By Christian ABURIME

Awards in Nigeria can be quite diverse, ranging from well-deserved recognition to negotiated honors and even token gestures. However, this Saturday in Lagos, the SUN Publishing Limited will bestow a truly earned accolade upon Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, CFR, as he receives the prestigious “Governor of the Year” award. This distinction is a testament to his outstanding achievements, which have undoubtedly made a significant impact.

The SUN editors, sleuths with sharp eyes, scoured Anambra and found undeniable evidence: over 420 km of roads paved, flyovers like the one in Ekwulobia hugging the sky, 68 km of federal highways dualised, all without a borrowed penny. Awka’s Government House, a 34-year mirage, now becomes a reality; water gushes in Onitsha, Nnewi, and Awka, a lifeline reborn.

The SUN’s hawk eyes caught more: Okpoko, once Nigeria’s grimmest slum, now dubbed “New Haven” with 15 km of roads, lights, a hospital, is a gem rising from decadence. Urban regeneration electrifies Onitsha and Awka, while fiscal discipline, Anambra’s top-five BudgIT ranking, pairs with ambition.

Governor Soludo’s 50-Year Plan and the People’s manifesto are beyond a whisper; it is a roar, turning lean resources into lavish triumphs. His refusal to borrow, despite a N100 billion green light, is a gauntlet thrown at waste. The editors saw a state reborn, and they nodded: this man deserves the crown.

But Governor Soludo is no stranger to recognition. As CBN Governor, he stacked $63 billion in reserves and earned triple “Best Central Bank Governor” titles from Financial Times and Euromoney. Six Nigerian papers sang “Man of the Year” in 2006; a CFR honour followed. With 152 awards trailing him, he is a comet of acclaim. Now, Anambra chants “The Solution Is Here,” and Saturday’s award ceremony proves it: a tribute to a leader who has made infrastructure a war cry.

This weekend, as Lagos lifts Governor Soludo high in the limelight of rousing applause, Nigeria will see what Anambra already knows: the Solution mantra is a master sculptor’s tool chiseling Anambra into a masterpiece. The SUN garland is neither charity nor flattery; it is a merited recognition of good governance delivered excellently.