the Anambra State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress on Monday scolded the state governor, Willie Obiano, for imposing COVID-19 curfew on the state from the United States of America.
Obiano, who is in Huston, USA, had on Friday through a public announcement by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof Solo Chukwuwlobe, imposed a 9pm to 6am curfew on the state over increasing cases of COVID-19.
The governor also threatened to shut down markets in the state if the traders continued to flout COVID-19 protocols.
Responding the announcement, the state Secretary of the APC, Chukwuma Agufugo, described Obiano’s frequent foreign trips as crass insensitivity.
He appealed to the ruling All Progressives Congress and the State House of Assembly, to call the governor to order.
Speaking at a press conference in Awka, on Monday, Agufugo said, “It’s abnormal that a governor, every other month, if he is not abroad, his wife is abroad. It’s depletion of Anambra state funds – money that should have been channeled to the development of infrastructure. The economy is dwindling. It’s very pathetic and the governor has travelled again in the presence of the surging of the pandemic.
“Every day, you see an increase of the COVID-19 and the governor of the state is abroad, taking leave, not even having the courtesy of transmitting power to his deputy, officially. It calls for concern.
“We call on him to cut short his trip and come back to Anambra to address the needs of the people. He cannot see the real issues in Anambra from America. Obiano should come back and rule Anambra from Anambra.”
In response, the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, C-Don Adinuba dismissed concerns raised by the opposition party.
Adinuba said, “First of all, the governor has not travelled abroad in one year. The governor’s trip was a business trip, negotiating with a firm in Brazil over Anambra Airport.
“He is actually in Huston which is the oil centre of the world, negotiating for Anambra Refinery and Orient Petroleum and those who would want to invest in our crude oil in Aguleri. He is staying for a few days.”
(Punch)