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Anambra’s 50-Year Development Plan – All Eyes on Soludo
By James Eze
If you are from Anambra State, there’s probably no better time to be proud of your roots than now. Well…don’t get me wrong. There has never been a lack of reason to be proud of Anambra State, but this time, with Professor Chukwuma Soludo presiding over a historic committee that has been charged with the task of envisioning a great future for the state; there is yet one more reason to be proud of Anambra State. Now, you understand where I am coming from.
Truth be told; whatever impulse that nudged Governor Willie Obiano to set up a 50-Year Development Plan Committee and appoint Chukwuma Soludo to head it couldn’t have been anything but divine. With this development, it may be safe to say that after a few years of getting its political leadership right, Anambra is finally be ready to step into its manifest destiny.
Again, don’t get me wrong. Anambra is great already. Innoson. Chicason. Coscharis and the whole of Nnewi dream-makers are enough to make any state great. But with a clearly defined roadmap and clearer timelines to guide her steps into tomorrow, Anambra State may eventually be standing up to be counted as a model state in Nigeria in major indices of development and not just as a state that has produced the highest number of billionaires. And just in case we wish to face it, we must admit that Anambra needs a development plan. It needs an iron clad fence around its myriad of dreams sprouting in all corners of the state. No great society waits for change to happen to it. No. They usually get up to determine how it happens, where it happens and when it happens. A realistic development model that takes cognizance of the flora and fauna, the human capital, the distribution of natural resources as well as the colour of the dreams of ordinary people is an absolute imperative. And who is better qualified to lead this effort than Chukwuma Soludo?
Indeed, 60-year old Soludo is almost God-sent to lead Anambra’s 50-year Development Plan Committee. I doubt that there is anyone more capable of providing the ingenuity that Anambra desperately needs to teach Nigeria how to design a realistic and timeless development plan. Chukwuma Soludo is one African who will not blink in an eyeballing contest with any other human being from any part of the world in his field of knowledge. His visionary leadership of Nigeria’s banking sector has been a favourite of financial historians for years and will continue to be for years to come. Yet, it might help to recall that when he announced the banking reform that changed Nigeria, many people did not believe him in much the same way that some people have thumbed their noses at him on Anambra’s 50-year development plan. But anybody who doubts Soludo’s capacity to deliver a farsighted and sustainable development plan for Anambra does so in pardonable ignorance. As a renowned professor of economics and member of the International Advisory Group of the British Department for International Development, Soludo’s genius has been acknowledged worldwide. He is vastly experienced from his years of working as a consultant to The World Bank, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the United Nations Development Programme and also years of teaching in many prestigious universities around the world including Cambridge, Oxford, University of Warwick, Swarthmore College and the University of Nigeria among many others. Who else has this profile on the scene, please?
Indeed, since he blazed into national consciousness in 2003, Chukwuma Soludo’s star has continued to shine like the Orion; not the vaguest hint of obscurity. In fact, just the other day, he was named among the 8-member Economic Advisory Council that works directly with the Nigerian President on the economy.
Now, if someone like Soludo does not inspire confidence as the leader of any development planning committee, it would be difficult to find anyone else who will. And that is why all eyes are on Chukwuma Soludo. Everyone knows that this is one assignment that Soludo must deliver hundred percent. Prof Soludo knows too. And if morning shows the day, the rigour that he pressed into the first meeting of the committee, moments after it was inaugurated at the Governor’s Lodge in Amawbia shows that Prof Chukwuma Charles Soludo is in absolute self-possession and has indeed welcomed his new challenge with both arms.
And now, all eyes are on him.
The Enugu State government has inaugurated a steering committee to eliminate Gender-Based Violence, GBV, in the state, declaring zero tolerance for the social malaise.
The inauguration took place at the Government House Enugu.
The panel, which is chaired by the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, draws its membership from the Nigeria Police Force, Ministry of Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ministry of Human Development and Poverty Reduction, Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education as well as the Civil Society.
Inaugurating the panel known as the Steering Committee for Strengthening Institutional and Community Responses to End Gender-Based Violence/Domestication of Enugu State Gender Policy using the Oputa Panel approach, Governor Peter Mbah restated his administration’s commitment to not bringing perpetrators of GBV to book, but also putting in place proactive measures – activities, infrastructure, and systems in place to prevent them.
Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said, “We take gender-based violence seriously. We have zero tolerance for it, and in Enugu State, we are ready to go the extra mile to deal with it.
“If you notice, the government has selected people that are very committed to this goal. This is not an activity where we just want to check-off the list. We will track this. We will monitor this, and we will have quarterly engagements on the successes that this particular committee has achieved in terms of reference that we are going to send.
“We will tighten those terms of reference indicators, so that we monitor what we are doing both in terms of cost input and the value added. It’s very important to us. Many people will be involved – civil society, the police and various ministries.”
He however, said that the effort was to protect everyone, men and women alike, as GBV was not restricted to any gender.
“The whole idea is to hold people responsible that are involved in matters relating to gender violence and deter people that by culture or by association get involved in that, protect women, protect our children, and in the case of violence against men, protect our men because most times we misconstrue gender violence to mean women, but it can also be men too.
“We encourage our men to speak out and to make sure they understand that the policy that Enugu State is soon going to domesticate is for everyone, and not only for the female gender,” he stated.
In her remark, Mrs. Enih, explained that the Oputa Panel approach was inspired by the need to cover all local peculiarities in domesticating the policy on GBV, restarting government’s confidence in the members of the panel.
“The approach we are going to use is the Oputa Panel approach, and in the Oputa Panel approach, we are going to tour the 17 Local Government Areas to get firsthand information about what our people are going through because policy is meant for the people, and a policy should suit the people.
“Again, every community has its peculiar problems, so that’s why the government decided that if we have to domesticate the gender policy, we have to hear from the people who own the policy and know the changes that they desire to see. That is the reason we are using this approach.
“The committee members are to also serve as judges. As we gather this information from our people, we will come back to tailor it in a way to suit the people of Enugu State, and then our policy is ready.
“We want the people to know that there is a gender policy for them. I can assure you that when the people are aware that there is such a policy, they will seek for the enforcement of that policy. So, this is not going to be one of those policies that will just lie on the shelf,” she said.
Digital solutions provider, Globacom, has congratulated Christians in Nigeria on this year’s Easter celebration, and urged them to emulate the noble qualities of Jesus Christ.
The company, in a goodwill message to the Christian faithful in the country, lauded their perseverance through the Lenten period which preceded Easter. It enjoined them to always promote the ideals of selflessness, love and peace among all as a way of demonstrating the virtues of the exemplary life of Jesus Christ.
“Peace, love and sacrifice are the central message of Easter. Christ offered himself in atonement for the sins of the world and he lived a life which made Him an eternal symbol of peace and goodwill for mankind”, Globacom added.
The company enjoined all Nigerians to share in the lessons of promoting selflessness, a necessary ingredient in the growth and development of every society. It also enjoined all Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria a better place for all.
Easter is celebrated yearly at the end of the Lenten season of fasting and prayer considered as a ritual of purification for the Christian faithful. It also precedes the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The company assured its customers of seamless voice, data and Short Messaging Service (SMS) during and after the Easter celebrations, while urging them to avail themselves of the various data and voice offerings on the network.
The Guild of Private Broadcast Managers has extended its heartfelt congratulations to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) as it celebrates its 70th Anniversary.
In a congratulatory message signed by the Guild’s National President, Ambassador Patrick Uzoyi-Peters, JP MNGRM, the guild described the milestone as a testament to the NUJ’s unwavering commitment to upholding press freedom, journalistic integrity, and the advancement of democracy in Nigeria.
“For seven decades, the NUJ has played a pivotal role in shaping the media landscape, advocating for the rights and welfare of journalists, and ensuring that the voice of the people remains strong and unyielding. Your resilience, professionalism, and dedication to ethical journalism have been instrumental in fostering transparency, accountability, and national development”.
Celebrating this historic achievement, the Guild’s President, Uzoyi-Peters recognized the sacrifices and contributions of journalists across the nation who work tirelessly to inform, educate, and empower society.
The Guild reiterated it commitment towards collaborating with the NUJ in promoting responsible journalism and strengthening the media industry for the greater good.
While wishing the NUJ continued success, growth, and greater impact in the years ahead, President Uzoyi-Peters prayed that the anniversary serve as a renewed call to uphold the principles of truth, fairness, and press freedom in our collective pursuit of a more informed and just society.
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