Awka
Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo on Monday, made it clear that he will not sign off on any project from the World Bank and some of its likes, without vetting them thoroughly so as not to plunge the state into huge debt.
Soludo disclosed this during the 3rd edition of his quarterly interactive chat with Anambra citizens televised on major radio and television stations in Anambra state.
The governor was reacting to questions by a caller to the absence of World Bank projects in the state, claiming that such projects had in the past helped build the capacity of civil servants in the state.
But Soludo in his response, made it clear that World Bank projects are loans and most times, they are not thought through and as such, are signed off on, thereby putting the state in debt.
“World Bank projects are not free lunch, but loans which we and our children and children’s children will pay for.
“I am not going to take any such loans except it is clear to me how they will be paid for.
“World Bank does not give free money because they are a charity organization.
“And now that the exchange rate is how it is, when you borrow from world bank and the Central Bank changes it for you at a rate of N400 naira per dollar, you squander the money and when you want to pay back, they exchange for you at over N700 naira.
“No reasonable government will do that,” he said.
The governor also made it clear that some of these loans are the most expensive in the world, saying he would scrutinize them thoroughly such facilities from the World Bank carefully before signing off on any of them.
In his words, “I have also told the World Bank this that I must think ten times before signing off on any of their loan facilities, before committing the future of the state into the hands of these people.
“So, when you civil servants clamouring for such projects so that they can go on trainings and so on, they don’t understand what is going on.
“Who will pay for these loans? It is the future generation.
“So before I sign off on any of such loans, I must be sure that the value it will bring to the state is such that it will generate the resources to pay back the loan. If it cannot generate the money, I will not sign off on such projects.”
Soludo, who also spoke on security issues in the state, noted that is government will sustain the onslaught against criminals in the state, in its bid to create a liveable and prosperous homeland for the people.
He emphasized that there is nothing like freedom fighting in what some hoodlums hiding in various camps across the state and kidnapping people are doing, describing them as a group of criminals who he has vowed to fish out.
He went further to reveal that during his conversation with the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, earlier last year, the detained IPOB leader had expressed concerns over the carnage going on in the state and called for those responsible to have a rethink.
The governor also explained that he recently made a call for the release of Mazi Kanu because he believes that he (Kanu), should be around the table where discussions around the security of the Southeast will be discussed.
“Yes, I made that call and I believe it was heard loud and clear, for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. This is because he needs to come out and lend his voice to the call for our people to come out of the bushes.
“Since we have been arresting criminals and kidnappers in Anambra, they were all 100% Ndi Igbo doing these terrible things to Ndi Igbo, it is Igbos killing Igbos.
“If Kanu is able to separate his IPOB members from the criminal bulk, we can now engage the rest as who they are. You cannot be masquerading under the guise of freedom fighting and unleashing hardship and mayhem on the same people you claim you are fighting for. That’s an irony,” he insisted.
The governor assured that he will do everything within his capacity to ensure adequate protection of lives and property of Anambra residents.
On the upcoming election, Governor Soludo advised citizens of the Southeast to shun any call to boycott the elections, insisting that it is counter-productive to what Ndigbo are asking for in the country which is inclusion.
