Obinna J Nwankwo
In the politics of Nigeria, there is one maxim that has been dangerously twisted in our political discusses. That is the issue of Ana’alú ólü, a na alú Mmadu.
This could mean, Human Capital Development to one, and to another, Human Capacity Building. People also call it empowerment.
What is Human Capacity Building?
Human Capacity Building specifically focuses on developing the skills, knowledge, and abilities of individuals to enhance their performance, productivity, and contribution to their organizations, communities and to themselves.
Hence, there is no way, no twist, no bend that tilts it towards sharing money, wether in the form of Ego Öjí or thank you for coming.
To support the above definition of Irú Mmadu, our people have always promoted the philosophy of Teach me how to fish
This philosophy prioritizes fishing skills over gifting of fish.
Have some people misinterpreted this concept in politics? Yes! They use clauses like; Nwùnyem ya na ndù (gift it to me alive), Tinyem ya na akpa (put it inside my pocket). These clauses and their likes emphasise instant material and financial gifts that do not consider Sustainability.
It has given birth to the concept of stomach infrastructure, a concept that is bedevilling our sociopolitical and socioeconomic space.
Are these people right? NO!
Are they to be blamed? Not entirely.
Why shouldn’t they receive the entirety of the blame?
Because past governments, politicians, and private individuals, have in one way or another, used it as a tool to gain quick and irresponsible advantage in this part of the world.
Politicians have not fulfilled their promises, governments leave the projects initiated by preceding governments to be aborted as futile ventures, no matter how laudable the projects are.
Therefore, the masses
see more of abandoned ideas than the materialisation of expected or projected gains. Meanwhile, the economy of the third world countries also, does not help matters.
What are the variables that must be seen for a gesture, idea, policy or project to be called, Human Capacity Building or Empowerment?
Every human capacity building or empowerment must contain
- Training and development.
- Education and mentorship
- Skill Acquisition
- potentials for profit making. Etc.
Has Governor Soludo Done Well in Human Capacity Building and Empowerment, More than we have ever seen before in the State?
Let’s look at the following, verify them, and draw our conclusions individually
Empathy: Our retirees no longer feel like dead woods who could die if they so wish, Never!
Their earthly rewards are no more left in heaven. Hence, several years inherited backlog of pensions and gratuities have been released to the owners alive in every aspect of Anambra State Public and Civil Service. These are their rightful payments they intended to use to establish themselves after many decades of meritorious service to the State. They now have it with them in the land of the living
The ones who retire in his administration start receiving theirs immediately.
Promotion of Employee well-being and diversity: It may not be right to glorify payment of salaries, but considering the prevailing circumstances in Nigeria, doing the basic things is a show of capacity.
Anambra State constantly pays it’s workers on the 23rd and 24th of every month and based on what is currently obtainable in Nigeria, Anambra State pays minimum wage to the tune of ninety nine thousand naira, which is one of the highest in this part of the world. Go and verify.
Workers now get promoted as at when due, which has led to the emergence of young Permanent Secretaries in all State Ministries in Anambra.
Skill Training:
The one youth 2 skills program of The state Governor through the Ministry of Youths has directly produced over Five Thousand Millionaires who were earlier trained and empowered with huge startup money.
Most of them are now, direct employers of labour. There is another 8-10 thousand trainees about to be be graduated and empowered.
Solution Innovation District:
Through this program that aims at making our children very useful in the ongoing 4th Industrial Revolution via the acquisition of relevant and exportable skills, the government has been able to train over fifty thousand youths in wide range of digital skills that have significantly improved the employability of the Anambra Youth.
Education: Could you remember when last you saw an open advert for employment in Anambra State, be it in Education, Health or any sector of our Civil Service?
Well, while you go into that research to also discover cancelled employments, you CANNOT claim to have improved teaching and learning if you didn’t employ not just teachers, but qualified teachers. Here, Governor Soludo has destroyed the sneaky PTA route to teachers recruitment and duely employed eight thousand, one hundred and fifteen teachers to truly improve education in Anambra State
In partnership with Universal Basic Education, he has rebuilt schools to improve our children’s learning environment and established smart schools in the State. He is continuing in that direction.
He has made Education free in all the Public-Public primary and secondary schools in Anambra State, thereby intentionally and drastically reducing the number of out of school children in Anambra State. Making us the best in Nigeria in that area.
Healthcare:
Governor Soludo, through his administration’s free Antenatal and Free Delivery Services, up to Cesarean Section, has significantly reduced Child and Maternal Mortality rate in Anambra State. We are the best in that area.
Mr Governor has employed over one thousand health professionals to end the era of hospitals without Doctors in Anambra State. Meanwhile, another badge of health professionals just took their Computer based interviews on the 18th and 19th of July this month to further reduce the workload on the serving workers in the health sector.
His administration has constructed five brand new general hospitals in Anambra State to increase access to Healthcare in the State. Surely, Human Capacity can only be built with the healthy and the living.
Agriculture: The Governor has distributed Millions of Oil Palm, Coconut Palm and other economic tree seedlngs to families in Anambra State, which is aimed at pulling vulnerable ones permanently out of poverty in the State in few years. This magic will soon be felt shortly and gloriously.
On her side, the wife of the Governor, Dr Mrs Nonye Soludo has severally distributed health and wellness drugs to the aging ones, introduced healthy living programs to inculcate nutrition, physical and mental health attitudes to the younger and productive population.
She has also established Pad Banks in Secondary Schools across the State to improve the condition of the girl child.
Additionally, She has through her Ugbo-Azúnò initiative, distributed thousands of hybrid farm inputs to desirous individuals across the State.
Assuredly, in Human Capacity Building and Empowerment, the approach of Governor Soludo is not that of giving young youths some cash to lodge in hotels, gulp down bottles of beer and discuss inanities.
It is the building, the assistance, and the provision of amenities and conducive atmosphere for gainful and sustainable economic activities for a prosperous Anambra.
Obinna J Nwankwo writes from Eziagu in Orumba South,
The town that is seeing a tarred road pass through it for the first time since the creation of Man.
