Gov Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra said the delay in commencement of road construction and repairs in the state was due to the delay in the passage of its revised budget by the State House of Assembly.
Soludo said this at a news conference on the occasion of his 100 days in office in Awka on Saturday.
Soludo presented a revised budget of N170 billion to the State House of Assembly with 64 per cent of the total budget devoted to capital expenditure.
He said the people of Anambra were waiting to begin work on state roads, ensuring that activities would commence in the sector as soon as the budget was passed.
The governor, who said he was not an enthusiast of 100 days in office fashion, described the journey so far as “so far, so bumpy but so good”.
He said about 220 km of strategic roads across the state had been earmarked for construction and would all be inaugurated for effective take off after the rains were over.
Soludo said Anambra was enjoying massive goodwill in the international community with the return of United Nations Development Programme and other international development partners returning to the state.
He said the expected progress was being retardated by the unfortunate insecurity situation which he described as “a lucrative criminal enterprise” under the guise of agitation.
The governor reiterated that his administration was determined to recover Anambra for its people, noting that no bush, no forest or house would be comfortable for them to inhabit or carry out their nefarious activities.
He said his administration might not be able to maintain the generous appointment attitude of previous government due to dwindling funding but would recruit when very necessary
He pledged to ensure massive recruitment to fill the manpower gap in the education and health sectors.
According to him, recruitment and appointments will be made for the manpower needs of the state and for value.
Soludo thanked the people of Anambra and leadership of the All Progressives Grand Alliance for their support and promised not to let them down (NAN)