Soludo Hits Obiano

By Charles Igbo

The uppercut was unexpected. It came too soon. And couldn’t have come at a worse time when for former Governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano.

A few days after he was sworn into office, the most popular Governor in the South-east today, Professor Charles Soludo has hit his predecessor,  Obiano, hard. He did that publicly,  on a National Television.

Speaking on Arise Television, Tuesday, March 22, Soludo summed up the state of the Treasury he met in the State as “funny.” Short of dismissing the Treasury as empty, the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, said it was better left undiscussed.

He said it was “pathetic.”

Soludo: “In terms of debt I inherited, it runs into hundreds of billions of Naira. In that of cash, we met about 300 million Naira, only.

“In fact, let’s not talk about it.  Our Treasury is funny. But, I hope we shall make money, henceforth, to help us fulfill our promises for infrastructure and development of the State

“But in terms of what I met in our coffers, my brother, it’s pathetic. Please, let us not go there. God will help us.”

Not a few people see this as a further indictment of Obiano who is in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

He was picked up at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, hours after he handed over to Soludo on March 17, 2022. He was on his way to Houston, Texas, USA. But the EFCC intercepted him, and wants him to explain how he spent  billions of Naira which belonged to the State.

Even though he has been granted  administrative bail by the EFCC, he has not been able to fulfill a couple of the conditions attached to it.

One of such conditions is that two Senators from his State would stand as Surties for him. Unfortunately, it is said, he was not in good terms with any of them while he was in office. They are Senators Stella Oduah, Uche Ekwunife and Ifeanyi Ubah.

However, many are of the view that Soludo should not have opened up on the state of the State’s Treasury. They say from Obiano’s claims, he spent much of Anambra’s money on Soludo’s campaign and election as Governor.

A couple of days before he left office, Obiano had declared: “Soludo is my project. He is my sole project.”

Said one of them who is trending on Whatsaap: “Part of the empty  Treasury that Soludo is claiming he met is part of the loot that Obiano used to get him elected.

“If I were to advise him, I will tell him to look forward, never to look in the rear view  mirror else, he will have a catastrophic accident.

“Soludo knowingly entered a bolekeja filled with thieves into Government House. He should close his mouth tight, and quietly swallow the bounty with the burden.”