Aguleri Ancient Kingdom And Soludo The Goldfish

JOE C. ANATUNE

On January 4, 2020, Igwe Dr. Mike Idigo of Aguleri will confer a Chieftaincy title on Professor Chukwma Soludo and two other eminent personalities. It is not in doubt that majority of historians with focus on Igbo civilisation agree that Aguleri is the cradle of the Igbo nation as the original abode of Eri. It is also on record that its Ezeora dynasty which is one of the oddest in Eastern Nigeria has produced 34 kings. The significance of this in unraveling what make the Igbo tick will continue to draw and occupy the attention of scholars in the social sciences. So, on that day Soludo will be going back to the root of Ndi-Igbo to be  honoured. 

 

It is indeed fascinating to recall that in the run up to the last Anambra governorship election, the Old Aguata Union( OAU) — comprising Aguata, Orumba North and Orumba South LGAs—- where Soludo comes from, conferred on Governor Willie Obiano a chieftaincy title. Obiano, Soludo and late Dr Alex Ekwueme are the three persons that had been so honoured in this regard. Ostensibly, Igwe Idigo and his people may be “retaliating” the kind gesture of OAU for the friendship, support and solidarity to their son Obiano and his APGA-led government by Soludo.

 

It is equally worthy of note that Aguleri is the birthplace of Blessed Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi, a Catholic Priest and monk who was beatified by Pope John Paul 11 on march 22, 1998. Tansi remains a pride to all African and Nigeria Christians and a path finder in the spread and acceptance of the Christian faith. Now, Soludo will touch base to Aguleri in the spirits of both Eri, Tansi and as a dependable ally of Aguleri people on January 4 to receive this special title in the first Ofala festival of Igwe Idigo.

 

For those who know Soludo, the Aguleri outing is one of the rare conferment you can easily catch him in. He truly loves our culture and all its underpinnings. However, he is shy of the publicity usually associated with such events that seek to celebrate what he regards as his modest contributions to improving the quality of life or making the society better than he met it. He is often glued and immersed in searching for solutions to the numerous future challenges that confront us in this modern internet age. And he is in a hurry to make great things happen.

 

But Igwe Dr. Mike Idigo and his good people of Aguleri are playing the Yoruba card on him. What?  Do a favour to a Yoruba and be sure that he or she will give you a call the next to tell you- “Thank you for yesterday!”. I’m educated that this greeting is a request that you do more. In effect, the Aguleri people are thanking Soludo for his contributions to the economic development of Nigeria, his support and friendship with their son and for his social investment projects that have been lifting the life of the masses. They would want him to do more in the service of Anambra state and Nigeria.

 

In his desire to avoid the glamour and glitz associated with chieftaincy conferment, Soludo appears to overlook the reality that his achievements have made him a Goldfish in a glass bowl. And like the “unputdownable” thriller of James Hadley Chase – Goldfish Have No Hiding Place, that makes you forget for some precious hours the rigours of life, he is, like all celebrities living in a Goldfish Glass Bowl. It is not his making and I think he needs to figure out a way to grapple with the challenges of living in the limelight of success. He has, over time, been offered over 100 chieftaincy titles across the country which he has kept in view or politely turned down.

 

But as the man who saved his country from the worst global economic meltdown in history following the Great Recession, who ignited unprecedented GDP growth by birthing global banks from some 89 rickety banks that can now fund big projects for the private sector and who reversed the practice of printing our national currencies abroad, he definitely must be living in a Goldfish bowl. Again a man who gave his country one of the best economic blueprints, played significant roles in securing for his country and people unheard of debt relief and forgiveness and not the least, a man who modernised for his country a system for collating and analysing data for planning and implementing policies that touch on their lives must also be living in a Goldfish bowl.

 

There are more. Soludo must be living in Goldfish bowl when as Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)he arrested the  waste of lives by armed robbers in moving cash from different parts of South East to Enugu by decentralising operations of the apex bank in the zone and building befitting CBN offices in Awka, Umuahia, Abakaliki, Asaba etc. It will be a surprise that a man who conceptualised and commenced the construction of one of the best business schools infrastructure in Africa in Enugu not to live in a Goldfish bowl. Can a man that is executing One of the most far reaching but unsung social investment  programmes in education, health and physical infrastructure benefitting thousands of people still have a hiding place?

 

Obviously, Soludo can no longer hide when the world often knocks at his doors in times of difficult economic travails for solutions or when his fatherland notwithstanding political affiliations requested he puts his prodigious Development skills at the services of the country and people.  And recently when his Governor Obiano-led Anambra State Government sought that he leads a team of eggheads to envision the good life for the Gen- Alpha, Gen- z,  and Gen – N,  it will be curious if Soludo will not be a Goldfish in glass bowl.

 

Igwe Idigo and the people of his Aguleri Ancient Kingdom must have their ears to the ground. Or how else can they have known the body language of Ndi- Anambra. Because everywhere two or more Ndi- Anambra gather, the conversations are often about who succeeds Governor Willie Obiano. At times, you get the pulse that the election is next month. In these conversations it is always about Soludo and the others. Many have seen his quality and are asking him to throw his hat in the rings for Anambra 2021 governorship election. He has for now asked his supporters to put their requests in prayers and remain resolute that the African Dubai- Taiwan Anambra State is possible and doable.

 

In reminiscence, when Obasanjo appointed Soludo CBN Governor in 2004 from post of The Chief Economic Adviser, Aguata, Orumba North and Orumba South people staged a grand reception for him tagged ” Dance of Honour” during which he was conferred with the title of Odenigbo Aguata na Orumba. This was prophetic as he went on to make great things happen for Nigeria and remains a pride and reference point amongst his OAU folks.

 

Igwe Idigo and his subjects are, in the heels of their brothers and sisters of the Old Aguata Union (OAU) in another prophetic mission as they welcome Soludo to the cradle of Igbo civilization and the birth place of Blessed Cyprian Michael Tansi for their prayers and best wishes that he  makes great things happen in Anambra state. And for Chukwuma Soludo, he is in for what marketing people call BOGOF- buy one and get one free. He will get traditional recognition and blessings and spiritually walk, literally on the footprints of a monk and Saint. In all these, Anambra is waiting. So we join Igwe Idigo and his people in saying to Soludo- “Thank you for yesterday!”.

 

 

 

• Anatune writes from Awa in Orumba North LGA, Anambra State.