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By Uche Ifediuba
Anambra State can be considered one of the most fortunate states in Nigeria since 1999. The question is, is this in terms of federal allocation or federal presence? No. The state remains among receivers of the least statutory revenue allocation from the federation account, and is also saddled with poor availability of federal infrastructure, which the immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari, had unexpectedly managed to shore up building the gigantic Second Niger Bridge.
Her luck, however, stems from what she has been able to do for herself, but there is something else as well. The state is blessed with a voluminous pool of vibrant population just like other Nigerian states, but her governors have mostly been elected freely from the best available materials with minimal influence of political godfathers. It is, therefore, not surprising that the state has had a good number of highly performing governors.
However, Anambra State cannot be said to be totally free from the retrogressive influence of corruptive godfatherism all through. At the onset of this dispensation, she was among those held at jugular by money-sucking political vipers intent on ripping off the people.
To the glory of God, however, with only short-lived partial success, they soon crashed out of the Light of the Nation. While their first governor-victim accomplished little and left unsung, the second victim was wiser. He had deceived them with his unimposing physical stature and cautious mien. To their surprise, when the chips were down, he boldly broke away and aligned himself with the people. He later soared higher unaided by dark forces, and today remains celebrated as a man of great achievement.
The current governor of the state, Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo, lives out the evidence of having been chosen from among the best. With what have been seen in Anamba State since about two years ago, it can be stated that on assumption of office on March 17, 2022, the professor’s government hit the ground running, and has since proceeded with speed in the right direction. Things have really taken a different turn for the better.
Before he started proper, some of his campaign promises, especially his mission to transform the state into a smart livable mega city, really appeared to be too ambiguous and somewhat unrealizable for two reasons.
Firstly, given our experience with politicians and their often unsolicited bogus promises, one could be tempted to dismiss him without the benefit of the doubt. A typical Nigerian politician will mindfully promise you heaven and earth during election knowing full well that he has no regard for the common good. Secondly, on account of the meagre resources of the state, people had expressed their reservations over the possibility of his delivering on the monumental edifices he had always talked about even when he was apparently willing to selflessly govern.
But so far, the governor’s victorious engagements in the field of service have in objective and truthful fashion proved these speculations to be ridiculous fears. What has Governor done so differently that would place him among the high performers or set him apart as the first among the rest? The facts themselves provide the answers.
Perhaps the most significant to me is his great accomplishments in the education sector. The governor truly wants to reposition the Anambra State education sector for quality manpower development. Delivering on excellent human capital development is hinged on a trio of factors, namely, good and well equipped schools, adequate number of qualified teachers and willing students. This government has touched on all the three aspects simultaneously.
Barely eight months in office, Governor Soludo recruited 5,000 new teachers in the public schools, and by September 2023 he employed an additional 3,000 teachers, bringing the total number of newly recruited teachers to 8,000. Since 1999, we have not seen this type of action in the state, that is, a governor making such a massive employment at the very beginning of his tenure. This shows sincerity, and was an early indication that he really means business.
As some people wondered whether government would be able to meet up financially with this new responsibility vis-à-vis other gigantic projects it had at hand, the governor pulled yet another pleasant surprise. When still far from clocking two years in office, he announced free and compulsory education from nursery to Junior Secondary School (JSS3) in the state.
Let me briefly emphasize on this demonstration of the spirit of commitment and responsibility that the governor has exhibited here. To embark on all these in the early life of his administration, not during the last year of his second term as some people would do to take the glory for mere declaration and then shift the burden to their successors, is quite reassuring. This is motivational and would do a lot to get our people back to public schools, which hitherto have been vacated by many on account of cost and poor quality.
• Dr. Ifediuba writes from Lagos
