23/03/2025
https://www.absradiotv.com/2025/03/18/commentary-soludos-formula-in-building-sustainable-and-livable-communities/
*ASATU STAND WITH GOVERNOR SOLUDO, HELD SOLIDARITY MARCH OVER THE WEEKEND*. March, 2025.
Umunnem, Anambra State is one of the states, if not the only state, in Nigeria where one may not really term any community a rural area in the real sense of the word. There is an unprecedented level of integrated development in most of the communities with a larger percentage having access to basic social amenities compared to their counterparts in other places in Nigeria. However, a general underlying factor for all these communities is the fact that most of them were largely developed through self help initiatives facilitated by town unions, churches and missionary organizations, as well as philanthropists.
This is why, upon assumption of office Governor Chukwuma Soludo, underscored the importance of strengthening these structures while government matches each effort. Conceptualized as the Public-Private-Community- Partnership developmental model, Governor Soludo envisages a collaborative engagement between the three major stakeholders in the development of any city or community: The government acting on behalf of the public; an individual, groups, organizations, and the community with each playing symbiotic roles towards actualizing the creation of livable and prosperous communities.
Therefore, he kicked off to achieve this by empowering the Ministry of Local Governments, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs to mediate and see to the emergence of democratically elected town union leaderships across all communities where there were seeming conflicts. Within one year and with the support of Anambra State Association of Town Unions, ASATU, most of the conflicts were resolved and town union executives elected through transparent, free, fair, credible and generally acceptable processes. Also, communities with protracted traditional ruler ship tussles were resolved and monarchs produced, returning peace to the communities.
More than seventy per cent of the seven hundred and thirty kilometers of roads that have been constructed, ongoing or just awarded by the Solution administration are resident in rural communities. This commitment on the part of the government has been rewarded by a massive repatriation of philanthropic projects and investments by well meaning Ndi Anambra in the disapora more than the state has ever witnessed in many years.
The recently passed Anambra State Homeland Security Law 2025 more than ever in the history of the state gave legally backed functions and responsibilities to Presidents-General of communities in the fight against insecurity. The integration of the town union executive in guaranteeing the security of their immediate environment is a time tested solution that have been applied in other climes and has produced proven results.
The beauty of Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s achievements in developing communities is in the strategic collaboration that he has birthed. Under the Soludo leadership, everyone is important, everyone is a key component of the Solution agenda.
It is, therefore, not surprising that in the past three years that communities in Anambra State are thriving, peace has returned and development is on its wings. There is no better way than to congratulate Professor Chukwuma Soludo on this occasion of his third year in office! Truly, the Solution is here and has come to stay.
HON. BARRISTER TITUS AKPUDO
ICHAKA -EGBE EJI GBU AGU
NATIONAL PRESIDENT, ASATU.
