Lawrence Nwimo, Awka
Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has pledged to give out a total of N18 million for the repainting of Onitsha streets.
According to the Governor, N10 million reward goes to the first street in Onitsha to complete their repainting from February 1 to March 10 this year.
The Governor made the promise through the Commissioner for Environment, Mr Felix Odimegwu, during a chat with Onitsha landlords at Onitsha South Local Government Area Secretariat, recently.
According to him, the runners-up will receive N5 million while the third position will smile home with N3 million.
The Commissioner said: “We are here for the follow-up of the last visit where our governor sent his deputy to come and interact with the Fegge landlords on the degeneration and facelift of Onitsha.
“We want to do this thing in three folds; repainting, where the governor brought out a challenge ‘Ka Anambra Chakee,’ which prompted him to set a cash gift to any street that comes together, discusses and embarks on this initiative, paints from street-end to street-end.
“It is the wish of the governor to embark on this initiative. He said that he would be here on Friday for you to see him and hear also that he is the one that sent us here. This is an agenda that is not hard to do and also it is for our health benefit.
“Another one is the cleaning of drainages. Onitsha was last rated as the dirtiest place in West Africa but this government since it came, has deliberately changed Onitsha from the present narrative and placed it in the right direction it should be.
“Since solid road constructions are going on, it will be an eyesore that the environment and dings within these roads are dilapidated, we all know that paints help in protecting houses, so we are here to appreciate the governor.
“Fegge if well planned when we pinpoint our houses and land, it will make your properties valuable, appreciate naturally and, also conducive for foreign investors and businesses.”
“Also is tree planting, if we can also plant step trees, masquerade trees, map out small space for this; each street should choose their choice and each building plants two-step trees in front of their buildings and in straight right line too.
“Each street will pick their tree choice and the colour must be the same for the whole building in that street, but the colour must be a particular one but might be of different shades, he further explained.
Contributing, the Transition Committee Chairman of Onitsha South LGA, Emeka Orji, assured to add N1 million, N500,000 and, N300,000 to the first, second and, third streets.
He said: “We are trying to bring back the former face of Onitsha and we are almost there. We are beginning this week because there is no more time, in fact, any building that first starts the painting will get NI00,000, let’s make Onitsha proud, even the governor.”
