… urges him to declare for Anambra 2021 guber race

Christian Aburime

It was an unprecedented moment of joy and celebration of Prof Chukwuma Soludo’s 60th birthday across the globe on 28th of July, 2020 by Anambra Alliance, (AA), a social pressure group consisting of men and women from different fields of endeavour in  a schedule zoom meeting (session).

Prof. Collins Okafor who moderated the zoom session to celebrate the 60th birthday of Prof Chukwuma Charles Soludo, described the celebrant as a “gift to Nigeria, Ndi Anambra and the world”.

He said, Soludo is a man who possesses some extra-ordinary qualities that clearly distinguish him as a unique personality. While leading the opening prayer to declare the session open, Mr Ossy Onuko prayed for the good health and long life of the celebrant, asking God in His infinite mercies to continue to protect and guide the birthday celebrant, declaring that Nigeria and Ndi Anambra still need his services and contributions to the  growth of his fatherland and the upliftment of mankind.

The chairman of the occasion, Mr Simon Ukpaka, described Prof Soludo as an embodiment of ‘excellence and brilliance’, and a man of exceptional abilities, who the people of Anambra State urgently need now to continue from the good work of Governor Willie Obiano.

The chairman, therefore, called on Prof Soludo to run for the Anambra 2021 gubernatorial election, assuring him of the support of  ‘Anambra Alliance’ and the majority of Ndi Anambra who are solidly behind him.

Prof Soludo who was online throughout the session expressed surprise at the outpouring of love, prayers and goodwill messages from the group. Sounding overwhelmed with the show of affection and love by the group, he said he never actually wanted to celebrate his birthday in view of the global situation of events, stressing that he was extremely grateful to the group for organising the zoom session to celebrate him globally.

Waxing philosophical, and in a show of humility, the erudite Professor of economics, told his audience, that though he is 60 years, he was surely never born with a ‘silver spoon’; adding that everything he has achieved or accomplished has been through dint of hardwork, patience and preseverance

Soludo, therefore, expressed his deep gratitude to the group and all the well-wishers across the globe who hooked on to the zoom session; including those from the United States, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom,  Ethiopia, South Africa etc, for their love, prayers and support, stressing that he remains eternally grateful to all.

Mr Joe Anatune, a stalwart of the Anambra Alliance group, who gave the ‘vote of thanks’ on behalf of the Alliance, thanked all the well-wishers across the continents of the world  for participating in the zoom session. He thank Prof. Soludo for participating in the zoom session despite his initial stance not to hold any celebration.

Anatune also wished the former CBN Governor a happy birthday celebration, re-echoing  what the chairman of the occasion had earlier said, that Soludo should run for the Anambra gubernatorial race in 2021. Mr Anatune further re-assured the celebrant that a vast majority of Ndi Anambra will give him all the necessary support.

More and more prominent speakers in Nigeria and across the globe later took turn to wish Prof Soludo happy birthday celebration as the zoom session finally came to a close.