Anambra's Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, said on Sunday that his state's monthly internally generated revenue has risen from N1.5bn to about N3bn.
The ex-governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria shared this information on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ while reviewing his performance over the past two years.
He aims to surpass N4bn by the year end, and believes Anambra, as a commercial hub in the South East, has the potential to generate around N10bn monthly.
He also specified that he removed taxes and levies for small traders, hawkers, and low-income earners, such as barrow pushers, to provide relief for the less privileged.
He mentioned, “Initially, we were earning N1.4bn to N1.5bn monthly in IGR. Now, we are approaching N3bn. But our goal for this year is to exceed N4bn, and Anambra has the potential to reach N10bn monthly. We are facing delays with certain processes.
“For example, we abolished taxes and levies for small traders, hawkers, people with less than N100,000 in capital, truck and barrow pushers, and others, so that the less fortunate can not only breathe, but also move freely and swiftly.
“We are putting money back into the hands of individuals through free basic education. This includes free antenatal care, delivery, and caesarean operations in all public hospitals. The feedback from people has been remarkable.
“Currently, 42,079 women are receiving free antenatal care in Anambra, along with thousands of free deliveries in public hospitals each month, with zero maternal mortality. All of these initiatives are aimed at putting money into people's pockets.
“In terms of direct employment, this government has likely created more jobs than any previous administration in the state. In the first nine months, we have directly hired 5,000 teachers, as there can be no schools without good teachers. We are in the process of hiring another 3,000. We have also hired over a thousand healthcare workers and professionals across the state's medical facilities.
“Furthermore, in the realm of security, we have over 2,000 personnel. So, in terms of direct employment, we are likely talking about well over 11,000 jobs. When it comes to employment, the government serves as the facilitator. I am providing you with the numbers, and there are very few places where you can find such a high number of direct employment considering the current circumstances in the country.”
