entrusted to the best and most enlightened men in society. He called
them “philosopher-kings”. To him, it is only leadership by these
“extremely erudite, exceptionally intelligent, and brilliantly
imaginative” that can bring about a better – just, moral, ethical,
prosperous and law abiding – society.
The governor-elect in Anambra State, Chukwuma Soludo, is an archetype of
Plato’s philosopher-king. From every indication, this “extremely
erudite, exceptionally intelligent, and brilliantly imaginative” man
is poised to transform Anambra State. Even before his inauguration into
office, he is striking chords that are inspiring respect, trust and
admiration among Nigerians.
To reduce waste in governance, he rejected the fanfare and profligacy
that are the hallmarks of swearing-in ceremonies in Nigeria. “There
will be no fanfare, no ceremony, no event, no party, nothing”, he
said. “Not even 10kobo will be spent; no kobo would be taken from the
Anambra State purse for the ceremony”. This is unparalleled in
Nigeria. It is a novelty; it defies all conventions.
Usually, an elaborate swearing-in ceremony provides the incoming
governor a forum to strut to the accolades of praise-singers and
variegated sycophants, and cheers and applause of admirers. The
elaborately extravagant fanfare is studded with traditional rulers,
politicians, political cronies, party goons, etc. and replete with
music, drinking, dining, dancing and other forms of merry-making. Sadly,
these hedonistic, profligate flourishes do not, in any way, relieve the
economic plight of the masses. Actually, the waste and misappropriation
of public funds that attend them feed on the economic misery of the
people. Many Nigerians are profoundly impressed by Soludo’s rejection
of the gratuitous and lavish hoopla that would have attended the
gubernatorial swearing-in ceremony in Anambra State.
In another departure from tradition, the governor-elect insists that
immediately after his swearing in, he will head to work. He said, “I
will show up for work, like every first work day. I am going to work for
over eight hours that day. It is going to be work, work, work, and that
is what we epitomize.” Ordinarily, it is a day for lounging around,
ingratiating, bantering, and back-slapping by the political class.
Leaving out all this and heading directly to work is a cachet of a
nonconformist; and a powerful testament to the governor-elect’s
hard-nosed work ethic.
The Igbo are resourceful, hardworking and innovative. Inherent in these
cultural skills are our ingenuity and creativity. Not surprisingly, the
Igbo are spearheading the Nigerian industrial revolution. Across the
Southeast and all over Nigeria, we are at work, manufacturing shoes,
fabricating machines, etc. These products are functional, and meet
global standards in efficiency and finesse. The hub of these remarkable,
gigantic and marvelous endeavors is Nnewi, and its apogee is auto
manufacturing. The automobile is one of the most important inventions in
human history, and one of the most important concomitants of modern
life. The manufacturing, sales and purchase of automobiles are the
mainstay of the economies of many industrialized and wealthy countries
of the world.
Soludo’s choice of the Nnewi-manufactured Innoson automobiles as his
official vehicle conforms to his campaign promise to support
Nigerian-made products and the manufacturing sector. As he recently
stated, “Igbo land is one and we must protect it. We want to bring
back the zeal for patronizing our own. The official cars of the
governor of Anambara State will be Innoson motors”. This is splendid;
it makes enormous economic sense. The hundreds of millions of naira
hitherto paid for the purchase of foreign vehicles, for state government
officials, will henceforth be paid to our homegrown automobile industry.
Its economic significance and its spin-off and spillover effects will be
momentous.
In TV footage and pictures, Soludo sports Akwaete-material outfits.
These outfits are not just reflective of his sartorial preference; they
are intended to make compelling economic statements. As he pointed out,
“My Akwete dress is not just a dress, it is a statement. I want to
make a statement with it. In the entire South-East this is the only
textile that is alive. It is handmade by women of Akwaete in Abia State.
We must protect the things that are made in our place”.
Evidently, Anambra State, the Light of the Nation, is again blazing the
trail. It elected an erudite, accomplished, and acclaimed public servant
– a philosopher king – as its governor. And true to Plato’s postulate
that the best and brightest minds make the best leaders, Soludo is
setting the stage to transform Anambra State into a much more livable
and prosperous state. This, he has summed up as, “Something is about
to happen in Igbo land, and together we will get there.
Tochukwu Ezukanma, an indigene of Ikenga Ogidi, writes from Lagos,
Nigeria.
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