ANTI-TOUTING SQUAD: Soludo Recruiting Touts To Procure Re-election Bid-Uloka

Recent events have clearly demonstrated that the current regime in Agụ-Awka is heading towards a state of chaos. In the words of Albert Einstein, insanity is defined as repeatedly doing the same thing while expecting different results.

This definition perfectly fits the actions of the Soludo regime, which have caused a decline in the progress of socioeconomic development in Anambra State since its inception. Street touts and urchins, known as “Agbero,” have taken control of the state, disrupting economic activities and enforcing oppressive and unrealistic tax remittances.
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Reports of regular abuse have become a daily occurrence, leaving many victims in their wake. Recently, the Soludo regime launched the Anambra state anti-touting squad through the Ministry for Homeland Security, perhaps another recruitment of untrained, unprofiled, and faceless individuals with no apparent background, and possibly for political purposes as the regime gears up for re-election in 2025.

Incidents such as the murder of Peter Udenkwelle in Agulu, assaults on tricycle rider in Nkpor, and attacks on GUO driver in Awka have garnered attention on social media, and among ndị Anambra at home and in the Diaspora. It appears that these incidents also led to the creation of yet another “Agbero” group by the regime to counter the existing one, which the regime had initially recruited in a similar manner.

All of this underscores the fact that the Soludo and APGA-led regimes have lost touch with reality. They lack the ideas and policies needed to address the suffering, poverty, and poor governance that have plagued Anambra State for the past 19 months.
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The recent formation of the anti-touting squad has led to a sharp increase in the recruitment of touts in Anambra State, totaling over 53,000 in just 19 months. These individuals receive little to no compensation but are empowered to assault and abuse citizens.

Professor Charles Soludo’s administration promised to create 100,000 jobs annually for the next four years and make 1,000,000 youth millionaires. Instead of fostering industries and supporting small and medium-sized enterprises and vocational training, many young people are being pushed into becoming touts and street urchins, causing further disruption to struggling businesses and economic activities.

Rather than delivering the envisioned African Dubai, Taiwan, and New York, Charles Soludo’s regime is regressing Anambra State by prioritizing the recruitment of street touts for his unpopular re-election bid, which obviously won’t fly with the level of suffering, poverty, sadness, and sorrow that have engulfed citizens.
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Professor Charles Soludo and the APGA regime have failed to inspire hope, instead worsening the people’s plight; no amount of touts will change the reality of today; only policies that create jobs, improve economic activities, and address insecurity will make a difference; the launching of another tout in their thousands will compound Anambra’s poverty and insecurity woes and make the state unviable.

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. ULOKA, Chibuike
Critic and public policy analyst
Writes from Awka, Anambra State.