By Chinenyenwa Nwokebuife
In a powerful and emotionally charged town hall meeting with Ndi Anambra residents in Lagos over the weekend, Anambra State Governor, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, CFR, not only presented his administration’s three-year performance scorecard but also delivered a clarion call for a cultural and moral revival of the homeland.
Kicking off his presentation, Governor Soludo emphasized the need for homeland consciousness, drawing a striking parallel between Ndi Anambra in the diaspora and the Jewish people before the founding of Israel. He recounted how, following the horrors of World War II, the Jews vowed to create a prosperous and secure homeland they could always return to. That was how the modern state of Israel was born.
“In the same spirit,” Soludo urged, “every Anambra person in the diaspora must see the state as their ultimate home, a place they are proud of and committed to building.”
To drive his point home, he described investments outside Anambra as “anaba aghalu”, possessions that ultimately remain behind when one returns home. He urged Ndi Anambra to begin redirecting their investments and tax contributions to their home state to enable government deliver impactful development.
Governor Soludo reiterated his administration’s guiding principle: “One state, one people, one agenda.” This approach, he said, informs his project selection strategy, which prioritizes the unique needs of each locality. He pointed to Okpoko, widely regarded as the largest slum in the Southeast, as a prime example. Largely neglected in the past, Okpoko has seen the construction of 16 kilometres of roads, installation of streetlights, provision of potable water, and the commissioning of a fully equipped general hospital under his leadership.
He also highlighted major developments in historically neglected regions such as Awka North and Anambra West, where some communities had no tarred roads leading to their local government headquarters.
Despite these extensive accomplishments, Soludo revealed that his government has spent only 65 percent of what the previous administration used in 2013 without borrowing a single kobo.
However, the Governor stressed that infrastructure alone will not guarantee the future of Anambra. “Developing the state without building a generation with the right values is a waste of time,” he warned.
He described a growing clash of values that threatens the fabric of Anambra society. The proud apprenticeship tradition known as Igba Boi which once raised generations of successful entrepreneurs is now being rejected by young people in favor of quick-money.
“Today, our youths are abandoning apprenticeship to patronize the Okeites and Ezenwanyis, native doctors who give them a false sense of invincibility and promise riches without effort,” he lamented.
This shift, he explained, has forced Anambra businessmen to recruit apprentices from outside the state. These non-indigenous youths eventually return to empower their own communities, gradually taking over Anambra’s once-thriving markets.
Soludo highlighted the tragic global consequences of this mindset shift, citing a chilling example from Malaysia where 21 Nigerians are currently on death row. Only one of them is from Edo State while the remaining 20 are from Anambra.
“We now have a generation of young people who want the crown without the cross,” he said. “They’ve been brainwashed into believing that money can be made without sweat.”
He emphasized that these “native doctors of fortune” alongside their so-called Christian equivalents who preach prosperity without work are the foundation of the criminality that once threatened to engulf Anambra State. If left unchecked, he warned, they will continue to corrupt and mislead the youth.
Soludo was quick to differentiate between these charlatans and legitimate traditional herbalists. “Genuine native doctors who contribute to healthcare are recognized and registered by the government. Our concern is with the dangerous and delusional doctrines of those who embolden criminality.”
Governor Soludo’s town hall address was more than a governance report. It was a bold attempt to stir the collective conscience of Ndi Anambra. He painted a clear vision: a secure, developed, and morally upright homeland that not only attracts investments but also inspires pride.
Soludo made it clear that reclaiming Anambra’s future requires more than bricks and mortar. It also demands a cultural reset. One that restores the dignity of labor, reveres apprenticeship, and rejects the poisonous lure of instant wealth.
“Our fight is not just against bad roads or poor healthcare, it is against the forces that threaten our values and identity,” he declared. “And that fight begins now.”
*Nwokebuife is Anambra Times Lagos Correspondent
