An Associate from our times in London, especially during the scramble for fresh capital to consolidate the banking sector, mentioned to me a couple of years ago about the ANAMBRA 2070 FUTURES COMMITTEE. He had all along taken me for a fellow Anambrabrian and wanted me to serve with him in the Committee. The fact that I am Deltan whose wife is Anambrarian with two young adult sons who are full-fledge Umudiana Anambra, were fine arguments but they didn’t move a needle. My guy went ahead to chair one of the business sub-committees but I couldn’t serve in Anambra 2070 Committee. Sad!🥲😞
Anambra 2070 Committee was a group of Ndi Anambra, led by Chukwuma SOLUDO, with the blessing of the State Government, working together on a 50 year strategic plan for the State. The Soludo Manifesto for Governor of Anambra derived to a large extent from the work of the Anambra 2070 Strategic Plan. He did not wake up from a hangover out of a drinking binge and decided he wants to be Governor of a State with arguably the largest concentration of billionaires in Nigeria. The SME Bank, Anambra Mega Enterprise, the South-East Integrated Development, Infrastructure Fund, et cetera from the future plan, got integrated into the Soludo Manifesto. A coincidence? No, not at all! It’s called strategic planning. The point to be made here is that the man has a plan. He wants to be Governor based on a decent, public goods perspective, not on self-interest. For those that still believe in proactive, purposeful, intellectual politics, this is reassuring. It rekindles hope in politics of substance and purpose.
Yes, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the Political Party whose flag Soludo bears for Governor, is a huge force in Anambra. If one asserts that its candidate has a good chance of winning the governorship, one won’t be wrong. But what if it was a bad candidate, like …. I am not saying? What if it was a big name candidate, a certified crook, one that has never flown commercial (but flies only Chartered) for nearly two decades or travelled the Lagos – Onitsha road? What if it was a candidate with no clear plans yet has an APGA ticket? Honestly I don’t have the answer. He may or may not have won. What I do know is that the days of a clueless society that thinks and votes without considering track records, integrity, competence and capacity are numbered. I like to think that Anambra proved it with Soludo, who obviously has a plan.
But even with his plans, can Soludo stay on track? As is the case with most politicians in Nigeria, he may get distracted by politics and the crooks who dominate Nigerian politics and therefore unable to deliver. If Soludo could implement only 20% of his manifesto in the area of industrialisation and consequent job creation for the youths, he’d be making a difference not only for Anambra but for the entire South-East region. Simply by getting young people to believe that all hope isn’t lost for them for a better life and future within Nigeria, the Governorship of Soludo will make Nnamdi Kalu’s job of controlling the minds of young people using their hopelessness as springboard, difficult if not impossible! This may mark the beginning of the end for the separatist Biafran agitations. Potentially, a successful Soludo Governorship might potend an end to Nnamdi Kanu’s agitation for the sovereign nation to be named Biafra.
Congratulations nwannaa Chukwuma Soludo! But Fingers Crossed🤞🏾
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This is timely Sir Collins. Thank you for thought provocating summation.
For Governor Elect Soludo to succeed, we as Nigerians must support his agenda and resist those who wish to maintain the failed status quo.
A new and better Nigeria is possible when we are United against our oppressors.
Mazi Collins, Quite an interesting narrative. However the truth is that while the influence of Soludo is more or less limited to his state Anambra, Kanu on the other hand has a followership that spreads across the entire South Easy geopolitical region and beyond. So l do not think he will make much impression on Nnamdi Kanu’s activities beyond Anambra.
A thriving Anambra State will have a ripple effect on the entire South-East region. It will also debunk one of the major pillars of the secessionist arguments, which is that their abysmal state of affairs is to be blamed on the Federal Government. It’d prove that to a large extent the faith of the people are more in the hands of their Local and State Governments. The trading that goes on in Onitsha Main Market for instance and the jobs created as a result is not done by only Anambrarians. The benefits impact many across the region and beyond. The thriving Lagos economy is another instance. The benefits in terms of business and jobs is not enjoyed only by indigenes of Lagos but across the region and beyond. A successful Soludo Government has strong potential to break the poverty and helplessness jinx in the entire South-East region.
Support for NK across Igboland is a result of the hopelessness of the physical circumstances they currently face.
Turn that around and I bet you, they will abandon NK to his rhetorics.
Every thriving person desires peace and security to enjoy his comfort.
Spot on, Tony!
Very though provoking indeed, Gov elect Chukwu Soludo has the minders touch as a technocrat of note to make a difference in the reengineering of the Anambra as State for the better interest of the restive youths
However, for him to succeed well, Anambrarians must rally round him inorder not to be distracted.
I truly believe, Charles Chukwuma Soludo solution (CCSS) can bring the much awaited succour to ndi Anambra and by extention to the SE region.
Whether Nnamdi Kanu likes it or not, it’s time for him to drop his machete.
My dear Collins, I have no doubt about Prof Soludo’s capabilities. His achievement with the banking sector consolidation speaks volumes, but trust me his plans for Anambra, drawn largely from Anambra 2070, is at best a fancy document.
