Chief Anadu and his team have been in office for barely two years and have endeared themselves to the heart of the governor and other well-meaning Anambra people.
Think home philosophy is a call to Ndi Anambra and other Igbo people living outside Igbo land. It was opened by Chief Emeka Odumegwu – Ojukwu after he came from his sojourn in Ivory Coast. The phrase means that every Igbo man must send to Igbo land whatever earnings he is making outside the sures of Igbo land. Such funds would be used to develop Igbo land.
Chief Odumegwu – Ojukwu created the adage out of experience. When he came back in the early 80s, all his father’s investments in Lagos were seized by the Nigerian government and it took a lengthy legal struggle to recover them.
Not only from Lagos, most property of Igbo people in Port Harcourt which they acquired before the civil war was seized by the government after the war.
The government of the day labeled them abandoned property. These instances and many more where properties of Igbo people are envied by their host communities made Chief Odumegwu – Ojukwu to begin direct and indirect advocacy of the “think home” philosophy.
During the launch of Alaba International Market in Lagos, according to people who were at the event, Chief Odumegwu- Ojukwu addressed the crowd as “Ewu kwenu.” When they said Iyaa!! He told them that they would one day regret building such a large market outside Igbo land and left immediately.
The philosophy seemed to be only Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu’s thing until Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife Okwadike became the governor of Anambra State in 1991. He made the philosophy so popular that the state Tv and radio stations played the commercials and jingles very many times every day. Special billboards were created to pass the message to all Anambra people and Igbo people that come in contact with those messages.
Successive governments in Anambra State tried in various ways to drum up support for the philosophy. Gov. Peter Obi did a lot in promoting the philosophy. He made sure that goods produced in Anambra State by Igbo businessmen were patronized by the state government. A glaring example was when he bought various brands of Innoson Vehicles for use by state Institutions.
Many Anambra people have seen the need to be part of the philosophy. Innocent Chukwuma, the CEO of Innoson Vehicle Manu factors cited the plant in his hometown, Nnewi. Chief Ibebo started before Innoson when he cited most of his businesses in Nnewi. People from other towns in Anambra have woken up to the call.
Currently, Anambra State Town People’s Association (ASTPA), an association of all town unions of Anambra State towns living in Abuja has woken up to the call also. ASTPA has been in existence for almost twenty years, but it is now that a vibrant executive led by Sir Arinze Anadu that ASTPA became the first Anambra association in diaspora to key into the “think home” philosophy.
The new rebirth of think home philosophy under Prof. Chukwuma Soludo is going as far as asking Anambra people to relocate the head offices of their business so that it will enable them to be paying their personal income tax in Anambra State. He argued that it will help the individual to be part of developmental strides in the state.
The ASTPA investment in the state will go a long way in addressing the problem of housing in the state. The estate will provide social and recreational facilities that will improve the economy of the state in several ways. Beneficiaries of the scheme cut across towns from Anambra State
ASTPA involvement is in the area of estate development where the association just acquired a large expanse of land at Igboariam by Nando Junction.
The ASTPA investment in the state will go a long way in addressing the problem of housing in the state. The estate will provide social and recreational facilities that will improve the economy of the state in several ways. Beneficiaries of the scheme cut across towns from Anambra State.
Chief Anadu and his team have been in office for barely two years and have endeared themselves to the heart of the governor and other well meaning Anambra people.
No wonder ASTPA was given a special invitation during the Town Hall meeting the governor held with Anambra people living in Abuja. During the occasion, Chief Sir Arinze Anadu asked the governor to provide infrastructure to the site so that it will enable the association to complete the project in record time and embark on other development projects in the state. To this, the governor reserved his response and promised to speak on that during the forthcoming Anambra Day in Abuja.
ASTPA was part and parcel of the group that put the town hall meeting together.
By this, the ASTPA executive under Chief Sir Arinze Anadu has set an enviable record for other Anambra State people and groups to follow. It is a very laudable achievement that successive ASTP leadership must not allow to wane.
