Mother Hen Metaphor As Soludo’s Leadership Matrix 

CHRISTIAN ABURIME

One of the timeless rhythms of life in the rural areas is that of a familiar scenario involving the mother hen with its delicate chicks on ground and a hawk hovering around in a bid to poach a chick for meal. Naturally, the mother hen stands as an eternal symbol of fierce guardianship. With wings spread wide and beak poised for battle, she confronts the circling hawk, demonstrating an uncompromising instinct to shield her brood from peril.

This primal metaphor resonates vividly in the governance matrix of Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, CFR, whose warrior spirit reflects that protective ferocity.

Since day one, Governor Soludo has been known to always fearlessly confront non-state actors bent on foisting a culture of criminality and economic sabotage on Anambra. Today, the tireless combative governor keeps dismantling their insidious agendas and machinations, safeguarding Ndi Anambra and securing the state’s economy, one battle at a time.

Like the hen that never yields to the predator’s shadow, Governor Soludo’s governance embodies resilience and bravery: a refusal to surrender, a commitment to building a brighter homeland, and an ironclad resolve to protect against adversaries, whether lurking in communities or markets.

As a pragmatic leader, his body language is this: we must never give up. We must never surrender. In Soludo’s Anambra, this mantra is not an empty rhetoric but a lived reality, etched into policies that confront entrenched evils head-on. His administration’s triumphs are not accidents of fortune but the fruits of bold, decisive action, actions that have ripple effects far across the Southeast, inspiring a region weary of complacency.

A few specific cases of Governor Soludo’s protective leadership would suffice. For instance, in the shadowy underbelly of desperation, where get-rich-quick schemes often prey on the vulnerable, Governor Soludo last year struck with the precision of a mother hen defending her nest. The scourge of fake native doctors, colloquially known as ‘Oketie’ in Anambra, has long festered like a hidden wound. These charlatans, peddling illusions of instant wealth, have fueled barbaric money ritual killings, luring young men into a vortex of crime and moral decay.

Then, Soludo’s government launched a relentless crackdown, exposing these frauds and dismantling their networks through targeted security enforcement and public awareness campaigns. By rooting out these predators, he has not only saved lives but restored a sense of ethical order, ensuring that Anambra’s youths pursue prosperity through legitimate means, not diabolical money rituals.

Governor Soludo’s protective instincts also extend to the intellectual realm, where falsehoods could undermine the very foundations of progress. Last year, he ignited a firestorm by calling out ambitious politicians flaunting fake Ph.D. qualifications, a brazen affront to meritocracy that erodes public trust. Like the mother hen spotting a sly intruder in the coop, the governor refused to let such deceit go unchecked. His outspoken stance later catalysed federal intervention, culminating in a Federal Government memo warning all public officers against fraudulent credentials. This move has set a precedent, compelling a reckoning with academic integrity. In Anambra, it means governance built on genuine expertise, not hollow boasts.

Perhaps, Governor Soludo’s most emblematic triumph is the shattering of the Monday sit-at-home syndrome, a paralysing ritual that strangled Anambra’s economy and sowed fear across the Southeast. Enforced by non-state actors, this practice turned bustling markets into ghost towns, costing billions in lost productivity and stifling the spirit of a resilient people.

Solution Soludo, embodying the mother hen’s unblinking stare-down of the hawk, mounted a multifaceted offensive: ordering a deterrent one-week Onitsha Main Market shutdown, reinforcing security, and engaging traders. His decisive actions bore fruit as the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) aligned with his vision, issuing an official statement from detained leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu permanently canceling the sit-at-home across the region. Mondays in Anambra now pulse with life, schools open, businesses thrive, and families move without dread. This breakthrough is another proof of Governor Soludo’s resilience: by refusing to cower, he has reclaimed economic sovereignty, proving that collective bravery can vanquish even the most entrenched threats.

Yet, no protective saga is complete without a direct assault on the marauders. Through the ‘Agunechemba’ initiative, meaning “lion that guards the community”, Governor Soludo has unleashed a comprehensive security offensive against criminals, cultists, and unknown gunmen who once terrorised Anambra’s landscapes. This operation, blending intelligence-driven raids, community partnerships, and technological surveillance, has dismantled hideouts and restored peace to volatile areas. The results are palpable: reduced crime rates, safer roads, and a populace empowered to build without fear.

Today in Governor Soludo’s Anambra, the mother hen’s metaphor is no abstract tale; it is a real matrix for governance. His successes against fake native doctors, fraudulent qualifications, the sit-at-home curse, and rampant criminality illustrate a leader who fights not for glory, but for the sacred duty of protection. As the governor continues to spread his fearless wings over Anambra, he inspires us all to embrace that same warrior spirit: to build a greater future, unyielding against the hawks that prowl.