnessed remarkable progress in restoring peace and order compared to when he assumed office.

According to the governor, residents can now “sleep with both eyes closed,” a clear indication of the government’s success in tackling insecurity.

Soludo also revealed that his administration has reclaimed eight local government areas — including Ihiala — which were previously considered “no-go areas” due to the activities of non-state actors.

This, he said, resulted from his resolve to protect lives and property as part of the five-point agenda of his administration.

“You had a state where, before we came into office, nobody could even wear anything that suggests you are a politician, and so on. Dr. (Chike) Akunyili was killed simply because he had a policeman in his car.

“Most of the police stations were burnt down, and even soldiers were decimated by these criminal elements.

“Eight local governments you couldn’t travel to, you couldn’t get there. And now, everybody can sleep with their two eyes closed,” Soludo said on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics.

“Come down to Anambra; everybody is moving around. Even the most dreaded local government, which is Ihiala, where we couldn’t even have an election.

“Today, INEC has done its registration smoothly in all the 326 wards in Anambra,” he added.

According to him, those observing the sit-at-home ‘order’ were doing so personally, and not because of insecurity in the state.

“Monday sit-at-home thing is largely over here [in Anambra]; anybody sitting at home now is doing so out of his own preference, not because of insecurity as it were, because everywhere is secure on Mondays,” he stated.

On the continued detention of the self-acclaimed leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, Soludo expressed optimism that Kanu would regain his freedom.

He, however, said that he believes in a united Nigeria.

“When Nnamdi Kanu comes out, because we believe he will come out, and when he comes out, we are all going to sit down and interrogate our alternative vision for Igboland.

“My vision is that we should build a livable and prosperous homeland so that as an itinerant people, wherever you go, you will have a livable and prosperous homeland to return to. But do we need Nigeria? We need Nigeria and Nigeria needs us,” the governor stated.

Soludo, who is the candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) in the November 8 election, dismissed the claim that the party was local, adding that it still had a national spread.

According to him, APGA is like a “religion” in Anambra and is loved by the people of the state.

Soludo also said that contrary to claims that he planned to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC), he and President Bola Tinubu collaborate to keep Nigeria going.