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The outing of an Ijele is often heralded by some spectacles. On Thursday, March 17, 2022, Mrs. Bianca Ojukwu, the widow of the late Ikemba Nnewi, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and Mrs. Ebelechukwu Obiano, the wife of the immediate past governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano, decided to make a spectacle of themselves. Mrs. Obiano had come late to the inauguration ceremony of Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo as the governor of Anambra State. But rather than go straight to the seat provided for her, she reportedly went to violate Bianca’s space. According to Bianca, Mrs. Obiano verbally attacked and taunted her, using unprintable, vile language. When Ojukwu’s widow could no longer take it, she got up and, in her words, “gave her (Mrs. Obiano) a dirty slap to stop her from attacking me.”
Some people have branded it a farewell slap. Some say Bianca is “oji ula eme ogo” (one who uses slap to reward people). For me, it was part of the side attractions that heralded the emergence of Ijele Anambra.
Ijele, by the way, is the biggest and most revered masquerader in Igboland. He does not come out anyhow. And when he does, everywhere becomes ecstatic and charged. At that point, smaller masqueraders that may have been strutting around the arena run away.
Anambra State governor, Prof. Soludo, is an Ijele. He had announced that he did not want any elaborate ceremony to herald his coming. He shut down attempts to spend millions of naira to celebrate his inauguration. He said people had ample time to celebrate his victory starting from November 6, 2021 when the election was held.
But Ndi Anambra couldn’t understand how an Ijele would just come out unannounced and without any spectacle. While Bianca and Ebelechukwu electrified the atmosphere in Awka, Soludo’s townspeople did their own in Isuofia. They organized an elaborate celebration at their Civic Centre. Prominent and not-so-prominent sons and daughters of the town graced the occasion. It was a potpourri of music, dance, food and drinks. Spirit beings like ‘Izaga’ from Aguleri, ‘Mgbadike’ from Isiaku Isuofia and ‘Achikwu’ masqueraders mingled with human beings and made the atmosphere convivial and spectacular. Highlife music maestro Osita Osadebey’s son, and some others, entertained the crowd with sonorous music. Those who have waist pain and couldn’t dance nodded their heads. At the headquarters of Aguata Local Government Area, the same scenario played out. Even outside Nigeria, Some Anambra citizens took it upon themselves to celebrate the emergence of Soludo as governor of Anambra State.
Beyond the razzmatazz, the governor understands the enormous task ahead. He went to work soon after he was sworn in. He announced a few appointments some hours after inauguration and went to a popular slum called Okpoko in Ogbaru Local Government Area of the state the following day. At Okpoko, he visited many places to assess things himself. He gave hope to the people and promised to transform the place.
Essentially, his agenda is five-pronged. One, to restore law and order (homeland peace and security). Two, to engender economic transformation of Anambra as Nigeria’s next axis of industrial-tech and leisure. Three, to ensure competitive and progressive social agenda (education, health, youth, women, and vulnerable groups). Four, to re-establish good governance, rule of law and a rebirth of the people’s value system. And, five, to aggressively tackle the existential threat posed by the environment and ultimately engender clean, green, planned and sustainable cities, communities and markets.
All these, the governor said, were derived from Anambra Vision 2070 – a 50-year development plan, which he chaired the drafting himself; The Soludo Solution, which happens to be his manifesto for a greater Anambra and the Transition Committee (Combined) Report.
In sum, he said, “This is an agenda for an itinerant tribe in search of a livable and prosperous homeland. Driven by the philosophy of One Anambra, One People, One Agenda, our goal is to build Anambra into a livable and prosperous smart megacity.”
How else do you know someone who is eager to work, who did not just contest election for the sake of contesting but to impact on his society, to make it a better place where he and others can retire comfortably at old age?
An excited colleague of mine called to tell me how emotional he became while Soludo was reading his inaugural speech. Another spoke highly about his promise to patronize only made-in-Anambra products and services, except when such goods or services are not currently made in Anambra. In that case, he will consider made in Nigeria, Africa and so on. Now, the governor’s official car is Innoson Vehicle, made in Anambra. He wears more of local dress called Akwete now.
Soludo has shown that leadership is about taking tough decisions, which may not go down well with some people, but which will be in the interest of the majority of the people. Onitsha and environs have been a haven for all manner of revenue touts. More than half of the money does not go into government coffers. Dislodging those touts is not an easy task because most of their patrons are influential citizens. But the governor has issued a stern warning against such practices and has indeed signed an executive order to suspend all revenue contracts operating in the parks, markets and roads, until a new system is put in place within four weeks.
