True, all socio-economic indicators favour a Soludo governorship of Anambra State to build on Governor Willie Obiano’s good works for the next development glories.
Soon, Anambra will have over 38 million people in our relatively small landmass to look after. This will come with the daunting challenges of how to feed them, house them, educate them, cater for their health and well being, ensure the safety of their lives and property, ensure that they breathe fresh air, drink pure, clean and safe water, create meaningful and gainful employment, key Anambra into the 4th industrial revolution and many more. In other words, this has to do with how to make Anambra a livable place where the world will come to invest, live, work and find pleasure.
The foregoing I think, should define the contestations of ideas and values in the public domain by all those running for the office of Governor of Anambra State as November 6, 2021 approaches.
It is however, important that voters should take charge of undertaking integrity tests or due process in evaluating candidates before making their choices. Such choices need to take into account, the split second changes which digitalization throws into the operating environment, the dwindling revenue from Abuja as we move daily, to a post-oil era, plus the need for the state to elect a governor that appreciates how we can get the full benefits of Governor Obiano’s magnificent legacy projects.
Another contextual issue is the beauty and depth of work done by the committee on the 50-year development plan for Anambra State and the need to have somebody who can drive the next phase of development in the state, arising from the robust recommendations of the committee. But more important, is the imperative for the leader to be imbued with the soft skills that is briefly outlined in the next paragraph.
A school of thought which I ascribe to, holds the opinion that the choice of leaders for both private and public offices should be based on the 3As, namely Availability, Ability and Amiability. Availability captures the need for a leader that is on ground, knows the state inside out and is around always to listen and act. Ability refers to the capacity or competence of the leader, borne out of natural endowments, education, exposure and hands-on experience, to deploy public policies to up the ante while amiability is about the leader’s respect for ideas and feelings of his followers and assistants
Long before INEC announced the timetable for Anambra 2021 election, the critical mass in Anambra had scored Prof. Chukwuma Soludo very high on the 3As. That underpinned the massive clamour by more than 21 self-funding support groups for him to run in the said election, which climaxed in his acceptance.
Now come Saturday, March 20, Soludo supporters will gather in Awka at the Prof. Dora Akunyili Womens’ Development Centre, under the umbrella of the All Soludo Support Groups (ASSG), for a Praise and Worship outreach that will signal massive knocks on doors to spread the good news from Soludo with a view to winning One Million HEARTS in the next phase of their mobilisation. Truly, Soludo is the Solution and the odds sure favour him as the next Governor of Anambra state.
Joe C. Anatune
Anatune writes from Awa in Orumba North Local Government Area, Anambra State