SOLUDO’S NARCISSISM AND THE FUTURE OF ANAMBRA STATE


Lawrence EZEANYA

On June 16, 2009, Nasir El-Rufai, who at the time was in exile, was a guest to Graeme Blair and Daniel Scher who interviewed him under the auspices of a programme titled ‘Innovation for Successful Societies’ which was an initiative of the National Academy of Public Administration, and the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and the Boost Center for Peace and Justice, at Princeton University in the United States of America (USA). In that 34-page interview, El-Rufai made several disclosures about his role in the Chief Olusegun Obasanjo government and what he did with the privatisation exercise. He also spoke about the role he played in the recruitment of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nuhu Ribadu, and Oby Ezekwesili into the Obasanjo government.

He further spoke of the role Okonjo-Iweala played in recruiting Charles Soludo into the government as an Economic Adviser and as a member of Obasanjo’s core team. But what struck me most in the interview was the reason El-Rufai gave on why Soludo broke ranks with the team.

Read him: “…She also insisted to Obasanjo that I must be part of the team. And one of the good things that Ngozi did was also to convince all of us that for these things to work there had to be a solid team. I could see that immediately because I worked alone and it was tough operating without a team. We more or less sat and handpicked that team. (Charles) Chukwuma Soludo was brought in by Ngozi; was a student of Ngozi’s dad and she knew him and so we recommended that he should be the Economic Advisor. He was Economic Advisor for two years before moving to the Central Bank as governor… Charles Soludo who went on to the Central Bank dropped out largely because there was competition for visibility and glory between Ngozi and Charles. Ngozi was the Finance Minister, she was the head of the economic team and she was the external face of economic reforms. Charles felt that he also needed some spotlight. We didn’t care. We thought that as long as the work got done, we didn’t care who took credit. Charles thought that who got credit was important.

“In addition I guess, it was easier for us - Oby and I - because I had a high-profile territory to run, I was always in the news. I was running the capital city, so anytime a President visits Nigeria, I welcome him, I get the photo ops more than anyone, okay? So I can’t complain, but this was Charles’ problem. He said look, we do all this work, I’m the economic advisor, but nobody remembers I did anything. It is Ngozi, Ngozi, Ngozi, so this was a problem. So he stopped coming to our meetings and dropped out and later moved to Central Bank and so on.”

Those were perspectives on Soludo as stated by El-Rufai, whom he worked with in the same government and in the same team. Those words show clearly why Soludo’s team members are aghast over a harmless advice by Prof. Obiora Okonkwo in which he urged the Anambra governor to up his game in delivering on his promises –to turn Anambra into “African Dubai-Taiwan”. No one forced Soludo to make those promises. By willfully and feely making them, it was believed that he had his graph painstakingly plotted especially having served Nigeria as its Central Bank Governor. Given that background, many believed that he had the necessary network of investors and financiers, and the solutions, which would prove vital towards achieving the dream of an African Dubai-Taiwan. This is why Anambra people hold him more accountable for what he promised to do, than for what he is currently doing, more so, having contested for the governorship of the state on two previous occasions.

Though everyone knows that building an “African Dubai-Taiwan” out of Anambra is not an eight-year project, but as the Chinese say, a journey of one thousand miles begins with a single step. However, if the first single step is faulty and shaky, the journey is condemned to suffer major mishaps.

El-Rufai’s comment is also suggestive of the possibility that Soludo felt insecure in their team because of the presence of Okonjo-Iweala. Of course, having been dwarfed, he had no other option than to retreat into his shell. That further suggests that Soludo is scared-stiff of being outshone by anyone. But the fact is this: he cannot be the only star shining out of Anambra State. He is just first among equals. He is not superior to any Anambrarian. He need not look diminished whenever a friend advises him. He is a state governor and as such ‘public property’. The people, on whose behalf he administers Anambra state, have the right to review his performance as their governor as well as applaud, critic, or condemn his performance.

Leaders do not only need prayers, they also need friendly advice. It is said in pidgin English that advise no be curse. Thinking otherwise is a sign of a narcissistic disposition to insecurity.

Anambra people, including Okonkwo, employed him to work for them. They expect him to take the state steps away from where his mentor, Willy Obiano, dumped it. What they expect him to do go beyond wearing Akwaette fabric and drinking palm wine or driving in an Innoson branded vehicle. Those are no leadership measuring yardsticks.

Soludo ought to come to terms with the reality of the fact, as stated by el-Rufai, that “the ability to bond and backstop one another was key to a lot of our success”. This understanding comes from the knowledge that only people who want, and pray, for the success of their friends, make out time from their very busy schedule to advise and point to areas of improvement need. Therefore, Soludo’s “headless mob”, which believes that drawing the battle line with anyone, or everyone, who speaks to Soludo’s performance as governor these past 19 months, ought to realise that they rather are creating more problems for the governor and, also, making him a pariah with his stumbling outing. The fact is that people, even those outside Anambra, are looking at him to see what he does with the report of the 80-member transition committee that he constituted which was incidentally chaired by Oby Ezekwesili. People are also watching, and taking notes, about what he does with the ‘Anambra Vision 2070 Report’, which he chaired under Obiano’s watch. There are insinuations that he literally uplifted his NEEDS (National Economic Empowerment Development Strategy) rhetoric which birthed SEEDS (State Economic Empowerment Development Strategy), to produce the Anambra Vision 2070. Whichever way, the expectation is that Soludo cannot just be proficient only in developing documents and visions and strategies. He must also show leadership by implementing them. That was why Anambra people called him ‘solution’, which he adopted. They are eagerly waiting to see the solution to infrastructure decay, insecurity, poor sanitation, poor implementation of human development strategies, zero action on environmental challenges like gully erosion, running taps and improved extractive activities in the state’s oil mines. That is the only way to convince those who say his stint at Agu Awka, thus far, has been less than encouraging.

Soludo’s infantile and “headless mob” should rather help him to rise above petty policies like imposing heavy taxes on the poor, the Okada, wheelbarrow pusher and Keke rider, which have spread in Anambra poverty and further threatens the security of our dear state. They should help direct his minds towards the conduct of local government elections which would bring governance closer to the grassroots and focus more on delivering on projects and infrastructure that would bring Anambra a step close to his promised African Dubai-Taiwan. These are urgent needs of Anambra state.

Lawrence Ezeanya is a communication consultant based in Austin Texas, US America

Too long.... let's know the grievances you have with Soludo or the politician sponsoring you.

Charles soludo is an envious man.....no wonder he stil takes same to peter obi campaign thinking he will be the first igbo man to rule Nigeria.....
He is now the governor, let us see n watch how Anambra will be in the next 4 yrs!