Soludo’s Sermon

By Sunny Awhefeada

I do not know the last time Professor Chukwuma Soludo, the Governor of Anambra State, had the opportunity of teaching in the classroom. I surmise that it must have been more than twenty years ago before he escaped from the austere classrooms at Nsukka to join the government of former President Olusegun Obasanjo as Chief Economic Adviser and later becoming the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria. The great teacher that he is, Soludo loves to talk and whenever he had the opportunity to do so he does so no holds barred! He is the type of teacher who missed the classroom and the opportunity that space offers for talking. I have had cause to listen to him talk at different fora. Brilliant and mercurial, his points are pungent and poignant. And his knowledge of economics and governance sparkle that it easily elicits admiration. He has the knack of leaving his audience spellbound and grateful after each talk. His stentorian voice has greatly complemented his quick mind. When he became the Governor of Anambra State after failing at the first attempt he joined the league of the very few professors who became state governors in Nigeria. At the last count they are not more than five beginning with Professor Ambrose Alli of the old Bendel State. Others are weeping Professor Ben Ayade of Cross River, Professor Babagana Zulum of Borno and of course Professor Charles Soludo himself. Each of these professors came into office with a monumental dose of idealism. However, whether the reality of their deeds in government matched their ideals is a subject for another day. In the case of Soludo, Nigerians, and not only the people of Anambra, were excited when he emerged as the Governor of the State. His brilliance and what people saw as commitment to development ideals galvanized many into the realm of hope looking forward to Anambra becoming a Dubai. Soludo is still on the saddle and some day he will have his day with the verdict of history.

Soludo engaged the wrong audience a few days ago when he spoke at a retreat for Bishops of the Anglican Church of Nigeria that took place in Anambra State. Evaluating the content of his talk and the people he spoke to, it could have been better for him to have been mute or offered a few words of felicitations instead of the more than twenty minutes he spent on delivering an unwarranted sermon about the church, idolatry and the fate of Nigeria, especially the South-East. Although, he was careful not to have verbally pandied the Bishops, his tongue in cheek sermon nevertheless excoriated the Church in a subtle, but telling manner. The core of Soludo’s sermon at the New Year retreat is that the Church has failed and it should take measures to eradicate socio-economic and political ills in the South East. Like an overzealous colonial missionary in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, Soludo came down hard on idolatry and boasted about the number of shrines his government has burnt down. He accused the Church of not doing enough as a result of which the number of idolatrous proselytizers has doubled in the South-East. Waxing lyrical, he declared that this is a “trying moment for Christendom” and further said “idolatry is the fastest growing religion in the South-East”. He talked about “massive shrines” and asked rhetorically, “why do they leave”? referring to the proselytizers whom he said are deserting the church for shrines.

Governor Soludo touched on the state of insecurity in the South-East in its variegated manifestations. He carefully, yes carefully, without mentioning names talked about the resistance to the Fulani herdsmen menace in the region. He said those resisting the encroachers came in the garb of liberators, but have today become predators kidnapping their own people. He talked about, “young men going into the bush to carry arms” which they later use to kidnap people including his own father in 2009. The audience experienced pin drop silence as Professor Soludo pontificated with veiled professorial pomposity. Many in the audience could have disagreed with him, but they didn’t have the opportunity. His was supposed to be a welcome address and not a seminar that calls for critical questions and discomforting comments. So Soludo got away with his quasi-diatribe against the Church. After spending twenty-something minutes granted by gubernatorial privilege, the audience out of politeness and wanting him to drop the microphone offered him a mild applause to let him go, but Governor Soludo talked on oblivious of the mood of the audience.

While not holding brief for the Church, Professor Soludo spoke to the wrong audience. Although he made some valid points, he should reframe them and offer them as transformative nuggets for members of the class in which he has been ensconced since 2003. The transformation of Nigeria and the South-East inclusive is not in the hands of the Church. The destabilization and balkanization of Nigeria and the South-East inclusive is not a function of the Church. The making or unmaking of Nigeria will inhere in good or bad governance and Professor Soludo of all people knows this and he has preached this for aeon. The Church is a victim of the State which in Nigeria has been characterized by bad and poor governance. The truth is that Nigeria also happened to the Church and the latter cannot do much in the present circumstance. Yes, the Church has in many ways derailed and its derailment is a reflection of the constraints of the environment in which it found herself. The Church neither legislates nor adjudicates. The Church has no power of initiating or compelling sanctions. That power belongs to the State and Soludo is among those holding the levers. The relationship between the Church and the people is personal and it is anchored on persuasion. And by and large the State overrides and overrules all especially on this terrestrial plane.

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What Nigeria and the South-East need do not inhere in rocket science. The transformation of Nigeria is embedded in a simple article of faith enshrined in good governance. Let Soludo destroy all the “massive shrines” and all “the big shrines” in Anambra State as well as Ngige’s Okija shrine and Nigerian leaders do not subscribe to the creed of good governance, his sermon will be no more effective than the fart of a dog intended to put out a fire. The Church has many problems and it is in dire need of transformation. This is not the place to go into that. Many trust in the capacity of the Church to reform itself at the appropriate time. Nigeria is in acute need of good governance and altruistic leadership. Nigeria remains inequitable and iniquitous all because of failure of leadership. Followership has also become complicit, but the way out of the quagmire is getting the leadership question right. Professor Soludo should continue to offer his refreshing and progressive ideas to his colleagues across Nigeria. But he should not forget to govern Anambra. He should not forget to deploy his brilliant mind and fantastic ideas on how to transform Anambra State. The world is watching and at the end of his tenure would he have transformed Anambra into the Dubai he once promised or it would all end as will o’ the wisp?