When Professor Chukwuma Soludo indicated interest in becoming governor of Anambra State, there was so much excitement in the air.
Here was a globally respected economist, a technocrat of uncommon intellect, and one of Ndigbo’s brightest stars—armed with credentials that promised to redefine governance in the state. His rise from a respected academic to Presidential economic adviser under Olusegun Obasanjo, and later, Governor of Nigeria’s Central Bank, put him head and shoulders above other aspirants. When one adds his “Dubai-Taiwan” vision, one would appreciate why the imagination of the people who are famous for their high business acumen, was electrified like never before.
Yet, as his first tenure gradually winds down, the reality has been sobering. For many who saw him as the embodiment of hope, his handling of the state has been disappointing. Instead of the wisdom, tact, and statesmanship that his pedigree suggested, Soludo’s conduct has exposed troubling lapses in judgment and temperament. The lingering question remains: how did such a promising start unravel so quickly?
Soludo has made some notable strides. He has consolidated his grip on APGA, giving him unusual leverage as both governor and party leader. He has redeveloped the Government House in Awka, embarked on visible infrastructural projects like the Ekwulobia flyover, two dual carriageways, several roads, and taken steps to tackle insecurity. His calls for a return to values of dignity over the “get-rich-quick” culture resonated with many, and his battles against those who enable that culture have drawn wide support within and outside the state.
Yet, instead of consolidating these gains, Soludo has mixed this noble path with unnecessary distractions that continue to unsettle even his most ardent supporters. His public quarrels, his penchant for needless battles, and his graceless handling of public affairs have, regrettably, become the more defining features of his administration.
The signs were always there. Since leaving the exalted office of CBN Governor, he has picked quarrels with some of the South East’s leading lights, some of who qualify to be called his mentors. In a rare display of arrogance, he has carried himself in ways that ensure those who disagree with him receive the sharp edge of his tongue.
His 2015 public spat with Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala revealed this combative streak, following a previous disagreement with Prof. Dora Akunyili. When he took on the Jonathan administration’s economic policies, he virtually accused the National Economic Management Team headed by Okonjo-Iweala of mismanagement, a charge she strongly rebutted. Soludo fired back with a scathing rejoinder titled “Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and the Missing Trillions (1),” in which he accused the minister, more or less, of criminal negligence. He then did the unthinkable by challenging her to a public debate. It was a self-serving offer she was not prepared to accept, mainly because it was, in the opinion of one public commentator, ‘an invitation to wrestle with a pig’.
