Labour Party candidate for the upcoming November governorship election in Anambra State, Dr. George Moghalu, has condemned the directive by the state government mandating residents of Onitsha, Awka, Nkpor, Nnewi, and Ekwulobia to repaint their buildings by July 1 or face sanctions.
In a statement issued by the Director of Media and Publicity of the George Moghalu Campaign Organisation (GMCO), Dr. Ikenna Agu, the directive was described as “executive recklessness and administrative insensitivity.”
Moghalu said it was appalling that a government which had failed in delivering its core responsibilities would resort to harassing already overburdened citizens with “unrealistic and anti-poor policies.”
“This forced repainting order, coming at a time when Ndi Anambra are groaning under the weight of economic hardship, high inflation, unemployment, and poor infrastructure, is both tone-deaf and tyrannical,” he said.
According to him, rather than addressing the pressing developmental challenges facing the state, the Soludo-led administration has become obsessed with cosmetic changes at the expense of meaningful governance.
“Governance is not about painting walls but about the welfare of the people—through sound policies, inclusive development, and responsive leadership,” Moghalu stated.
He further argued that the environmental law cited by the Commissioner for Environment was not a license for what he called “oppression and extortion.”
“A responsible government supports its citizens, it does not suffocate them with needless and financially burdensome demands,” he said.
The Labour Party candidate recalled how the same administration had imposed a ₦50 million billboard levy on opposition candidates, saying it is now extending such harsh policies to ordinary citizens through what he described as “environmental extortion.”
While expressing support for cleanliness, urban renewal, and improved environmental standards, Moghalu stressed that such goals must be achieved through empathy, consultation, and shared responsibility—“not through threats, intimidation, or arbitrary enforcement.”
He questioned the morality of compelling private citizens to repaint their homes when several public buildings owned by the state remain in disrepair.
“George Moghalu remains committed to building a people-focused administration—one that listens, engages, and lifts the burdens of the masses, not one that amplifies their suffering with reckless policies,” the statement read.
The campaign called on the state government to immediately reverse the directive and initiate genuine dialogue with community leaders and stakeholders on improving the state’s environmental outlook without “weaponising governance.”
“A better Anambra is not achieved by painting walls, but by painting hope in the hearts of the people. That is the leadership George Moghalu offers,” it concluded.
