Ndi Anambra: Time to cast aside the shackles of doubt, embrace the clarion call of Homeland Consciousness by Soludo

By Christian ABURIME

The timeless maxim, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also”, is a familiar biblical derivation with human relevance.

It speaks to our value system and things we hold so dear that we can invest time, effort and resources in. Today, the same above aphorism is being framed as a question to Ndi Anambra Diaspora: where is your treasure? Where is your heart? If Anambra State is dear to your heart, as in there is no place like home, why then have you not planted your treasure in the homeland by investing there?

These are critical questions that come pertinent as Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, CFR, has once again reiterated his calls to Ndi Anambra living outside the State to come home to invest. The governor made the clarion call during a town hall meeting with Ndi Anambra businessmen and women resident in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja just few days ago

It would be recalled that he made similar calls to Ndi Anambra resident in Lagos some weeks ago. The tireless quest by Governor Soludo to see a rapid transformation of Anambra State into a prosperous homeland is a worthy ideal that deserves the support of Ndi Anambra anywhere they are in the world.

As it is a normal trend in all progressive societies, accelerated development occurs best with all hands on the plough from the government and citizenry.

Mercifully, Anambra State is blessed with not only a proactive visionary in Governor Soludo as a leader, but also with prodigious, enterprising human resources scattered all over the world. There is therefore no excuse for Anambra not to be great and become first among equals.

As the sun rises over our beautiful State every day, it illuminates the potential that lies within each of us to transform Anambra into a prosperous and thriving destination instead of a transit point to other places.

On its part, the Anambra State government has been hard at work putting all necessary infrastructures in place and facilitating an enabling environment for Ndi Anambra and outsiders to invest in.

Security remains a top priority of the government and the security architecture is being strengthened everyday with committed human, material and technological resources. On road infrastructure, over 300 kilometers of road across the entire state are currently at various stages of completion while additional ones will be flagged off soon.

Awka, the state capital, is being modernized just as a new government house and lodge will be ready in the latter part of first quarter next year. On food security, the government has embarked on regenerative agriculture to boost production while also distributing coconut and palm oil seedling to about 140,000 households across the State to drastically reduce poverty in few years to come.

On the environment, the government is not folding its arms on the existential threat of gully erosion along with the devastating effects of flooding. Re-channeling and desilting of the waterways in the State are on-going and a bill to further combat the menace of erosion is in the works.

Our commercial city of Onitsha is getting rescue attention to bring it back to its former glory through rebuilding infrastructure and urban renewal. And of course, land acquisition requests by every prospective investor will get expeditious approvals.

On power, the State government is working with the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, EEDC, for 24 hours electricity at least for the four major towns of Awka, Onitsha, Nnewi and Ekwulobia.

So, a lot has been done by the government and more is still being done to make Anambra State an investor-friendly hub. As resident Ndi Anambra are urged to be patriotic in paying their due taxes regularly to the State Government, Ndi Anambra in the Diaspora are also invited to pay part of their taxes to the State as well as channel their resources homewards in strategic investments.

Let us cast aside the shackles of doubt and embrace the clarion call of homeland consciousness. We are more than individuals scattered across the globe; we are all custodians of Anambra’s destiny. Together, we hold the key to unlocking the untapped potential of our homeland.

The government’s role as a facilitator and enabler cannot be understated, but it is our collective entrepreneurial zeal that will breathe life into transformative projects and innovative ventures Governor Soludo is putting in place in Anambra State.

As the saying goes, “When spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion.” Let us embrace the spirit of ubuntu, where success is not measured in isolation but in the prosperity we collectively create. The time is now; the solution is here, and at the same time in our hands!.