The reason is obvious. Nigeria is not a clime for long term planning. We thrive in tokenism and everything is politicized. Trust me, Soludo’s economic plans for Anambra would be sabotaged first by his own party men and women. They will want their reward for supporting him. And they will get it at all cost! If he does not play ball, they will impeach him, or deny him second term ticket. Don’t forget the precedent of the Chris Ngige case. Of course you know he was dragged before an Orkija shrine to swear to an oath of allegiance to his godfather, Chris Uba, who later attempted to oust him via a coup when he (Ngige) refused to hand him the state Treasury.
Need I mention Chief Emeka Offor and Governor Chinwoke Mbadinuju?
Second reason Soludo’s plan is a fancy piece of political paper is that it requires resources, cooperation and collaboration beyond Anambra’s reach to make it succeed. Yes Anambra can truly be West Africa’s hub of commerce, but it is not an island. Even if Soludo succeeds in turning around comatose infrastructure in the state, what about neighbouring states? Will they buy into Soludo’s plan? Will they also turn around their own infrastructure to link up with Soludo’s Anambra? Will the federal government align it’s plans with Soludo’s. I tell you, in this country, we play politics with everything and anything.
There is also the angle of jealousy and selfishness too. And this will come from within the south east states. IPOB is a product of Jealousy and selfishness. Nnamdi Kanu was not only greedy and selfish but also jealous of Ralph Uwazuruike of MASSOB . Thet was why he sabotaged MASSOB, pulled out and formed IPOB. It was all for money. Unfortunately, the youth of Ndi Igbo bought into the scam that was IPOB. What will stop Soludo’s plans being given the same treatment?
My dear Collins, I have no doubt about Prof Soludo’s capabilities. His achievement with the banking sector consolidation speaks volumes, but trust me his plans for Anambra, drawn largely from Anambra 2070, is at best a fancy document.
The reason is obvious. Nigeria is not a clime for long term planning. We thrive in tokenism and everything is politicized. Trust me, Soludo’s economic plans for Anambra would be sabotaged first by his own party men and women. They will want their reward for supporting him. And they will get it at all cost! If he does not play ball, they will impeach him, or deny him second term ticket. Don’t forget the precedent of the Chris Ngige case. Of course you know he was dragged before an Orkija shrine to swear to an oath of allegiance to his godfather, Chris Uba, who later attempted to oust him via a coup when he (Ngige) refused to hand him the state Treasury.
Need I mention Chief Emeka Offor and Governor Chinwoke Mbadinuju?
Second reason Soludo’s plan is a fancy piece of political paper is that it requires resources, cooperation and collaboration beyond Anambra’s reach to make it succeed. Yes Anambra can truly be West Africa’s hub of commerce, but it is not an island. Even if Soludo succeeds in turning around comatose infrastructure in the state, what about neighbouring states? Will they buy into Soludo’s plan? Will they also turn around their own infrastructure to link up with Soludo’s Anambra? Will the federal government align it’s plans with Soludo’s. I tell you, in this country, we play politics with everything and anything.
There is also the angle of jealousy and selfishness too. And this will come from within the south east states. IPOB is a product of Jealousy and selfishness. Nnamdi Kanu was not only greedy and selfish but also jealous of Ralph Uwazuruike of MASSOB . Thet was why he sabotaged MASSOB, pulled out and formed IPOB. It was all for money. Unfortunately, the youth of Ndi Igbo bought into the scam that was IPOB. What will stop Soludo’s plans being given the same treatment?
Thanks Frank, for your thoughts! I do not disagree with your summations. I can only hope that you are proved wrong 😑 over time.
I was Chief Executive / Executive Secretary of NIDO Europe in London in the period of the Soludo bank consolidation exercise and as you may know it was to The City (London) that ALL the bank Executives ran in their scramble for consolidation capital imposed on them by Soludo‘s CBN. My office was an interface between the banks and potential investors. In that period, I picked up a lot to indeed reaffirm most of the points you have made here. But that period also gave me opportunity to get to know the man Soludo close-up. He’s astute, focused, determined and stubborn. He was probably the only one who wasn’t pessimistic about the success of his financial sector consolidation plans. Every other person, including the Governor of Bank of England nursed serious doubts, expressing sentiments similar to the ones you have outlined above. But the man Soludo finally prevailed! I can only hope that this time around, he’d also prevail but yes, you are right, the odds are monumental!!
Time will tell… fingers crossed 🤞🏾
This is indeed a very interesting piece and I believe that Nigerians are gradually choosing their real ‘leaders’ against the usual ‘dealers’ the results of what transpired penultimate to the gubernatorial election and during the election was a clear indication that Nigerians are having a mind shift and the Anambrarians are leading the pack, having said this it is my prayers that the Governor elect will not allow himself to be derailed and as you opined he can easily be on the way to re writing the history of the Indigbos by showing the whole World what good governance is, and how industrious, creative and productive Anambrarians are.
I can’t wait to see how a transformed and industrialized Anambra will be a natural leader in the region. My wish and hope is that CCS should be magnanimous in victory and carry all along especially the well meaning ones to build a truly great state that can be the envy of all. As we keep our fingers crossed let’s continue to watch and see what the next 4 years will deliver.
Nothing but congratulations to Anambra State for the foresight it has shown in electing a governor of tested intelligence and acumen. Best wishes to the people of Anambra and the absolute best to Chukwuma Soludo. A potential president is Soludo. So help Nigeria God!