Anambra State Governor Prof. Chukwuma Soludo has emphasised the need for ideologically driven political parties to rebuild Nigeria. He recently stated that nation-building is an ongoing process that requires open and constructive dialogue.
Speaking as a guest at the June 12 edition of The Platform, an event hosted by Covenant Nation in Lagos, Soludo advocated for a national dialogue on citizenship, stating that Nigeria’s great past is enough reason for citizens to want to rebuild the nation from scratch.
According to him, we must orchestrate ideologically driven political parties as soon as possible, while fighting for the emergence of a new Nigeria that will be born again via ethical-value rebirth.
Soludo maintained that a genuine rebirth will demand institutional reforms and inclusive policies; therefore, every citizen must be willing to be part of the change.
“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,” he said.
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He further noted that his government has constantly prioritized infrastructure and development in Anambra State, regardless of ethnicity, political alignment, or religious affiliation.
He concluded by hailing President Tinubu for his economic policies, stressing that his audacious structural reforms have rescued the economy from the tipping point.
“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,” he added.
