By Vincent Ujumadu
Awka – Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, has declared that his administration has broken a 34-year jinx by delivering a magnificent Anambra Government House and Governor’s Lodge, set to be commissioned soon.
Speaking to members of the Late Sen. Ifeanyi Ubah Media Team at the project site in Awka, Soludo described the development as a “mini city” comprising about 34 buildings designed to stand the test of time, comparing its durability to that of the White House in the United States.
He lamented that, despite being created 34 years ago, Anambra had never had a permanent Government House and Governor’s Lodge.
“I said we are going to break the jinx, and we are doing that with the biggest and the best, such that someone called it a mini city,” Soludo said.
The governor also explained his administration’s decision to pull Anambra out of an existing loan arrangement with the World Bank, stating that it was necessary to prevent the state from being burdened with excessive debt.
According to Soludo, his government has not borrowed from any bank or institution and even declined the Federal Government’s 2024 loan offer to states.
Despite this, he said, his administration has undertaken ambitious, people-oriented projects at various stages of completion, fulfilling his promise to prudently manage the state’s resources.
“It may interest you to know that Anambra is the only state that withdrew from an existing World Bank loan arrangement signed before I took office,” Soludo stated.
“I examined the loan terms and found them unsustainable. It would have been easy to continue, knowing the next generation would bear the burden, but based on the terms, it was a bad deal for Anambra.
“Last year, ₦438 billion was distributed among 35 states, and Anambra was the only state that declined. I need money, but I cannot borrow my state into slavery.”
Soludo further highlighted his administration’s achievements in road construction, stating that over 750km of roads have been worked on, with about 410km already completed. Special attention, he noted, has been given to areas that had never seen tarred roads before.
Leader of the media group, Mr. Kamen Ogbonna, commended the governor’s efforts, noting that his progress without borrowing aligns with their philosophy.
“It is impressive that Soludo has made such significant progress in three years without borrowing from any source. The magnitude of the Government House and Governor’s Lodge explains why previous administrations avoided the project,” Ogbonna said.
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