The Governor of Anambra State, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, has affirmed that there is a need for a critical mass of ‘new Nigerians’ who believe in her and are ready, if necessary, to die for her.
The governor said the struggle for liberation from colonialism would not have been possible without the nationalists of the time, and the current struggle to liberate her from underdevelopment cannot be sustainable with the “neo-nationalists” of today.
He made the assertion at the Democracy Day presentation on the topic “Rebuilding The Nation,” at The Platform in Lagos, on Thursday, 12th June 2025, an event marking the 26th year of uninterrupted democratic rule in the country.
At the event, the governor stated that no nation has prospered sustainably without a critical mass of patriotic, vigilant, and actively participatory citizenry.
Governor Soludo stated that the shortest answer is to give the citizens stakes in society by investing in their future, and in the areas of education and innovation. He said Examples like the Nigerian Education Loan Fund by the Federal Government) as is also the case in Lagos and Kaduna states; cash transfer schemes; Anambra’s One Youth 2skills programme, creating thousands of youth millionaires, free primary and secondary education, and soon-to-disburse student bursary programme, among others, will excite the youths and advance their careers.
He averred that while embarking on that, the leaders must uproot the debilitating culture of corruption and freebies (easy or free money) and the institutions that are weaponised to sustain them.
According to Governor Soludo, the culture that celebrates and expects something for nothing or wealth without work must give way to a culture that rewards and celebrates hard work, enterprise, and integrity.
“It is my thesis that a society where no one cares about sources of livelihood or where most people expect and celebrate unearned money is one where transactional governance will always trump transformational leadership,” he avowed.
The governor argued that there is a powerful connection between “freebies culture” and criminality and that beneficiaries of these crimes become lords of the manor, brandishing unexplainable wealth and phantom titles for validation, while society cheers in celebration.
He said institutions that underpin the new (magical) principles for wealth are booming, and they include native doctors, marabouts, and prosperity pastors promising a crown without the cross.”These merchants of wealth by magic deceive millions of youths to shun hard work, expecting free money. Also, a horde of youths throng into politics to loot and not to serve. Are these the youths to build the new Nigeria?” he asked.
To make progress, Governor Soludo remarked, “We must break this vicious ‘culture’ and intentionally promote ethical-value rebirth to build a progressive nation.