By Christian ABURIME

As time turns, and we usher in the promising arrival of 2025, it is an opportune moment for Ndi Anambra to reflect, recalibrate, and recommit to the collective task of lifting up our beloved Anambra State. The New Year, like a blank page, offers us all the chance to write a story of shared progress, peace and prosperity: a vision that can only be achieved when we choose optimism over pessimism, unity over discord, and constructive engagement over subversive discourse.

Today, Anambra State holds a high reckoning as a bastion of possibilities, a state blessed with extraordinary human and economic resources. In recent years, the state government under the visionary leadership of Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, CFR, has embarked on a paradigm-shifting journey, working tirelessly to tackle challenges, improve infrastructure, build human capital, bolster security, and create opportunities for Ndi Anambra.

While much progress has been made in critical sectors such as roads infrastructure, economic growth, education, healthcare, youth empowerment, urban renewal, justice, governance, digital transformation and so on, it is undeniable that hurdles remain, particularly in the area of security, a challenge not unique to our state but experienced across Nigeria. Yet, even in the face of these challenges, Anambra continues to move forward, step by determined step.

However, there is a troubling trend that we, as proud citizens of Anambra, should urgently jettison in this New Year: the penchant for negativity, exaggerated alarm raising, and unhelpful narratives that not only undermine the state government’s efforts but also tarnish the image of our dear state. Social media platforms and public discourse are too often dominated by voices that focus solely on the negatives, amplifying our struggles while downplaying our triumphs. This pattern of discourse can be counterproductive to investment and the morale of those working to build a better state.

It is time to turn a new leaf with a new belief in the goodness of Anambra. Let us remember that criticism, when constructive, is a cornerstone of democracy. However, criticism devoid of fairness and infused with negativity serves no purpose other than to divide and distract. As citizens, we owe it to ourselves to engage in dialogue that is solution-oriented, respectful, and rooted in the shared goal of a thriving Anambra.

Of course, the state government cannot do it alone. The responsibility of building a peaceful, progressive, and secure Anambra State lies with all of us. It requires the active participation of every citizen: entrepreneurs, market women, professionals, traditional leaders, students, religious leaders, and civil servants. It requires us to believe in the greatness of our state, to celebrate its achievements, and to work hand-in-hand to address its challenges. It requires us to be ambassadors of hope, amplifying stories of resilience, innovation, and success that define the true spirit of Ndi Anambra.

To those who might have felt disillusioned by certain situations in 2024, I urge you: let us not give in to despair. Let us in this brand New Year channel our grievances into constructive action, offering ideas, solutions, and support to the government of Prof Chukwuma Charles Soludo where needed.

According to Martin Luther King, “You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”

I wish every Ndi Anambra a Happy and Prosperous New Year 2025. May this year bring us renewed hope, strengthened our unity, and the collective wisdom to build the Anambra of our desire.

Together, we can lift Anambra to greater heights. Let us begin today.
God bless us all. And Happy New!