The governor needs to tackle a few other serious problems, which may affect his dream of a prosperous state – insecurity and the weekly sit-at-home phenomenon in the South-East. According to Soludo, every day, there is a loss of about N19.6 billion by the poor masses in Anambra as a result of this sit-at-home. Businesses are relocating outside the South-East and, regrettably, nothing much is being done about it. People have decided to give themselves holiday every Monday because of fear of being killed, if they venture out.
Expectations are high that Soludo has some magic wand to solve these problems. In the next one year, people will want to see how far he has fared. With the speed he is going, I have no doubt that he will excel. The next four years will be work, work and work! Celebration can only come when there is adequate security for life and property; when everyone can access quality health care; when our students will start taking first again in external exams; when our youths are either gainfully employed or get business opportunities; when our roads are smooth and clean and when every part of Anambra gets constant electricity and water.
What the governor needs most now is the cooperation of all stakeholders in Anambra. Happily, Anambrarians appreciate genuine leadership when they see one. Prominent citizens across political divides have been expressing their solidarity and support. A former governor of the state, Mr. Peter Obi, came for the inauguration, hugged him and said he had confidence Soludo would do well.
I believe so too. And I am happy he understands that the job is a call to serve his people. At the fullness of time, Anambra people will assess him by these words of his: “I see a smart megacity with millions of happy and prosperous people. I see us exporting massively to the world and the world coming to Anambra as a preferred destination to live, work, invest, learn, relax and enjoy.”
Congratulations, Dike Udo Isuofia!
Re: A nation of ritual killers
Casmir, the practice of killing human being has been in existence for quite a long time. Various reasons could be given which include culture, power seekers and economic gain. Over the years, some traditions believed that in certain situations human being should be sacrificed to appease their gods. In such traditions, it’s believed that some privileged ones can be buried with human beings. In some other situations some people believe that they acquire some supernatural powers by sacrificing human beings. Unfortunately, the economic difficulty has added some dimensions to this crime. The quest for financial gains has created human organ business as another cash cow. Government has a big role to play in order arrest the situation. Alleviation to economic crises through creation of gainful employment will help most of the people involved in this crime to abandon it. Government through various agencies should embark on extensive education to correct misinformed citizens that ritual money, power etc cannot propel one to stardom.
-Pharm. Okwuchukwu Njike, +234 803 885 4922
Morality cannot exist in any land where everybody loves wealth. Character can only exist in any country where everybody loves morality.
-Emma, Wuse 2, Abuja, +2348035585109
Dear Casmir, prosperity gospel comes from Lucifer while worthy life pleases God more than prayer life. Religious worship is now almost valueless and dealers in human parts confess to serving politicians and top clergymen. Worshipers should shine their eyes and girls into dating should always send the identity of their patrons to next of kin before outing with them.
– Cletus Frenchman, Enugu, +2349095385215
Do we still have national orientation agency in this country? There is no shortcut of making wealth. Hard work pays. The increase in ritual is becoming worrisome and our security agents should sit up. Government has a role to play by creating jobs for Nigerian youths because they say idle mind is devil’s workshop.
-Gordon Chika Nnorom, Umukabia, +2348062887535
Casmir, the works of the evil ones increase in any nation where the citizens are constantly in darkness due to a terrible national grid that is being destroyed by greed. Perennial power outages lead to increase in the number of the unemployed as they would be laid off when the companies go bankrupt. Money rituals become the alternative for the desperadoes in their battle to survive societal pressures. Most self employed people are also frustrated by lack of power and are tempted to try the alternatives. Most religious institutions no longer preach messages of the cross that pricks attendees’ conscience. Those who engage in money rituals are not covering themselves in glory because it is the ‘blessing of the lord’ and ‘not that of the devil’ that maketh rich and ‘added no sorrow’. It is this kind of wealth they should seek since the race is not to the swift (those who think they are smart patronising herbalists for ritual killings).
-Mike, Mushin, Lagos, +2348161114572
Dear Casy, the societal and leadership failure in today’s Nigeria has brought these evils to a country where the members of executive, legislature and the judiciary and others at the leadership position have hijacked the people’s govt and abandoned the masses. What do you expect? The security men in charge of the arrest and prosecution hardly touch the sacred cows that sponsor these evil acts. Education which is the nucleus of all human dev is dead under this present govt. From 1960 to 1984 our graduates from UNN, UCI, Ife ranked with those of Oxford, Yale, Harvard.
-Eze Chima C., Lagos, +2347036225495
