Soludo becomes the sixth democratically elected governor of Anambra.
By Emeka Alex Duru
Prof Charles Chukwuma Soludo, the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the November 2021 Anambra governorship election and his running mate, Dr. Onyekachukwu Ibezim have been sworn in as Governor and Deputy Governor respectively.
They were sworn in Awka, the state capital by Chief Judge of the state, Hon. Justice Onochie Manasseh Anyachebelu, on Thursday, March 17, 2022. With the inauguration, Soludo becomes the sixth democratically elected governor of Anambra. He comes to office on the crest of unprecedented support and goodwill from the Anambra electorate and Nigerians at large.
But attaining the feat was not a smooth ride for the former Central Bank Governor. It all the same, marks a fulfillment of a passionate quest that had seen him moving from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to APGA, encountering immense disappointments and on occasions, bloody nose.
Soludo got known to many Nigerians following his appointment as CBN governor by the President Olusegun Obasanjo administration, on May 29, 2004.
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Prior to the appointment, he held the positions of Chief Economic Adviser to President Obasanjo and Chief Executive of the National Planning Commission of Nigeria.
His signature outing as the CBN governor, was the reformist measures of restructuring the banking sector, known largely as consolidation. In a speech to the Nigerian Economic Society heralding the reform, Soludo had announced that by the end of 2008, there would be fewer banks than the situation, then.
The essence of the restructuring, he said, was to raise the capital base of the banks, increase their ability to lend to customers and guarantee investors’ confidence. Soludo had in the exercise, hoped to see Nigeria become Africa’s financial hub. The consolidation was in the long run, a resounding success and he became a household name in the country.
The great feat at the CBN however did not translate to immediate electoral success for the economics teacher. In September 2009 for instance, Soludo announced his aspiration for the seat of the Governor of Anambra State on the ticket of the PDP.
His selection as consensus candidate for the party from 47 aspirants, after repeated attempts to hold elective primaries were stalled by court injunctions, did not go down well with chieftains and members of the PDP in the state.
With a rancorous house, Soludo limped into the race as PDP flag bearer. He lost to Peter Obi, then, the governor under APGA. On 17 July 2013, Soludo resigned from the PDP and later, joined APGA in preparation for the November 2013 governorship race in Anambra state. In mid-August 2013, he, along with five other qualified aspirants, were disqualified by the APGA Screening Committee.
Four years later, he endorsed the immediate past Governor Willie Obiano’s re-election bid, in what many saw as a deal. Obiano paid back by supporting his candidacy, this time around. The rapport worked for Soludo in the November 2021 governorship poll in the state.
With the eventual inauguration, Soludo comes face-to-face with the enormous task of repositioning the state. Expectations are high that he would bring to bear on the state, his years of training and involvement in research, teaching, and auditing in such disciplines as multi-country macro-econometric modelling, techniques of computable general equilibrium modelling, survey methodology, and panel data econometrics, among others.
So far, he has said the right things. Soludo had promised to run a government fit for purpose, small but effective machinery. As a starter, he had made his inauguration simple.
He has also vowed to patronise Nigerian-made Innoson Vehicles as a way of promoting the brand and solidifying its production line which is based in Nnewi, Anambra State. If followed through, this would boost the economic base of the state and create employment opportunities for the people.
Soludo has also promised to promote the locally produced Akwete fabric by making his cloth line from them. The impact is likely to be instantaneous. More demands could trigger growth in that local economy which will eventually benefit many households involved in its production.
These are good take-off points. In the days ahead, he is expected to unfold more encompassing and sustainable roadmap at making the state live true to its claim of being “The Light of the Nation”.
Sixty-One -year-old Soludo was born on July 28, 1960. Soludo graduated with a First Class Honours degree in 1984, an MSc Economics in 1987, and a PhD in 1989, all from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, winning prizes for the best student at all three level.
In 1998, he was appointed to the position of professor of economics at the University of Nigeria; the next year he became a visiting professor at Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, USA.
He is happily married and blessed with children.