Call me a pessimist but I think Soludo has started poorly (I’m tempted to say abysmally). Prior to his inauguration, Anambra was relatively peaceful. Exactly three weeks later, Anambra has become the flashpoint of insecurity in the South-East, recording at least 2 arsons of LGA headquarters (including Soludo’s LG) and sporadic killing of security and paramilitary personnel, incidents hitherto relatively alien to the state (at least not with the vigour of the past 3 weeks). This flare up is simply down to how Soludo has approached the problem of insecurity in the state so far.
As a seasoned professional, especially one who came highly recommended, one would expect Soludo to have been more conscientious and diligent in approaching the security challenges bedeviling his state and the South East in general. Rather he opted for visibility and optics.
His proclamation of a one-day prayer session to mark an end to the sit-at-home order in the state is an antic only worthy of career politicians, most unexpected from a man of Soludo’s caliber. His peace building and security dialogue was even more amusing. Who did he dialogue with?
Soludo by now should know that the problem is systemic and complex, not one to be wished away with a magic wand. His one-man strong-man attitude so far has proven deleterious. There is no way he can delve into solving such a problem without the alliance of his fellow governors in the South East. It is a regional problem after all.
Some of his other actions so far have also been marked by superficiality and cursoriness such as the blanket ban on revenue collection in the state where touting thrives like a business. Of course, a poor keke driver was beaten to coma the next day when he tried to obey ‘Soludo’s order’. Next he goes with his whole entourage to a refuse dump site where a clean-up exercise was taking place to deliver a speech. On top of the heap of refuse! What else but optics for the camera?
Before Soludo buries Anambra further, he had better reached out to his brother governors in the South East who have been in this mess long before he came into power. The problem can only be tackled from a common front and with all the seriousness it deserves. Not one man sitting in his office and granting amnesty knowing fully well he does not have the power to do so. His utterances on the subject must be calculated. This is not the time to dare people. Most of the efforts to end insecurity in the South East should be done off camera. Soludo needs to understand this. The time for politicking and winning the hearts of people is over. Now it is time to lead!