Bookclub: the Soludo – THISAGE model

Reviewer: Uzor Maxim Uzoatu

The Audacity to Transform: A Ringside Witness on the Continuing Development in Anambra of the Administration of Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo by Anselm C. Onuorah, PhD;

Anchor Book Africa Publisher, Awka; 2025; 296 pages

Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo’s surveillance of Anambra State is a work in progress. It is remarkable that Anselm C. Onuorah, PhD, managed to find the resourcefulness to document Soludo’s nearly breathless encounter in the book The Audacity To Transform.

Renowned intellectual and activist Prof PLO Lumumba leads the list of supporters of Onuorah’s The Audacity To Transform as he states: “The saying ‘every cloud has a silver lining’ has practical significance due to the dramatic positive changes witnessed in Anambra State under the administration of Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, even in the face of numerous hardships. His ‘never die spirit’ is worthy of praise. This book aptly chronicles his work.”

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo also expressed glowing words about the book and Soludo, together with Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, Osita Chidoka, Dr. Osita Ogbu, Fr. George Adimike, Iyom Josephine Anenih, Laolu Akande, Mayor Chibueze Ofobuike and Victor Akazue Nwakasi.

According to Governor Soludo’s hard-working Chief of Staff, “We are witnessing firsthand the transformative impact of Governor Soludo’s administration on Anambra. Witness tangible improvements in infrastructure, expanding access to quality education, improving healthcare, catalyzing economic growth, and empowering communities through the implementation of initiatives that directly uplift the most vulnerable citizens. His meticulous attention to detail and genuine commitment to positive change underscore an approach of people-centred and results-oriented governance, touching lives and cultivating inclusive development”.

In his insightful introduction to The Audacity To Transform entitled “From Ochichiri to Ochichi: Chukwuma Soludo & Governance in Times of Trouble”, Professor Chidi Anselm Odinkalu writes: “Among the Igbo of southeastern Nigeria, few expressions are as evocative as ‘ochichi’ and ‘ochichiri’. The former means government; the latter, darkness. As concepts, these expressions have transitive forms. It is possible to govern as it is possible overshadow… the election of Chukwuma Charles Soludo in November 2021 as governor of the state and his inauguration in March 2022 should have been an answered prayer for the state. He was the first governor of the state since 1999 to methodically seek the office and prepare for it as none of his predecessors came to office with intimidating credentials that combined exceptional achievements in politics, practice and theory at the highest levels as a central banker, economist and academician upon assuming office, he also established benchmarks of both conduct and results by reference to which his performance in office will be measured or evaluated.”

Former governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke, states in the foreword: “There are some people whose make-up is to leave society better than they met it. It is inherent in them, or put into social parlance, that is how they are wired. Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo is one of these. In both private and public life, he is driven to analyse, understand and offer solutions to the problems that vex society.”

I personally attest to the rigor put into the making of Onuorah’s The Audacity To Transform because I had to read the manuscript twice. The Audacity To Reform is indeed “a front row testimony to the ongoing development in Anambra by the administration of Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo”.

Soludo began by presenting his vision to the people of Anambra State through the vehicle laden The People’s Manifesto.

People tend to forget that when Soludo was inaugurated as governor of Anambra State, eight of the local governments were locked down by the evil captivity of the so-called “unknown gunmen” who had evil sanctuaries and records of their kidnapped captives and the payments they made. Soludo hastened to dismiss them as a sign of security as it was the first offer from a sovereign state.

Anambra State together with Lagos State are the smallest states in Nigeria, but while Lagos can claim more land through ocean reclamation, Anambra is burdened with the problem of its little available land being swallowed up by gully erosion. Soludo is at constant war with the ecological crisis. Environmental sustainability has taken pride of place in the scheme of things, while waste management is as always at the forefront.

The Okpoko slum, near Onitsha, received first attention as soon as Soludo was sworn in. In Onuorah’s The Audacity To Transform the prompt attention given to Okpoko is described as the masterstroke of Soludo’s urban regeneration.

The dual carriageways and flyovers constructed by Soludo are intended to provide Anambra State with an all-encompassing ring road. It seems that a rail master plan is a step towards greater connectivity.

The fractured feat of Governor Soludo in building for Anambra State a befitting Government House and Governor’s Lodge called “The Light House” is a legacy that is etched in the pages of history.

The deployment of teachers and multifaceted investments in education have placed Anambra State on a high pedestal. The construction of General Hospitals and the prioritization of health care added cubits to Soludo’s position.

The building of the All Peoples Progressive Alliance (APGA) as the main progressive party remains an important testimony of Soludo. Thanks to Soludo’s mandate, local authorities were able to be reborn.

Soludo’s work continues as he takes the oath of office for his second term. Onuorah’s The Audacity To Transform is a necessary documentation of Soludo’s first term. Documentation is important.

Through his timely book The Audacity To Transform, Anselm C. Onuorah has ensured that Soludo’s promise of creating a prosperous and livable homeland is there to be kept hidden. The Soludo template is an idea whose time has come.

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