…says Soludo is that rare exception of a leader who puts into practice the beauty of responsible power.
AWKA, NIGERIA – The iNews Times reports that the Anambra State Commissioner for Information, Dr. Law Mefor, has praised Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo for redefining leadership through what he describes as the “beauty of responsible power.”
In a detailed commentary titled “Soludo and the Beauty of Responsible Power,” Dr. Mefor commended the governor for exercising power with empathy, equity, and a strong sense of purpose, calling him a rare example of a leader who places people at the centre of governance.
“Governor Soludo is that rare exception of a leader who puts into practice the beauty of responsible power,” Dr. Mefor stated. “His policies are anchored in inclusion, justice, and the collective good.”
The Commissioner highlighted several of Soludo’s initiatives that embody this philosophy, including his administration’s decision to commence governance from the slums of Okpoko, near Onitsha–a move many saw as symbolic and revolutionary. The once-neglected community, he noted, has now been transformed with paved roads, streetlights, and a new general hospital, and is now referred to as “New Haven.”
“Okpoko used to be seen as a baleful terrain where even angels feared to tread,” Mefor noted. “But Governor Soludo stepped into the place immediately after his swearing-in.”
Dr. Mefor also pointed to the Governor’s equitable development model, citing the construction of five general hospitals all sited in Anambra North, despite Soludo himself being from Anambra South. “Mr. Governor deals with Anambra as one entity,” he said, stressing Soludo’s unifying vision of “One state, one people, one destiny.”
The Commissioner lauded the governor’s bold decision to appoint Joachim Achor, an Abia State indigene, as Acting Accountant-General of Anambra State, describing the move as a demonstration of true meritocracy.
“For Governor Soludo, Anambra State is that one place in Nigeria where the best hands can find a home without discrimination,” Mefor said. “His leadership is both non-tribal and visionary.”
On recruitment, Mefor noted that Soludo’s administration hired 8,115 teachers and hundreds of healthcare workers without regard to state of origin, insisting only on competence. “A sick person does not ask for his doctor’s state of origin,” Mefor quoted the Governor as saying.
The commissioner further praised the Governor’s tax policies, highlighting his decision to exempt petty traders and artisans with businesses under ₦100,000 from taxation. He also condemned exploitative levies by local leaders and town union heads, saying Soludo had declared such taxes illegal.
According to him, Governor Soludo’s insistence on people-centered project commissioning, such as asking Keke riders and market leaders to perform ribbon-cuttings instead of dignitaries, demonstrates his authentic connection to the masses.
“At the commissioning of the Niger Street and Port Harcourt Road in Onitsha, Governor Soludo declared that the project belonged to the people and allowed their representatives to do the talking and cutting of the tape,” Mefor recalled. “That is the true meaning of putting the people first.”
He described Soludo’s governance style as a “dramatic and disruptive change” in a country where political rituals often exclude the very people government is meant to serve.
“Soludo has shown that power, when used responsibly, can uplift, unite, and inspire,” Mefor concluded. “That is the beauty of responsible power.”
