Prof Chukwuma Charles Soludo will be sworn in as the Executive Governor of Anambra State on the 17th of March 2022, thus ushering in a new era and a new dawn. I am burdened in the spirit to pray for him, asking God to give him the grace, the strength and wisdom to succeed.
Soludo remains one of the best minds and one of the most consequential former public servants in Nigeria. He is a man neither in love with titles nor with money or publicity. He has asked to be addressed by his name or simply ‘Mr. Governor’. I choose to address him as ‘ Mr. Governor’. For his inauguration he doesn’t wish for a kobo of the state funds to be expended. Whatever is the argument, Soludo’s emergence as governor is Obiano’s biggest legacy and best parting gift to Anambra. I consider us lucky to have him at this critical time when we have become numbed and accustomed to bad news, bad governance and wastage of public funds.
He came prepared to work. He has his own ideas of what will be his leadership style. He made it clear that things will be done differently, that all revenue theft will be blocked. In his words; ‘every kobo of state funds must go into state coffers and be made to work for the people.’ He will proceed to work from the moment of inauguration ground and will put in eight straight hours of work.
I am happy we have a governor who understands that leadership is a lifestyle. Those willing to serve in his team must therefore share in his vision, be ready to roll their sleeves because it’s going to be work, work and work. I can see a bright and shiny future for the state. Things will happen. Already the foundations to transform the state has been laid: The Golden Tulip Hotel, the stadium, the international conference centre, the seaport and the international cargo passenger airport etc. So there will be no excuse for failure.
Power is transient. When you are in power, you have a duty to deliver good governance. When you have done the right things, you need not worry about the loyalty or protection of your successor. Soludo himself had said a number of times that Obiano supported him without any condition attached. During his campaign, he stuck to his manifesto, which to him is a social contract between him and the people.
Obiano cannot hold the leash on his successor. If he planned to install a successor he will remote control, then Soludo wouldn’t have been his choice. People should therefore stop creating problems where there are none. As a former governor, Obiano will be respected. At the inauguration of his transition committee, the governor-elect stated that he will complete the projects commenced by the outgoing administration and will initiate new ones. The APGA family is intact and committed to the project to make Anambra peaceful, safe and prosperous.
The speculation about a possible crack in APGA became rife after the governor-elect released a full list of Anambra State Transition Committee members. The 80-man committee was star studded with bright minds drawn from across the Igbo land.
Our own Dr Oby Ezekwesili was designated to chair the committee that comprised the likes of Olisa Agbakoba, Ferdinand Agu, Prof Pat Utomi, Prof Greg Ibe, Dr Alex Oti, Udensi, Prof Ike and many others.
Without understanding the nature of the assignment of the transition committee, people were arguing that the list was humongous and lacking in prudence. They also complained that the list lacked the involvement of politicians from the state. Anyone who had listened to Soludo during his campaign or read through his manifesto wouldn’t be surprised with the composition of the list as it aligned with his vision and that a new and greater Anambra is achievable.
From the time he left office as Central Bank governor, it has been his ambition to govern Anambra State. He tried more than twice before he, finally, was elected. He therefore understood the weight and burden of leadership. When he won the highly contested election, the sweet sound of that victory resonated across the Igbo nation. Everyone believed that in him Anambra got it right. Expectations are high and failure is not an option, hence he is picking the brains of the brightest of men available. As he runs at his own pace, what we owe him at this time is our collective prayers and support.
Those criticizing the composition and size of the transition committee should first understand the man Soludo, his vision and leadership style. The transition committee is like a bridge leading to the continuum of government, that the transition committee serves as a messenger and in no way a policy-making body. The duty of the committee, to the best of my understanding, is to swap files between the outgoing and incoming government with instructions and stipulations from both sides for the purpose of clarity.
That the committee is a messenger without policy making and fiduciary power, is buttressed by the fact that its membership is drawn from all over Igbo land and the hope of Ndi Anambra rests on the advisory document to be submitted by the committee. But beyond this, I think Soludo has used one stone to kill two birds by summoning an intellectual summit of Igbo scholars and thinkers, a summit we desperately need now more than ever. To resolve the Igbo question, we need to engage ourselves and our people intellectually so as to chart a clear path for the Igbo nation.
I recall in one of our conversations, he made a point that the Igbo question and agitation need to be addressed and that those frustrated by the current state of affairs need to be listened to. Should we have Igbo scholars and thinkers drive the new narrative or allow the people on the street in their discordant and incoherent strategies drive the Igbo narrative? Beyond the transition programme, I would suggest that this conclave of Igbo thinkers, scholars and philosophers should be sustained, and if need be, expanded as a vehicle to finding principled intellectual solutions to the Igbo question.
For those that seemed left out, this is not the time to bicker over nonissues. I do not think that Soludo has shut the door against those that laboured for him or ruled them out of participation in the unfolding administration. I also don’t think he will be a plague to the party. Keeping the party stronger and more united remains a top priority if the party will expand its victory in the 2023 general election. I am certain he will be open to work with anyone who measured up to his standard and expectations and will not hesitate to fire anyone holding the administration down.
In my opinion, he acted within his rights and within the realm of standard operational practices in his selection of a transition body. I commend him for his broad mind and worldview. I pray Almighty God to give him the grace, strength and wisdom to lead the state to the Promised Land.
May God bless Anambra.