Sitting on an expansive landmass of 22 hectares, the new Anambra State Governor’s Lodge and Government House in Awka the state capital, promises to be one of a kind in Nigeria. With massive ongoing construction works across the huge expanse of land, upon completion, it might easily be the single biggest government project in the state capital. This important project is being handled by Iyke Jordan, an indigenous construction company with corporate head office in Enugu.
Since the creation of Anambra State some 32 years ago, the state has no Governor’s Lodge or Government House. The current Governor’s Lodge is not only outside Awka the state capital, but it is also a temporal Lodge, as it used to be Judge’s quarters. Also, the Government House along the Awka-Enugu expressway is a temporary Government House. For years, successive government has, tried but could not put an end to temporal Government House and Governor’s Lodge syndrome in Anambra State. The current site under construction was secured and construction commenced by Governor Chinwoke Mbadinuju, who governed Anambra State between 1999 and 2003. But due to lingering court cases, since he left office in 2003, the site was abandoned. The buildings nearing completion within the premises were also abandoned and for years, the site was left deserted, which led to encroachment into the government property.
Attempts by previous governors to resolve the case holding the site to ransom hit a brick wall, forcing Governor Peter Obi to envision a new Government House and Governor’s Lodge in Isiagu which some refer to as the ‘new Awka’. It was in that place that Governor Willie Obiano made some efforts to commence construction of Government House and Governor’s Lodge, as well as the Judiciary and Legislative Assembly and Quarters. When he was governor, Peter Obi called this Isiagu project “Anambra Three Arms Zone.” However, the original Government House and Governor’s Lodge is located around Ekwueme Square in Awka and that is where the current work is ongoing. This new Government House and Governor’s Lodge will still fulfill the same purpose of ‘three arms zone’ because, both the Legislative building and the Judiciary complex are located in that same place. Anambra State Judiciary shares the same fence with the State Legislature. From there, the new Governor’s Lodge and Government House, now under construction is a walking distance.
It is not readily clear what Soludo did or how he managed to resolve the decades of court battles that have tied the place down and scared previous governors from continuing with that project which was left abandoned for many years. However right now, there are concerns about encroachment which as a result now has nearby tall buildings close to the new Government House and Governor’s Lodge. This could pose a security challenge to a new seat of government power in Anambra State, upon completion. Notwithstanding that government has reclaimed much of the encroached land.
Speaking on the essence of the project, the Anambra State Commissioner for Works, Engr. Ifeanyi Okoma said in an exclusive interview with Ebuka Onyekwelu of the West African Pilot News, that Anambra deserves a permanent Government House and Governor’s Lodge, and one within its capital territory. “For 32 years, Anambra State has no Government House and no Governor’s Lodge. Governors live in temporary Lodge which used to be Chief Judge’s Quarters and it is located in Amawbia, which is outside the State capital,” Engr. Okoma said.
There are feelers that among many other priorities of the Governor Soludo-led government, the new Government House and Governor’s Lodge have to be the topmost. If completed within the lifetime of the administration in the next two years or six years, it will be an outstanding legacy of Soludo’s government.
Upon completion, the new Anambra State Government House and Governor’s Lodge will house both the governor’s office complex, staffers of the office of the governor, and the governor’s residence. It will also house offices of various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies of government, particularly those currently within the premises of the present Government House, along the Awka-Enugu expressway.
Ebuka graduated with a second-class upper-division degree in Political Science from the University of Calabar in Nigeria. He furthered his education by obtaining a Master's Degree in Political Science with a specialization in Government and Development Studies from Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Awka, Nigeria. His academic background and professional experience have equipped him with a deep understanding of political dynamics and governance issues.
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