Former secretary general of the Common Wealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku and other members of the Anambra State Elders’ Council have joined the call for the repayment of monies spent on fixing federal roads in the state.
Governor Willie Obiano has been in the vanguard of calling for the reimbursement, saying that the monies spent on the federal projects were funds meant for the execution of other state projects.
Obiano had continually insisted that the money if repaid would help his government to execute other projects that would touch the lives of the people of the state positively.
The elders council who joined in the call after its meeting on Tuesday asked the Federal Government to urgently refund the money, pegging it at over N43billion.
In a nine point communiqué issued at the end of its meeting at the Governor’s Lodge, Amawbia on Tuesday, and presented by the Chairman of the State Elders Advisory Council and former Secretary General of Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, it stressed the need for the repayment of the money.
“Repayment of the money would help the state government to embark on more meaningful projects in the state,” the council noted.
It also called for concerted efforts among the major political and allied stakeholders in the Southeast to intensify the call for restructuring of the present governance architecture to achieve true federalism and guarantee greater unity and political stability in Nigeria.
The communique added that, “We express worry over the unwholesome activities of Fulani Herdsmen in many parts of the country especially the recent killings in Benue state, the council canvass for commercial ranching as the best method for meat and dairy production.”
It called on the state government and other state governments of the federation to reject the idea of Cattle colonies which it noted, had inevitable adverse security implications.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Governor, Dr Nkem Okeke, traditional rulers, former Governors of the State, Heads of Christian religious denominations, representatives of Ohaneze Ndigbo in the state, among others.
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