By CHIEDU UCHE OKOYE

Gov. Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra state has said that an illiterate is unfit and unsuitable person to pilot the affairs of Anambra state given the fact that Anambra state is the home state of revered academics and intellectuals; and that today’s political leadership requires application of diverse knowledge.

He wondered aloud how a political leader, who is deficient in numeracy and destitute of literacy can lead Anambra state, successfully.

Gov. Soludo, who became a professor of economics at the young age of thirty-seven years, after bagging a first class degree in economics from University of Nigeria, Nsukka, made the comment on October 2, 2025 at Ascension Church, Odume-Obosi when he was on the hustings.

He stated that Anambra state is the light of the Nation, which has produced intellectual personages of global repute, such as the Rt. Hon. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Prof. Chike Obi, Prof. Kodilinye, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, and many others.

“ A political leader, who has no intellectual wherewithal and numeracy skills cannot govern Anambra state well.

“And that is why you will present your credentials to INEC for scrutiny before election to ensure that you have the minimum qualification required for that political post.

“And you should tell the populace your leadership experience.

“Again, a political leader should be a role model, not a school drop-out, in order for him or her to inspire the youth.

“So we should take the issue of certificates, seriously. And after this election, we will go after people with fake certificates and P.hDs,” Soludo said.

More so, Gov. Soludo acknowledged the fact that the Obosi ancient kingdom deserves to be a local government area as it has large landmass and humungous population.

He, however, conceded that the matter of constitutional impediments has prevented Obosi from becoming a local government area while promising to make Obosi a special Local Council Developmental Area when he’s reelected into office for the second term.

“Obosi is one community that is bigger than a local government area.

“Obosi ought to have been a local government area.

“But we can do something, administratively, when we return for the second term,” Soludo said.

Again, Gov. Soludo promised to make a law, which would permit school children to use textbooks for more than one academic year and to use the books left behind by their older relatives, who are in senior classes.

He said that when the law starts to take effect, it will be binding on both private and public schools in the state.

Some important dignitaries who attended the event were Igwe Chidubem Iweka (Eze Iweka III), who is the chairman of the Anambra state traditional rulers’ council; Dr. Law Mefor, the Anambra state commissioner for information; Engr. Ifeanyi Okoma, the Anambra state commissioner for works; Hon. Tony “Oneweek” Muonagor, one-time member of the Anambra state Assembly; Chief Stanley Nkwoka, the Idemili North LGA Mayor; and Lady Phina Onwuachu, the Deputy Mayor of Idemili North LGA.

•Okoye is an Information Officer in the Anambra State Ministry of Information, Awka.