There is a timeless Igbo saying, “Ukpa Ekene”, which means a basket of gratitude carried to one who has done well.
Yesterday, Ndi Anambra carried the gratitude basket to Professor Chukwuma Soludo, as he took the oath of office for a second term as the Governor of Anambra State.
And it is a basket he has earned with excellent performance and re-election by a seventy-three percent landslide victory in November eight, state governorship election last year.
Four years ago, Governor Soludo inherited a state where fear had taken root, where markets shut down on Mondays, and candidates could not campaign in seven local government areas.
Today, those dark days are gone and a new dawn is stirring back to life. Operation Udo Ga-Achī, “Peace Shall Reign”, has done what many doubted possible. The state is breathing free from insecurity again.
Beyond security, the record speaks for itself: over six hundred kilometres of new roads completed, two thousand kilometres repaired. bridges have been built, twelve thousand hectares of land saved from erosion and many more milestone projects executed across various sectors.
And now, in this second term, Governor Soludo will also return the basket of gratitude to Ndi Anambra by fast-tracking his grand vision of Anambra as a smart, prosperous megacity. A Dubai-Taiwan model, rooted in Igbo enterprise, grounded in modern infrastructure, governed by excellence and driven by the Governor.
Soludo’s bold blueprint is set to revolutionise Anambra’s economy, drawing inspiration from Dr. M.I. Okpara’s transformative leadership that once propelled the Eastern Region to greatness. With the master plan in place, his second term is poised to bring to life a vibrant mixed industrial city, launch the new Onitsha three point zero and new Awka two point zero, and complete game-changing projects like the Solution Innovation District and the Anambra Light Train, connecting the state’s economic hubs.
To Ndi Anambra at home and in the diaspora, this is your moment. Come, witness, and celebrate. But much more, join hands with Governor Soludo to keep the ‘Light of the Nation’ shining in unity, peace and progress.
Indeed, Anambra is rising. The Solution is here. And the Solution continues working.
SIR ERNIE ONWUMERE
