Keeping to one of his inauguration promises, Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Charles Soludo, has commenced the clean up exercise of Okpoko, a highly populated slum in Ogbaru Local Government Council of the state.
Prof. Soludo had during his electioneering campaign promised to massively clean up the slum and other areas around Onitsha and modernise it; he restated this during his inauguration.
Last week, he rolled up his sleeves and moved into action to clean up the area, improve the environment and open the blocked drainages for water to find its level and flow into the River Niger.
However, the massive cleanup is not going to happen without some collateral damage as over 200 houses said to have been built on the drainages would be pulled down.
Efforts of past governors to clean up Okpoko were defied as it was difficult for them to muster the courage to pull down the many houses built on drainages. Powerful and rich owners of the houses had always frustrated past efforts to clean up the slum.
It is left to see if Soludo would succumb to them this time or move to clean up the slum and make it a better place to be. And no doubt, he would have massive support of the residents and greater number of Anambra people to make Okpoko a better place once and for all.
