During the televised debate that preceded the recent governorship election in Anambra State, Charles Chukwuma Soludo who eventually won the election on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), made a profoundly inspiring and exceptionally gripping presentation of his track record and why he deserved to be elected governor. He made it clear he understood the challenges facing Anambra State.
Soludo said: “The challenges are huge nationally and for the sub-nationals. And Anambra State, among the 36 states, must be looking for a transformational leader in these uncertain times. I want to suggest, dear friends, that given my knowledge, experience, networks, exceptional public service, and even exceptional private sector experience, that I offer myself as that candidate for the people of Anambra at this material point in time. I am a passionate home boy, village boy, from Isuofia in Aguata Local Government…”
He continued: “In my 30s I accomplished virtually everything that I wanted to accomplish professionally, and I would say in every ramification. Became a professor in my 30s. Travelled all over the world. Lived in Ethiopia, Europe, UK, and America. Consulted for over 20 international, financial, and development institutions. And travelled to over 45 other countries around the continents of the world. And now came back to serve Nigeria. I have served three presidents in the public sector. And I dare to say I have been a founder and co-founder of some of the major corporations international, that are of international standing…”
Soludo revealed he was a three-time winner of the Best Governor of the Central Bank in the world award, concluding with the following words: “And therefore, for me, based on my global experience, my national experience and knowledge, I believe it is now time for me to come home… I think I have been able to think through the entire challenges of Anambra…”
At the end of the debate, it was obvious that Soludo’s outstanding credentials, his exceptional work experience, his remarkable service record, and his extraordinary professional achievements gave him the much-needed head start over other candidates.
People in Anambra State can now breathe a heavy sigh of relief following weeks and months of extraordinary governorship election campaigns regularly interrupted by execution-style cold-blooded murders of citizens, incineration of private and commercial vehicles and residential homes, and destruction of personal property and businesses belonging to various people. At a point, it looked like the governorship election would never take place in that prevailing atmosphere of violence.
On November 6, Anambra State was transformed. The people experienced a miracle. The governorship election was conducted peacefully, admirably, and transparently. For the first time in many years, none of the governorship candidates who lost the election flagged plans to challenge the outcomes of the election. In another historic development, three of the frontline candidates who lost the election conveyed messages of congratulations to the winner.
The public goodwill that greeted Soludo’s election was apparent. The atmosphere was electric. The mood was infectious. Everyone was thrilled. There was that undeniable feeling that the election had produced the most qualified candidate to govern the state. Soludo now has the strong backing of the people. If he fails to perform on the job, he will find no sympathisers. The euphoria that greeted his emergence must be converted into positive energy and a successful tenure.
There are huge challenges that await Soludo when his tenure commences. The first major test will be how he approaches the violence that has seriously disrupted businesses, education of school children, and free movement of people across the state. Anambra State has many centres of commerce that, unfortunately, can no longer operate as they used to prior to the onset of violence. Many primary and secondary schools are broken owing to insecurity. Soludo will have to apply diplomacy and move quickly to restore peace and security.
Another challenge that faces Soludo is decay of infrastructure and lack of medical facilities, including endemic corruption. Will Soludo succeed where his predecessors failed? Time will tell.
For many years, Anambra State was turned into a theatre of the absurd. The state was unable to harness all the valuable human, material, agricultural, and financial resources available to it. How can a state that parades highly talented citizens, men and women of industry, and educationally outstanding students, be so beholden to the same class of clueless and corrupt leaders who contributed through their greedy lifestyle and financial irresponsibility to the level of poverty that has enveloped many of the people? Soludo embodies hope and effective leadership.
Soludo is an exceptionally talented man. For this reason, many people see him as a miracle worker. That may well be an unrealistic expectation. Still, people believe a state governor can make things appear and disappear like magic. Some people imagine the enormous resources that a governor controls and wonder why anyone in such an exalted position would misuse such a rare opportunity.
Now that the governorship election has been won and lost, now that the jubilations have eased, Soludo must focus and start working out strategies to solve the challenges that confront his government. He must choose which of the problems deserves his government’s priority attention.
One immediate challenge that Soludo must deal with urgently is to constitute his team, that is, the men and women he believes would assist him to deliver his promises and transform the state in the next four years. What kind of men and women will Soludo give the nod to serve as commissioners, special advisers, and heads of departments? This is where Soludo must resist the temptation to appease politicians’ requests for their preferred candidates to be appointed commissioners and special advisers.
Now that he has won the election outright, Soludo must commit to work hard to move Anambra State forward. One strategy is to talk less and do more. He should aim to consult with the people whose lives he plans to change positively.
Soludo should identify the problems that are dragging Anambra State down. On top of breakdown of law and order and violence, other problems include unemployment, bad network of roads, poor medical facilities, underfunding of primary and secondary schools, poverty, homelessness, mental health issues, and accountability in payment of pension and gratuities to retired workers who devoted many years in the service of the state. Soludo should not just identify the problems. He should find the solutions. These problems persevered because previous governments overlooked them.
This is not to suggest that Soludo should work as the proverbial “Jack of all trades”. Not at all. What everyone expects from Soludo is that he should identify the key challenges, set target completion dates, and assess his performance by what he achieved at the end of his first term. He will be judged by his ability to follow through on his campaign promises. Fortunately for him, there are more believers than doubters in his capacity to work well.
Anambra State has come a long way. The people need an altruistic leader with a vision who can drive the economic development of the state. Soludo is the man on whose shoulders the people’s hopes rest.