By Christian ABURIME
The timeless maxim, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also”, is a familiar biblical derivation with human relevance.
It speaks to our value system and things we hold so dear that we can invest time, effort and resources in. Today, the same above aphorism is being framed as a question to Ndi Anambra Diaspora: where is your treasure? Where is your heart? If Anambra State is dear to your heart, as there is no place like home, why have you not planted your treasure in the homeland by investing there?
These are critical questions pertinent as Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, CFR, reiterated his calls to Ndi Anambra living outside the State to come home to invest. The governor made the clarion call during a town hall meeting with Ndi Anambra businessmen and women residents in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, just a few days ago
It would be recalled that he made similar calls to Ndi Anambra resident in Lagos, some weeks ago. The tireless quest by Governor Soludo to see a rapid transformation of Anambra State into a prosperous homeland is a worthy ideal that deserves Ndi Anambra’s support anywhere in the world.
As is a usual trend in all progressive societies, accelerated development occurs best with all hands on the plough from the government and citizenry.
Mercifully, Anambra State is blessed with a proactive visionary in Governor Soludo as a leader and with prodigious, enterprising human resources scattered worldwide. There is, therefore, no excuse for Anambra not to be great and become first among equals.
As the sun rises over our beautiful State every day, it illuminates the potential within each of us to transform Anambra into a prosperous and thriving destination instead of a transit point to other places.
On its part, the Anambra State government has been hard at work putting all necessary infrastructures in place and facilitating an enabling environment for Ndi Anambra and outsiders to invest in.
Security remains a top priority of the government, and the security architecture is being strengthened every day with committed human, material and technological resources. On road infrastructure, over 300 kilometres of road across the entire State are currently at various stages of completion, while additional ones will be flagged off soon.
Awka, the state capital, is being modernized just as a new government house and lodge will be ready in the latter part of the first quarter of next year. On food security, the government has embarked on regenerative agriculture to boost production while distributing coconut and palm oil seedlings to about 140,000 households across the State to drastically reduce poverty in a few years.
On the environment, the government is not folding its arms on the existential threat of gully erosion and the devastating effects of flooding. Re-channelling and desilting of the waterways in the State are ongoing and a bill to further combat the menace of erosion is in the works.
Our commercial city of Onitsha is getting rescue attention to bring it back to its former glory through rebuilding infrastructure and urban renewal. And, of course, land acquisition requests by every prospective investor will get expeditious approvals.
On power, the State government is working with the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, EEDC, for 24-hour electricity at least for the four major towns of Awka, Onitsha, Nnewi and Ekwulobia.
So, the government has done a lot, and more is still being done to make Anambra State an investor-friendly hub. As residents Ndi Anambra are urged to be patriotic in paying their due taxes regularly to the State Government, Ndi Anambra in the Diaspora are also invited to pay part of their taxes to the State and channel their resources homeward in strategic investments.
Let us cast aside the shackles of doubt and embrace the clarion call of homeland consciousness. We are more than individuals scattered across the globe; we are all custodians of Anambra’s destiny. Together, we hold the key to unlocking the untapped potential of our homeland.
The government’s role as a facilitator and enabler cannot be understated, but it is our collective entrepreneurial zeal that will breathe life into transformative projects and innovative ventures Governor Soludo is putting in place in Anambra State.
As the saying goes, “When spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion.” Let us embrace the spirit of ubuntu, where success is not measured in isolation, but in the prosperity we collectively create. The time is now; the solution is here and, at the same time, in our hands!
