By John Araka
It is common knowledge that Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo was elected the governor of Anambra State on November 6, 2021 and would be officially sworn in on March 17, 2022. Despite his solid academic and professional pedigree, most people did not, however, know that he was going to introduce far-reaching innovations to the Nigerian political landscape, even before his inauguration.
Soon after Prof Soludo was declared the winner, many of the political bigwigs of his party, All Progressive Peoples Party, APGA, headed to Umueze in Isuofia, Aguata Local Government Area (LGA), his village. The rustic community sprang into life. Its business got an exceptional boost.
The dominant objective of the visitors was to use their humongous wealth and positions to lobby the governor-elect for top political appointments for themselves and supporters.
This has become an acceptable political norm in Nigeria, most unfortunately. But Prof Soludo decided to effect a paradigm shift. He, therefore, put out a notice through his aide, Samuel Ejimofor.
It advised all those hanging around to go back home, because all those to be appointed to his cabinet or other important positions will be subjected to rigorous oral and written interviews, after which, only the best, irrespective of where they come from will be chosen.
This was a pleasant departure from the political norm all over the country. Normally, many people often get top political appointments, not because they have the capacity or competence to deliver, but all because they have powerful godfathers. Meritocracy is not given the pride of place in Nigeria political life. Prof Soludo is all out to stop this obnoxious practice.
Consequently, he set up a star-studded transition committee, headed by the well-known no-nonsense former Minister of Education, Dr Oby Ezekwesili. It is made up of crack professionals, some from outside the state. They included Prof Pat Utomi, Prof Benedict Oramah, Dr Osita Chidoka, Prof Chidi Odinkalu and Dr Alex Otti.
Their main duty is to screen those to be appointed and, also to advise him on critical issues that would fast-track the development of Anambra State. He said that he chose Dr Ezekwesili to head the 80- man team because, “she has the ability to call a spade a spade and can look me straight in the face and tell me the truth. She is also someone, who is very knowledgeable about the issues of government and governance in Nigeria. If the committee members know any issue that will move Anambra State forward, they have the courage to put it on the table for discussion, without minding, if anyone will be offended.”
From all this, it is quite evident that the governor-elect does not want to surround himself with sycophants, who are usually the principal cause on governance failure in Nigeria.
It is not unusual for governors-elect to set up transition committees. But in most cases, they are just for formality. Often, they are dominated by political stooges, who merely rubber-stamp the wishes of the persons who appointed them.
Of course, discarding this terrible trend, should be expected from an iconic personality, like Prof Soludo. This is a man, who made first class in Economics from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN). He carted away all the laurels in his Master’s and Doctorate degrees from the same citadel of learning, as the best graduating student. He was employed, as a lecturer in the same university.
He was promoted a professor in 1998. Because of his brilliance and excellent performance, he became a highly sought-after scholar from many ivy league universities. He, therefore, lectured, among others, at the University of Cambridge, Oxford University, University of Warwick in the United Kingdom (UK), as well as the Swarthmore University in Pennsylvania, in the United States (US).
Prof Soludo also worked for several global organizations. They included the United Nations Economic Commission (UNEC), European Union (EU) and the African Development Bank (ADB). He made his foray into politics in 2003 when he joined President Olusegun Obasanjo’s government, as a Special Adviser and Chief Executive officer of the National Planning Commission (NPC) of Nigeria.
A year later, he was appointed the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). He first contested for the governorship of Anambra State under the Peoples Democratic Party in 2010. He lost to Peter Obi of APGA. He decamped to APGA in 2013, where he secured victory in the last governorship contest. It is heart-warming that he is deploying his vast and varied experience, to change the ugly narratives that have characterized Nigerian politics in recent years.
The most striking of them all is his banning of elaborate inauguration. He said only himself and his wife, the outgoing governor, and his spouse, as well as a few others, who have definite roles to play, that would be allowed to attend. He iced the cake by adding that he would use his personal money to host the guests. If the government would spend anything at all, according to him, it would be on security. It is difficult to believe that this classic innovation is emanating from Nigeria, which is globally notorious for only bad news.
That Prof Soludo is taking this uncommon action, which is capable of making the Guinness Book of Records, may not be unconnected with the quality of advice, he is getting from the Dr Ezekwesili’s transition committee. His decision to effect this uncommon cost-saving measure, is better appreciated, when it is recollected that some ‘smart alecs’ in Anambra’s APGA, recommended a whopping N600, 000,000 (six hundred million naira) for the swearing-in ceremony. He felt that was unnecessarily wasteful. He, therefore, drastically reduced it to N20,000,000 ( twenty million naira).
Even then, he was not satisfied. Hence, he finally decided to pick up all the bills by himself. Prof Soludo has put to shame all those who wanted to rip-off the state from the swearing-in. He has, indeed, rekindled the hope of Nigerians for a better tomorrow. His message is unambiguous: “Positive change is still possible in our current beleaguered country.”
Araka is the Chairman of the Editorial Board of Trumpet newspapers.
