Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, we rather have those because we have acted rightly. Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo CFR, Governor of Anambra state, is, by all standards, a man of excellence. To him, the excellence is never an accident; it is the result of high intention, sincere effort and intelligent execution.

By all standards, therefore, Professor Soludo is a special gift to Anambra. His profile is intimidating, while his performances are anastrophic. He had an exemplary career as an international scholar and philanthropist He is a devotee to Christian life and duties. In government, the Soludo brand is synonymous with excellence in grand visioning with precision in execution.

One word that summarizes Soludo’s academic, professional and public life is Excellence. With a Distinction Grade in Secondary school, he obtained a B.sc, M.Sc and Ph.D (all in First Class) in Economics from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka, winning Departmental, Faculty and University prizes. He also attended over 20 short term courses at the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, Warwick, etc.

Governor Soludo met the requirements for professorship at the age of 32, but was promoted at the age of 38 as a professor of Economics and has to his credit over 300 publications in journal articles, books, conference papers and monographs. He is also a Fellow of several professional bodies, including the Chartered Institute of Bankers, Nigerian Economic Society, as well as Fellow of Wolfson College, University of Cambridge, UK.

At the heat of the global financial crises in 2008, Professor Soludo was the only African member in the 10 — member technical committee set up by the United Nations to design the Agenda for Reforming the International Monetary and Financial System. He equally served as Member of the Executive Advisory Council of the World Bank; Member of the International Advisory group, UK-DFID; Member of the External Advisory Committee, IMF among many others too numerous to mention.

Before he joined the Federal Government in 2003, Prof Soludo lived in the US,UK and Ethiopia and travelled to over 45 other countries as an itinerant scholar and consultant to World Bank, IMF; EU; USAID; UK-DFID; African Development Bank; UNDP; UNCTAD; UN; IDRC Canada; African Union; USA; ECOWAS, among many others.

At the Federal Government of Nigeria, Governor Chukwuma Soludo served as Chief Economic Adviser to President Obasanjo; Chief Executive of National Planning Commission; Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria; Chairman of Board of Nigerian Security Printing and Minting PLC; founder and founding Chairman of Africa Finance Corporation; chairman or member of over 25 technical committees. He is instrumental to siting of CBN branch in Awka.

His tenure in government was Nigeria’s golden economic era with highest economic prosperity and over 10 million jobs created. Even President Buhari appointed him as a member of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council. Governor Soludo is the second Governor of CBN that metamorphosed into a state governor after Clement Isong of Cross River state.

For his distinguished public service, Prof Chukwuma Soludo was awarded the third highest national honour (Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic, CFR), and over 200 other national and international awards, including being the triple winner of the African and Global Central Bank Governor of the year 2005, 2006 and 2007.

In 2006, six national newspapers and magazines simultaneously declared him Nigeria’s “MAN OF THE YEAR”, in recognition of his transformation of the Nigerian banking/financial system. The history of Nigeria’s banking system is now divided into two: “before” and “after” Soludo as a result of his bank consolidation policies. His Alma Mater, the University of Nigeria, in 2004, honoured him with a special award as “the Most Distinguished Alumnus of the University”. Governor Soludo has been variously recognized internationally among the top 100 most influential Africans.

Back home, Charly Nwa Mgbafor, had a humble beginning. He is a true home boy, deeply rooted among his age grade, village and town. He helped to organize free Extramural studies for secondary school students in Isuofia during long vacations. From age 26, he started training not only his siblings but also others in secondary schools and university.

In 2000, Professor Soludo instituted a scholarship scheme for his people that no person should fail to go to university because of financial constraints and in 2001 he became the pioneer chairman of his village Education Trust Fund-raising, to which he was the highest donor and which granted scholarships and bursaries to indigent students.

For about 12 years, Soludo “adopted” Amoji Primary School, Isuofia, where he provides about 900 pupils every year with and qualitative education by providing everything they need pro bono, including uniform, footwear, games wear, all writing materials, all textbooks, furnished classrooms solar powered computer lab with 40 computers; as well as employing over ten additional graduate teachers.

He also provided facilities in other 5 public schools in Isuofia and paid the salaries of about 25 PTA teachers in those other schools among many others. Governor Soludo has the pedigree. Thus, the grassroots politician holds the traditional title of “ODENIGBO Aguata and Orumba”, conferred on him by the 45 communities in Aguata, Orumba North and South local governments as well as ODENJINJI Aguleri.

Professor Soludo is an Iroko. He has done it before and he’s here to do for Ndi Anambra what he did for Nigeria and the world. We wish him the best.

WRITTEN BY COMRADE OBI OCHIJE

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