By Peter Nwasike
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Unclepeters555@gmail.com
There is a Biblical adage that a prophet has no honour in his home.” This refers to the skepticism with which the people of Jerusalem received our Lord Jesus Christ, when He was doing mighty works of miracles and wonders for them.The 2021 Governorship election in Anambra State, as regards the candidates of the parties that contested the election, is a vindication that “a Prophet can be found at home.” The candidate fielded by the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo CFR, can be likened to Our Lord Jesus Christ, who went about doing mighty works in Galilee, but when he came to his home of Jerusalem, recognition was not given to him, to their detriment. Soludo, by his academic brilliance, as Professor of Economics, was recognized by the Federal Government of Nigeria, when he was appointed as Governor of Central Bank (CBN) from the regime of President Obasanjo (1999-2007), and also a Member of the National Economic Council. He served meritoriously and initiated measures to engender sanity in the Banking Sector and banks maintained financial honesty and integrity. His prudence in management of resources enabled him to expand and decentralize the CBN to many State of Nigeria, among them Anambra State, Ebonyi State, Abia Stte, etc,. He renovated, refurbished the old Central Bank at Enugu State, to modern standard. During his tenure, he belonged to the Council of Governors of Central banks in Africa and the World. At this strategic position, Soludo used his expertise to negotiate for Nigeria to be bailed out of foreign debts, and regained economic solvency for Nigeria. When he finished his tenure as Governor of CBN, he became a Consultant to World ruling bodies, among them, the United Nations Organization (UNO), African Development Bank (ADB), International Monetary Fund (IMF), European Union (EU), etc. During the World Economic Recession of 2008, Soludo was the only Professor of Economics from Africa, invited by the United Nations Organization (UNO), to join other Professors of Economics from American, Asia and Europe, to produce measures to revive the economy.After that global service, when he was brought out by the then ruling political party in Federal Government of Nigeria, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to contest the Anambra State Governorship Election of 2010, he coined the expression, “SOLUDO SOLUTION”. It was the confidence the people of Anambra State, had in the then State ruling party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), and the then good governance of Peter Obi, with his system of “ANAMBRA INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY (ANIDS), with development projects to all rural and urban Areas, that made people to stick to Peter Obi’s Administration for the deserved Second Term, to complete his 8 – year tenure, because there was noneed changing a winning team, that denied Soludo’s victory to practicalise his pragmatism of “SOLUDO SOLUTION”.
From then on, Soludo became a global authority in Developmental Economics, that he was rated as one of the most influential 100 persons in Africa. The incumbent President of Nigeria, President Buhari, has appointed Soludo as a Member of his National Economic Council. When he congratulated Soludo on his victory at the election, Buhari mentioned this salient point that Soludo is in his Economic Kitchen Cabinet, and expressed hope that Soludo shall lead Anambra State to contribute to the development of Nigeria as a whole, beginning from Anambra State. When the incumbent Governor of Anambra State, Sir Willie Obiano, was introducing Soludo at a rally in Awka, as the candidate of APGA, to succeed him, Obiano said that Soludo had ruled the 36 State of Nigeria, as Governor of Central Bank (CBN), but now, he is being persuaded to rule only one State, the Anambra State. This is a manifestation that “The Prophet Has Honour In His Home”.As an adage says that “The Leader is one who knows the way, shows the way, and goes the way, and invariably is followed by the people.” Governor Obiano has shown the people of Anambra State, that Prof. Soludo is an intellectual technocrat of national and international repute has honour in his home. The people have done well, by following Obinao to recognize that Soludo, as a prophet, has honour in his home, by voting for him, massively to win the Governorship Election. The people of Anambra State, have shammed the disgruntled elements, who, out of sheer selfishness, self-aggrandizement, impudence and inordinate ambition, refused to recognize the supremacy of Soludo in good governance, and bulldozed their way into the governorship contest. It is preposterous that two young boys in the Anabra State House of Assembly, who are doing only first term in the office, jumped into the foray, and contested the primary election with Soludo. When they failed at screening, they defected to another party, to oppose Soludo. Same also are for two others in the National Assembly, in their first term, aspired to challenge Soludo. One of them audaciously and maliciously, created an enemy faction in the APGA to frustrate and ridicule Soludo. He went further and procured kangaroo court judgment from distant foreign State from Hausa land, to scuttle peoples’ popular choice, and impose his personal mediocrity. When they failed in their sinister intentions, they defected into another party, just to use their intimidating money-bags and much vouted grassroots popularity, to scuttle peoples’ best choice. But thanks be to God, peoples’ wise judgment prevailed. In fact, Soludo, as an institution, is worthy of being voted for, as a person. In this perspective, it becomes imperative to amend the Constitution and the Electoral Act, to allow individual candidates, to contest elections, without being gagged to any party. When this opportunity is created, people like Soludo can stand for election and become voted for, based on merit.People should look for a role model for leadership. All youths should aspire to be like Soludo in academic brilliance, work excellence, national and international reputation. All parents should like their children to be like Soludo. Nobody wants to emulate an opportunist whose only qualification to be governor is “federal might,” which he grabbed when he was appointed as Special Assistant to the President on Domestic Matters, a position without any responsible portfolio, except running errands for others like a houseboy. And when he maneuvered the “federal might,” to become a Senator, he never contributed to debates in the National Assembly, thereby portraying his incompetence, ignorance and mediocrity.Nobody wants neophytes with sheer inordinate ambition, to be governor. There is an adage that “when the desirable is available, nobody thinks of anything available,” because, “Nobody abandons a place to title – taking for a place of ritual sacrifice”. There is an adage that it will be suicidal for a rat to inflate itself so voluminously as to achieve the size of an elephant. These people of self aggrandizement have committed political suicide and have ruined their political career. A man who cannot be satisfied with anything, will one day jam the carcass of an elephant, and in his feeble attempt to carry it, will collapse under its weight. As they have betrayed their loyalty in APGA, by 2023 General Election, APGA shall field loyal candidates who shall sweep all the seats in both State and National Assemblies. And these intoxicated elements of insatiability, should loose their second term, and go and lick their self-inflicted wounds of inordinate ambition.So, as Governor Willie Obiano has led the way to recognize a prophet in his home, Soludo shall know that to whom much is given, much is expected. What he did at National and International levels, should be domesticated and replicated here, because, an old woman does not forget a familiar dance. Fortunately, he has indicated his intention to do so, when he asserted: “I am not coming to learn on the job. I shall hit the ground running”.