From Obinna Odogwu, Awka
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Awka Capital Territory Development Authority (ACTDA), Mr Osita Onuko, is excited by the performance of the Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, which he rates very highly. In March, Soludo clocked one year in office, used the occasion to host former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Mr Peter Obi, Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu and other top personalities at a modest ceremony to mark the anniversary. In this interview, Onuko, who has been in office as ACTDA chief executive, looks back at the journey so far.
How would you rate the performance of Prof Chukwuma Soludo in the one year he has been Anambra State governor?
For me, and when I say for me I believe that I am speaking for the greater percentage of Ndi Anambra, our governor has performed extremely well. Extremely well because what would have been the foundation stage seems to be the crescendo of his administration because, ordinarily, what you see is that the first year of every administration is usually dedicated to planning, planning, planning. But he seems to have come with a well thought out plan for the state and started execution from the word go. So, we are celebrating one year, basking in the euphoria that we would have been in at the end of his first tenure; a four-year term given to him. So, I must say that it is something that I am very pleased with and Ndi Anambra are happy.
Prof. Chukwuma Soludo has been in office for one year. Going forward, what should Ndi Anambra be expecting from the Soludo-led government in the next one year?
For us, and for our governor, it is an agenda with a deadline. Ndi Anambra have given him a four-year mandate to bring about transformational leadership in the state. So, the expectation is still consistent with the agenda set from day one, which is to make Anambra a liveable, prosperous homeland where no indigene of Anambra would have any reason to leave Anambra; no reason, not for economic reasons, not for health reasons, not for socio-cultural reasons except on personal decision, not out of necessity. This means a state where we will be self-sufficient in the sense of providing the basic necessities of life that our people need to survive in whatever area of human endeavour they find themselves. So, the expectations are high. And I know the governor will match the expectations because from day one, he said that he has come to turn this place into a Dubai-Taiwan. And when we are talking about this Dubai-Taiwan, we are talking about laying the foundations, the necessary fundamental structures, putting them on ground to make sure that even when he exits from office, any other government that comes would have it very easy to take up from wherever he has stopped because the state will be systematically developing.
In summary, what would you really say are the achievements of this establishment, the ACTDA, since you came on board?
Well, this is my fifth month in office as the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Awka Capital Territory Development Authority (ACTDA). We have done quite a lot. From the word go, just like our governor, we came prepared. We have paid attention to the rehabilitation of so many roads across the length and breadth of our capital city. We have paid attention to reviving the environmental consciousness of our people and their responsibility to the environment. We are de-silting the drainages and rehabilitating roads. If you go to Eke Awka today, we are trying very vigorously to address the issue of traffic which we know we are almost there because the barricade we have done there will very soon be a thing of the past. We are also beautifying the city. If you go across the bridges we have here you will see that we are trying to do some aesthetics that will give people the ambience of ‘okay we are in the capital now.’ So, we have done quite well and the people are quite happy with us; very happy.
There have been lamentations from the people concerning the demolitions that have been going on within Awka Capital Territory. We understand that it is for development purposes. But could you tell us exactly what those are about, really?
It is part of what you just asked me about development. Governor Soludo is committed to giving us a befitting capital city. Awka, as it were, hasn’t been…some people say it is a glorified village; some people say it is still emerging but here is a governor that has come and awarded contracts for several kilometres of roads. From one flank of the city, about 14 kilometres of road cumulatively going on, simultaneously. At the other flank, we have over four kilometres of road projects also going on. So, demolitions became necessary as a result of this development. There must be sacrifices for us to have the kind of city that we yearn for. If you go to UNIZIK Junction, we are dualizing the road from UNIZIK Junction Temp Site to Okpuno down to Isuaniocha. If you understand what I mean you’ll find that we are opening up the place. It will become a major economic hub for the state and for the capital city because there you have estates springing up. There you have social activities going on; there you have residential buildings coming up on a daily basis. So, for us, we are committed. So, those demolitions are taking place for the kind of state-of-the-art road infrastructure we need in the capital city. Without them, we can’t have broad roads. If you go elsewhere in the developed world, you will see a 10-lane road in a location; sometimes 14 lanes. And you ask yourself, ‘how did they get here?’ It cost them a lot. And part of the things it cost them is what we are doing now. Our people have over the years encroached into the road setbacks. Our people do not recognise setbacks any more. People build and say that there is no need for setbacks. But when these cities were designed by the colonial masters ab initio, some of them that did the designs. They understood that if you have a home you should have a green verge; you should have a place spacious enough to have you come around with your children, relax and have a quiet time. These days our people don’t observe that. We have built even to the centre of the road. So, that’s what we are doing. We are not witch-hunting anybody. We are only trying to control development in order to have the kind of road infrastructure that we deserve.
Was there a dialogue with the owners of the properties before the demolitions started?
Of course, there was. It started as far back as November when we gave them notices that we were coming for demolition. We left them in December given that it was Christmas period. So, we gave them till January to take out their valuables. In January, we didn’t even demolish. We held a meeting with them twice to discuss it at the Ministry of Works. And at the end of the day, we gave them a deadline, February 23; yet we didn’t go for demolition until about four days after the deadline. The rope was quite long.
Will the government pay compensation to owners of the demolished structures?
This is a government. We have agencies, and ministries handling various aspects of development. Ours is to enforce. We are not into the details of whether they are going to receive compensation or not. I believe that the government will give consideration to people with genuine cases, not those that have illegal structures all over the place. I am referring to people who built where they should build. I know that we have done it for some other persons. So, I know that the government would want to look at that and compensate them.
There have been different views about the performance of the lawmakers at the federal level over the years. What areas would you want the 10th National Assembly to focus on as soon as it gets inaugurated?
Well, they should look deeply into the issue of separation of powers; and most importantly the independence of the judiciary. I am of the opinion that the judiciary should be, they say it is, but I think it should be on first line charge, in terms of funding. There should not be any reason for a judge to depend on the executive for funding, for housing, for pension, for this and for that. It will, in all aspects, influence the decisions they make because he who pays the piper dictates the tune. So, I think that the judiciary should be given full autonomy right from the local to the federal level so that we can have a country where justice and fair play are uninterrupted and uninfluenced. So, for me that’s what I think they should do. The legislature and the executive, I think they are doing fairly well.