As Soludo Rises…

“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain” . John 12:24

We enjoy quick fixes in ways that make our development plans quite unsustainable. To many of us, progress is defined by the lyrics of an old Oliver D’coque’s song, “K’anyi biri be ndụ, kpọri be ndụ rapu ife ga eme echi, K’anyi biri be ndụ”.

This is why we fall to the sweet nothings of some Politicians who sensate us with talks of “progress without process”. Better put, promises of a bountiful harvest without the sacrifices of labour. This is where a Soludo comes different, and strikes many as an atypical Politician.

As one privileged to have crisscrossed the State with him in the periods that culminated to his popular and landslide electoral victory, I have heard him say these words on many occasions; “ekwenyero m na ndi n’asi okwu to ụtọ ma ya bụ na eziokwu”. When translated, Sóludo was simply saying, “I do not subscribe to the school of thought that advocates that words can be flowery and promising even when they are untrue”.

This is a Leader who understands and would make one appreciate that every right acruable to an individual or group of individuals must come with mutually benefiting obligations.
The promise of a Liveable and Prosperous Homeland is a right we all would enjoy insofar as we collectively own up the obligation of working out the process in all honesty.
The popular Afro-pop Legend, Tuface Idibia, says it with more lucidity; “Nobody wan kpai but dem wan go heaven”.

#AnambraFirst

– Mazi Ejimofor Opara writes from Awka, Anambra State.