After winning the Anambra State governorship election on November 6, 2021, Charles Chukwuma Soludo, an economics professor and candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, made it clear that he would be a man on a mission to make a difference once in office.

Now that he has been sworn in as Anambra State’s sixth governor in a low-key ceremony on Thursday, March 17, effectively taking over from Willie Obiano, who served two eight-year terms, Soludo said there was no time to spare. In his inaugural speech in Awka, the state capital, he stated that he was prepared to strike the ground running.
Soludo’s body language suggests that he is serious, rather just polishing up. I’m excited that a man like Soludo is taking on the mantle of leadership, promising to enhance transparency and accountability in governance while also winning over the Anambra people.

When you look at what is going on around us today, governance is not motivated by a sense of purpose. Politicians, in general, act as if they are doing the voters a favor by being elected.

Nigerians have been let down by the country’s two leading political parties, the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party. Whereas the PDP had 16 years in power, the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.)’s rule is in its seventh year – a total of 23.

Why has it been so difficult for our political class to establish a transformational agenda and a leader in charge of affairs since 1999? If that were the case, Nigerians’ current hardships would have been reduced to an absolute minimum.

When we are concerned about constant blackouts caused by the collapse of the national grid, petrol scarcity, expensive cooking gas, aviation fuel and diesel, the never-ending strike by university teachers, insecurity, the sickening ‘yahoo yahoo’ malaise, kidnapping, ritual murders, and so on, we experience depression, frustration, despair, social tension, and untimely deaths. Nigerians are helpless, and no one knows what the next horrible news will be.

However, we must never allow any mob to speak for us, regardless of our current circumstances, because a mob has no thinking of its own. It will result in a breakdown of law and order, which could spiral out of control.

Meanwhile, the APC is unable to hold its national convention following multiple postponements. Is this what leadership is about? President Buhari, concerned that his party was drifting owing to a self-inflicted crisis of confidence, was forced to issue a marching order to all APC governors to ensure that the party’s convention took place on March 26 as scheduled.

The PDP, which appears to be ahead of the APC in terms of housekeeping efforts, is also experiencing nervous moments. The zone where in 2023 presidential candidate will come from is the major issue and it is giving the leadership of the party sleepless nights.

But that wasn’t the only problem at the party during the last few days. The conflict between Wike of Rivers State and Obaseki of Edo State hit front-page news at the same time party organs began convening in Abuja.

A simple and innocuous comment made by Edo State’s deputy governor, Philip Shaibu, was taken out of context by Wike, prompting Obaseki’s reaction. I’d like to believe that the two governors have resolved their disputes in the party’s best interests, allowing peace to rule.

The national debate is always focused on these politicians’ selfish interests rather than the rest of us. Why did we vote for them in the first place? You see, if our votes are genuinely counted, individuals we elect to serve us will behave differently and operate in the public’s best interests.

My opinion is that if Nigerians turn out to vote massively and take the extra step of preserving the integrity of their ballot, the story will change, leading to the emergence of transformational leaders like as Soludo – that is, if the courts do not favor the highest bidders.

Shortly after his victory, Soludo formed a transition committee comprised of notable Nigerians in business and professions, including those who are not from Anambra State, and chaired by Oby Ezekwesili, an economic policy specialist and former minister of education.

Soludo’s selection of committee members demonstrated his open-mindedness. Everyone on the committee was happy to serve without collecting a single kobo. He views the mandate granted to him by the Anambra people as the people’s mandate, which he values much.

Ezekwesili and her colleagues submitted their report to Soludo, which was essentially a road plan for good governance and was appropriately titled “Action Plan for Good Governance”. The Anambra State governor is prepared for his new duty, but that doesn’t mean he’ll address all of the problems immediately.

As Anambra State’s governor and chief executive, Soludo aims to stand out. The inauguration was low-key, and taxpayers paid nothing. “The APGA nominated me, and you elected me as governor. “I’m your chief servant, and I’ll work every day to make you proud,” he said during his inaugural speech.

He outlined three reasons why the inauguration was not a celebration in the traditional sense of huge events. One, the inauguration could not accommodate everyone who worked for his victory; two, Anambra could not afford the cost of a big ticket celebration; and three, even if the state could afford to fund the budget, he was not willing to use taxpayers’ money to host a big party in the name of inauguration, which he referred to as a “fleeting fanfare”.

Soludo also stated that he would submit his commissioners’ names to the House of Assembly for ratification within one week. He intends to develop a wealthy state based on his vision of “One Anambra, One People, One Agenda,” to which he expects volunteers from all walks of life to contribute. However, the governor believed that law and order were vital in creating an environment conducive to achievement despite other dangers.

Instead of transferring enterprises outside Anambra State because to security concerns, Soludo urges non-state actors to lay down their arms and collaborate with his government to build a progressive and peaceful Anambra. He went on to say that the political elite and community leaders’ conspiracy of silence must come to an end.

As a transformational leader and table shaker, Anambra people must brace for enormous disturbances to the present order; they must recognize that there is a new Sheriff in town. Soludo said that he will not be undertaking this work alone, citing his deputy, Dr. Onyekachi Ibezim, who will help him construct a competitive socioeconomic order with short-term pains but long-term advantages.

Soludo pledged to implement difficult and unpopular reforms. For example, all revenue touts and motor park mafia have been banned, and they will no longer collect illicit taxes that end up in private coffers.
I am confident that Soludo will lead by personal example. His drive for success includes taking a “Bottom-up Approach” as he transitions the Anambra economy from oil to clean and renewable energy. He maintained his vow to drive an Innoson Motors vehicle as his official car. The same rules will apply to all government personnel. There is no better example of BBB (build back better) than this decision to pursue backward integration.

Interestingly, some of Nigeria’s wealthiest persons are businessmen from Anambra State, particularly from Nnewi, the industrial metropolis, who are billionaires in their own right. They include Cletus Ibeto, Chairman of the Ibeto Group from Nnewi; Comas Maduka, Chairman of the Coscharis Group; Chief Innocent Chukwuma, founder/CEO of Innoson Motors; and Chief Gabriel Chukwuma, who is interested in sports marketing, real estate, and hospitality. He is the brother of Innoson Motors’ CEO.

Others are Alexander Okafor, founder/chairman of Chikason Industries, a sprawling conglomerate with operations in oil and gas, mining, and manufacturing; Augustine Ilodibe, a transporter who established the popular Ekene Dili Chukwu Transport; Ifeanyi Ubah, who has investment in oil and gas as well as motor spare parts; Louis Onwugbenu, who started business by selling motor spare parts and later diversified into manufacturing and agriculture; and Obiajulu Uzodike, a foremost cable manufacturer.

I expect these millionaires to join Soludo in implementing the “Soludo Solution” – his contract with Ndi Anambra for state peace, prosperity, growth, and development. The IPOB rebellion, for example, cannot be Soludo’s only issue. To find a long-term solution to the ongoing issue, all important stakeholders in Anambra State must work together.

Anambra State, known as “The Light of the Nation,” contains 21 local government areas. Onitsha, the famous trading post for business, is the state’s largest and most populous city. According to Wikipedia, Anambra is rich in natural gas, crude oil, bauxite, and ceramics. It is almost entirely arable terrain, with agro-based businesses like as fishing and farming, as well as land farmed for pasturing and animal husbandry.