“In times of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act”. George Orwell
In this spell of heightened political engagement, when many have taken their ostensibly irrevocable stand behind certain ideological preferences and expect everyone to fall in line, partisan passions can becloud the clarity of contesting issues.
Dams of disturbed feelings and upset insular allegiances can break loose to drown the stream of antithetical reason.
Fanaticism becomes the reaction of choice. And it takes just a candid moment of unvarnished truth telling to draw the hyperventilating rabble to the virtual village square.
Well, hyperventilating is all understandable in a politically charged season that we are in, but the current toxic version is neither reasonable nor tenable.
When has thinking differently, expressing a divergent opinion or voicing reason become a treasonable felony or sacrilege?
When has telling the plain truth become a subject of envy, bitterness and treachery? These are the relevant questions that should engage the discerning minds at a time when every reactionary with an opinion comes out wielding an impetuous dagger of vilification against Governor Chukwuma Soludo over his recent published treatise.
Since Soludo had his well-reasoned piece titled ‘History Beckons and I Will Not Be Silent (Part 1) widely published last Monday, the reactions have been mostly impulsive and disparaging.
Of course, no one expected that everybody would reason with Governor Soludo and applaud his courage to call a spade a spade. Reacting to earlier acerbic social media mob attacks against his person, the governor was simply being very forthright in his exposition of the issues at stake. Without fear or favour, without playing to the gallery, Soludo told the truth about Obi’s stewardship as one-time governor, the controversial investments he made on behalf of Anambra State, Obi’s presidential ambition, Ndigbo’s political fortunes and future, South-East development, insecurity and other pertinent issues.
Now, just because Soludo was very blunt in his analysis of Obi’s electoral chances while making certain submissions rooted in cold reality, he has been accused of betraying the Southeast quest for the Nigerian presidency. Nothing could be further from the truth. Soludo remains a most ardent Igbo patriot.
The allegation that he is driven by bitterness against Obi is also laughable. What bitterness? The fact that Obi did not support Soludo in the last Anambra State governorship election is never an issue that would make a serious-minded person like Governor Soludo descend to petty bitterness.
The governor has more engaging issues of state to contend with than to be vindictive against his predecessor. Even more ludicrous is the claim by conspiracy theorists that Soludo nurses future presidential ambition and as a result, is being envious of Peter Obi’s popularity for the 2023 presidential election.
Where is the valid ground for envy here, when Soludo is just at the sunrise of his tenure as governor? There is time for everything, and at this moment Governor Soludo is only absorbed in his mission of delivering his campaign promises to Ndi Anambra.
On the issue of the viability of investments made on behalf of Anambra State by Obi as governor and whether saving money that time was a worthwhile decision, Soludo simply stated the truth as an economist and was not in any way engaging in a witch-hunt exercise. It is a fact the value of the investments made by Obi for Anambra State has depreciated considerably over time.
But the issue of saving money for Anambra State at a time there were many developmental issues to address could not in any way make economic sense.
According to Governor Soludo himself, the savings Obi left for his predecessor did not reduce the poverty rate in the state which grew from less than 25 per cent in 2005 to about 53 per cent under Obi in 2010/2011, but fell under Obiano to 14.78 per cent in 2020. How then can Soludo be accused of being bitter or envious just because he told the truth as it is?
At this point, it is pertinent that all Anambra State people, Ndigbo in general and all stakeholders concerned that Soludo by his recent piece is not against Peter Obi’s presidential bid or Ndigbo’s quest for a shot at Aso Rock. He has only analyzed the real issues as they are. In actuality, Governor Soludo’s intervention should be taken as a reality check for the Labour Party presidential candidate and Ndigbo to dispassionately take note of the issues that could subvert their ambitions and chances.
And by the way, it is common political sense that a governor elected on APGA platform can only support his own party’s presidential candidate and not an opposition candidate.
All said, even though politics elicits the most primordial instincts, actions and reactions in human beings, the truth must be told and cannot be silenced. After all, it was George Orwell who said: “In times of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act”. Governor Soludo having the courage to tell the truth is a revolutionary act, which is something that challenges the status quo.
He should be commended and not crucified, but time will prove that he is right on the hardball.
By Jude Okechukwu