By Ifeanyi Aniagoh
1. Personally, I’m glad with Gov Soludo’s intention to build a befitting Governor’s Lodge & Government House in Anambra… It’s long overdue;
2. Every other concerned person, be it the opposition, has the right to also like the idea or question the proposal;
3. Building a beffiting Governor’s Lodge and Government House won’t stop the handling of other pressing issues as they are equally covered in the Budget Estimates;
4. The Lodge & Government House being in the Budget estimates does not mean the building starts tomorrow, it might be to begin EIA and drawings or other preliminary stages;
5. Being a year’s budget, the Lodge & Government House might be planned to commence as soon as all the pressing issues are resolved;
6. Remember that the Governor explained that he has an additional source of funds for security aside the budget and that’s why he didn’t upreview the amount budgeted for security;
7. Gov Soludo should be commended for assuring ndị Anambra through the budget présentation that he is ready to build a befitting Governor’s Lodge & Government House simultaneously as he handles our pressing needs and yet as a matter of priority, resolve our security challenges with an additional funding strategy to augment the budget provisions;
8. Many other leaders would have used this opportunity to jettison every other project including those pressing needs and siphon all the money in the name of fighting insecurity;
9. Again, a Governor’s Lodge & Government House are legacy project which are not all about housing the Governor but entails creating a good working environment for the Governor, his team & civil servants as well as changing the skyline of Awka into a more befitting State Capital;
10. Lastly, it’s not certain that all projects in the Budget will be achieved… The Governor and his team will still apply prioritisation in carrying them out and could decide to suspend any of them for the n’est year.
• Aniagoh is a former Director-General, Digital Entrepreneurship Office, Anambra.