Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, candidly revealed his initial reluctance to undertake road construction in the Okpoko community of Ogbaru Local Government Area due to political affiliations.
Speaking at the inauguration of 12 kilometers of roads in Okpoko on Monday, Governor Soludo admitted that he had dismissed requests to develop Nwokedi Street because the House of Representatives member representing the area, Noble Igwe, belonged to the opposition party at the time.
“I rejected the advice to develop Nwokedi Street because the House member representing the area was formerly in the opposition,” Soludo stated. “As of the time he brought the poor state of the road to my attention and advised it should be repaired, he was in the opposition then, and I did not listen to him.”
The Governor recounted how a chance encounter changed his perspective on the matter. “Today, Noble Igwe is in our party, and he is a mainstream member, so we have listened to him,” Soludo explained. “When he was in the opposition, he was in the parlour talking but his voice could not be heard, but today, he is not only a mainstream member of our party, but he is right in the bedroom talking with us.”
Soludo emphasized the importance of political alignment in influencing decisions, stating, “You cannot be outside and be talking, you have to come inside the bedroom so that we can listen to you.”
Urging the people to support his government, Soludo expressed his commitment to the development of Okpoko, affirming, “Even if there is no money in Anambra, we wouldn’t mind using all the money in Anambra to develop Okpoko. Okpoko must be rebuilt.”