Ejike Anyaduba
Not long after the results of the 2013 governorship election in
Anambra State were declared, a friend of mine visited. She came amidst worries
over the turn of events. Exuding no geniality and completely void of her characteristic
warmth, she expressed fears that the incoming government might not deliver. She
was skeptical the administration does not have the experience and political
will to contend with peculiar challenges of leadership in the state. Every
effort to convince her otherwise failed as she kept muttering the fear of
possible relapse into the era when nothing positive worked in the state and
everything untoward happened to it.
Eighteen months on, and with the fear far from materializing,
my friend has recanted her opinion. She did not do so while on another visit. The
renunciation came at a ceremony in the Institute of African Studies, University
of Nigeria, Nsukka when the school hosted a team of researchers from McDonald
Institute of Archeology, Cambridge University. The team had earlier visited Anambra
state and was at the University to fraternize with the academia. Just before
the close of the session, my friend sidled up to me in greeting. As the team
made to leave for the Institute’s gallery at the base of the building, she pulled
me by the cloak and with almost a blush said: “You were right that guy (the
governor) is bespoke for the job. I am afraid I misread his breezy nature for
lack of will to weather political storm in Anambra and still deliver on good
governance”. Surprised, I asked her what has changed since our last discussion.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t wait to hear her out as I almost hurled myself out of
doors - in time - to catch up with the team. At that point she yelled out
greetings to the governor. I was flushed with joy.
It is important to state that there have been a lot of
endorsements for the governor in recent time. And the good thing about them all
is that none was secured by persuasion and or inducement. The endorsers are convinced
the governor has worked and is still working hard to change Anambra and make it
first choice destination for investors and tourists. Even skeptics, those who
did not support the governor out of political differences, have since denied
their positions. Until very recently, the Willie
is working and ndi Anambra are happy slogan was thought to be one done
perfunctorily. But the sloganeers are sincere and do not chant the slogan just to
keep up with the Joneses. Perhaps in much the same way prominent citizens of
the state have continued to support the government. A case in hand was the last
stakeholders’ meeting where the governor presented his scorecard to ndi
Anambra. It gave a bird eye view of the effort of the government at uniting and
building bridges among contending interests in the state. Notwithstanding obvious
gains from the meeting, detractors still imputed other meanings to it.
I read somewhere on the net where the picture taken by the governor
and ex-governor Chris Ngige at the event was subject to a lot of interpretation.
Detractors seem disturbed by possible closeness between both men. Truth however
is that Obiano earned the support of virtually every Anambra person, including Ngige,
just few months into office. Prompt security of lives and properties was all
the government needed to do to endear itself to the people. I recall a lot of
people, pleased by this effort, almost offered to work for him to be in power
even for a third term. Such is the acceptance of the administration which successfully
brought sanity to the state. Ngige has earlier shown support to the government
through discussions and in writing. A reporter and his friend once told me how
the ex-governor asked him to visit Obiano if he has not done so and experience
the man’s honesty. The ex-governor had also written in defense of Obiano in the
Guardian newspaper when the governor was erroneously blamed for the Oyolu Oze/Church
dispute.
It is fair to argue that the government has done so much in security,
investment, infrastructural development, health, agriculture, commerce, welfare
etc, under two years, to earn it support across party lines. To the discomfiture
of detractors, Obiano’s government has effectively combined holistic
development with welfare - an uncommon development witnessed only in a few
states. But more than that, it has also maintained a certain level of fidelity
in keeping promise. Such promise would probably suffer redemption under another
governor. But Obiano has proved he is of different hue politically. He has kept
the promise not to sack any of the civil servants employed almost at the dawn
of the administration. He has also kept the promise to increase salaries of
workers once the state IGR improves. Finally, he has kept the promise not to
owe salaries of workers no matter the dwindling federal allocation to states, and
to do so promptly. He has done all of these and more.
Unfortunately, the effort
is yet to deter detractors from casting slur and cyber-bullying the
administration on the net. On occasion, the governor’s unstinting hospitality
has been called intemperance while his strict adherence to quality is branded a
waste. Hardly, have his critics faulted him on point of governance. They rely
on misinformation, especially on the net because of the permissive nature of that
organ of information dissemination, to defame him. Fortunately for the
government the flurry of endorsement has been hard and fast. And it
(government) has continued to improve on existing achievements to bequeath a better
Anambra for posterity. Already there is a constellation of star investors in the
state and they have effectively invested over $2.4 billion in almost all the
sectors of the economy, especially agriculture. The projection is that over 50%
of unemployed youths will be taken out of the street in the next two years.
This will undoubtedly improve life in the state, attract more endorsements and
widen the support base of the government.
Ejike Anyaduba
Abatete
