The Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has emphasised the need for ideologically driven political parties in the quest for rebuilding Nigeria, stating that nation-building is an ongoing process that requires open and constructive dialogue.
Soludo made the remarks on Thursday while speaking as a guest at the June 12 edition of The Platform, an event hosted by Covenant Nation in Lagos.
Delivering his lecture titled ‘Rebuilding the Nation’, the governor called for the urgent need for a national dialogue on citizenship, emphasising that the topic presumes a sense of nostalgia for a nation with a glorious past, and to which everyone now needs to rebuild.
He said, “I was asked to speak on ‘Rebuilding Our Nation’. The topic itself presumes a sense of nostalgia for ‘a nation’ with a glorious past, and to which we now need to ‘rebuild’. We must return to the substance of our contribution towards Nigeria’s rebirth, which is the nature of organisation and citizenship required for sustainable nationhood and success in the ‘liberation struggle’ against underdevelopment.
“The first is that we must give our politics a soul by intentionally orchestrating ideologically driven political parties. Second, a new Nigerian must be ‘born again’ through ethical-value rebirth. The time for both was yesterday, but today is still on time. Tomorrow may be too late.
“The idea of a ‘new Nigerian personality’ cannot emerge if people are constantly reminded, regardless of how long they have lived in a place, invested in it, or paid taxes, that they still don’t ‘belong’ because of their state of origin.
“A genuine national rebirth requires more than rhetoric; it demands institutional reforms and inclusive policies. As part of this effort, there is a need for the establishment of a federal Bureau to handle grievances and perceived injustices against citizens by the Nigerian state. Nation-building is an ongoing process that requires open and constructive dialogue.”
Citing Anambra State as a model, Soludo explained that his administration operates on the core principle of “One State, One People, One Agenda”, noting that his administration prioritises infrastructure and development based on need and impact, not ethnicity, political alignment, or religious affiliation.
The governor, however, hailed President Bola Tinubu for his economic policies, stating, “Let’s be clear – the audacious structural reforms embarked upon by the current administration of Tinubu, have rescued the economy from the tipping point.
“In 2023, I had described the state of the economy when this government assumed office as akin to a ‘standing dead horse’ and public finance was about to tip from insolvency, with potential catastrophic consequences including possible mass retrenchment of workers and/or arrears of salaries and pensions.
“But today, public finance is back on a solvency path, and macro fundamentals are recovering positively. Yes, there is still a lot more to do, but I urge the President and his team to stay the course.”
According to him, the government at all levels must design programmes to uplift all segments of society, particularly the most neglected, rather than serving the interests of patronage or nepotism.
To demonstrate this, the governor pointed out that five general hospitals and the flagship urban regeneration projects built by his administration were situated in the areas selected based on critical needs rather than political considerations.
He advocated inclusivity in governance, citing some examples of his administration’s inclusive approach of offering appointments to every Nigerian, irrespective of state, religion or political affiliation.
Soludo reaffirmed his commitment to national unity and commended President Tinubu for championing the cause of inclusive governance, calling on all Nigerians to rise to the challenge.
