cails Soludo for improvement in security
Presently, Chief Arinze Anadu is the President General (PG) of Abuja the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Chapter of the Anambra State Towns (Peoples) Association (ASTPA).
In this brief interview with our correspondent, ABBANOBI -EKU ONYEKACHI, he believes that Nigeria’s 10th Senate has so far been doing well, even as he urges them to put more efforts to give the country quality legislation. Anadu who calls that all hands be on deck to fight insecurity in Nigeria, hails Anambra State Governor Soludo and others for improved security situation in the states. He also speaks in other topical issues. Excerpts.
Qtn: As the PG of Anambra people resident in the FCT, what is you year 2024 message to them?
Ans: By the grace of God, we have come to the new year and I thank God for the last year, being 2023. I to use this medium to wish them happy new year and my prayer is that this new year be better to all of us than the previous ones. My advice to them is to continue to be law – abiding; keep doing those good things they have been doing. Let them do everything humanly possible to ensure that they stay away from trouble at any point in time.
Qtn: The theme of the event in one of the Anambra Day Celebrations you organized was ‘Aku Ruo Ulo,’ whose concept is strategic thought and direction to Igbo people (Ndigbo) to move their wealth or investment to develop the Igboland. With the insecurity in the area now, are you still urging them to do so?
Ans: The concept of Aku Ruo Ulo is till there. The concept of, “Aku Ruo Ulo,” was to urge Anambra business men and women to invest back home. To demonstrate this homeland consciousness, the ASTPA has acquired hectares of land in Nando, Anambra state, named ASTPA Estate and many Ndi Anambra in the FCT and in the Diaspora, as well as town unions have subscribed to the noble project. As you know, the security situation is getting better. At least, you know that it was worse than what is obtainable now. We still encourage our people to invest homeward, because the Aku Ruo Ulo is still there. You can’t run away from home, because home is always home.
When home isn’t good, you run outside and when outside isn’t safe, you return to the home. So you can imagine when neither outside is good nor home, you don’t have any other option more than returning back to the home, because you don’t have anywhere to run to. That is why we must collaborate against insecurity both at home and everywhere.
As you also know, our governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo and also others in the South East have done wonderfully well to reduce the state of insecurity to the barest minimum in the area. Those of us who travelled home during the Christmas and New Year period saw thing for ourselves. There were calms and safety everywhere, especially in Anambra where there sanity and calmness, during the festivities.
So I hail Soludo for improved security situation in the state and we are still beckoning our people to invest homeward. The security situation has improved; their investments will be safe; it will help in development of our state and create employment. So I still give Soludo kudos in the area of security.
I want to draw your attention to other themes of our discussions at other event, such as: “Igwe Bu Ike”, literally meaning, There is Strength in Unity; “Taa Bu Gboo”, meaning, It is not Yet Late.This theme encouraged members that they can still meet up. But the one of year 2023 had the theme of: “Maka Ndozi Anambra”, which however means, Rejigging Anambra. All these theme, we have been using to plan big for the state and motivate our people and the state government toward moving the state and it’s people forward.
Qtn: Well to you, your governor is doing well, but there is always a room for improvement in everything. In which area would you want him to improve upon in discharge of his duties?
Ans: Well to me really, the governor is doing his best, especially in the area of security, which everybody has attested to. So he has done well, but to a greatest extent, more has to be done, because of these little – little pockets of shootings here and there,or has to be done. We know that he has done the major jobs, but more has to be done. Any other thing you may be seeing now, probably skirmish here and there, which is a regular occurrence in other states. So I advise him to do more so for Anambra remain the Light of the Nation.
Qtn: Ndigbo are known for business transaction, especially your Anambra people. Due to the harsh economy that has for sometime now been biting hard to everybody, in which area would you want to the State and the Federal Governments to intervene?
Ans: Globally, it is not in doubt that the economy is in a mess. Ans as you can see, Nigeria is also suffering from that. So it is a global thing. However, the area I would like all the tires of the government to come in as an intervention is by doing everything legally possible to stabilize the economy. If the economy is stabilized, running of the government will be smooth; those in the private sector will prosper and employment will be created and their will be prosperity to all, especially to those in business.
Qtn: Although you may be talking about insecurity in Anambra and other States of the Federation, but it has seriously extended to the FCT, what advice to the FCT Minister, Wike, knowing fully well that your people are equally here?
Ans: As I said earlier, promotion of security should be everybody’s business. There is a need for all hands to be on deck to fight the evil menace. You know that before he became a minister, Wike was a governor and he did very well and we didn’t hear that insecurity stopped him from performance of his duties. My advice to him is to use his know – how to ensure that the state of insecurity in the FCT is reduced to the barest minimum.
Let all the Area Councils, Chiefdoms and Villages in the nation’s capital join hands to fight this evil menace, because, Abuja as one of the he growing and modern capital can’t be allowed to be seen as a danger zone.
Qtn: What advice do you have for senators in performance of their duties as legislators?
Ans: Well, to me, they have so far been doing well and my advice for the senators and other legislators is for them to ensure that they be coming up with quality legislations in time, that will be very realistic and apt for the interest of the people.
I am hopeful that they will perform, because the quality of legislators we have in this 10th Senate of Nigeria are more than qualified and matured to deliver. Some of them have held different public offices and in different capacities too and excelled. So they should know that the legislation they put in place will go a long way to contribute to the success of this country and they should also know that everybody in this country depends on them for quality legislation. They should therefore ensure that they leave upto expectation.
Although I am not telling them to not checkmate the excesses of other arms of the government, in discharge of their lawful duties, but I enjoin them to be constructive in doing that. If they should see it as war, or do – or – die affairs, it is the poor masses that will suffer it. You know that when two elephants are fighting, it is the grasses that suffer it. Let there be reasonable collaboration and cooperation between them, in other to achieve a common front.
Qtn: Finally, what is the way forward for Ndi Anambra in the FCT?
Ans: I repete, the way forward for them is to stay away from trouble and anything they you are doing that is good, continue to do it, even better. Though, in the other way, I tell people to go toward perfection, but you find out that no one is perfect. However, when you move toward perfection, you get better by the day. That is what I see as the way forward for them.
