Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has issued a strong warning to native doctors, demanding they cease the pollution of public water sources with ritualistic practices.
Addressing All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) members in Awka on Thursday, Soludo urged residents to support the government’s campaign to combat criminal activities.
He directly addressed the issue of water pollution, stating, “Stop contaminating our rivers and streams with ritual practices in the name of ‘Odinani’ (tradition). Many people rely on that water for drinking, cooking, and other household needs.”
He offered an alternative, saying, “If you must perform rituals, use a container—like a bucket—fill it with water, and carry out your practices there. Do not pollute public water sources. Polluted water can make people sick, and we do not want that for our communities.”
His remarks come amid ongoing operations against criminal native doctors, which have drawn criticism from some who perceived the actions as an attack on traditional religious practices.
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Soludo clarified his position, emphasizing that he is targeting fraudulent individuals, not traditional worshippers. “We must take action to rescue our future by focusing on raising our children with strong values of hard work, determination, and discipline,” he stated.
Soludo expressed deep concern over the proliferation of deceptive native doctors who prey on young people with false promises of instant wealth. “These native doctors will deceive you that they will prepare an ‘invisible’ charm that will make it impossible for scanners at airports to detect trafficked drugs. These young people believe them, and today, many of our people are languishing in jails across the world,” he explained.
He further emphasized the futility of such claims, saying, “No native doctor has the power to make anyone a millionaire without hard work. Go to Indonesia, the majority of people on death row for drug-related offenses are from Anambra.”
© Ripples Nigeria
