The social media has been awash with the news of His Excellency, Governor Obiano's trip to the United States of America for the graduation ceremony of his daughter, who graduated from the University of Texas with an outrageous number of delegation.
Ordinarily, the news ought not to have been given any attention. But, the large retinue of cheer leaders to the event in this era that every responsible government is cutting cost to assuage the daunting economic downturns, leaves discerning minds worried about the plausibility of such an action unwittingly perpetrated by a seemingly responsible State government.
It is not out of place for the Governor to witness and celebrate the graduation ceremony of his daughter, but there is everything wrong for His Excellency to embark on such a jamboree overseas with an unnecessarily humongous number of State functionaries as reported.
Such a flamboyant life style is an anathema to the quality of prudence expected of a holder of public trust, as it breeds corruption and drains the resources which ought to be used for the good of Ndi Anambra.
Anambra State is in dire need of purposeful leadership that will give direction to the polity and encourage the repatriation of wealth of our people which will give credence to the "think home" initiative. However, the sad reality seems to suggest that this can never be the case as those who wish to return home to invest already hold a negatively skewed perception of the State's leadership.
All over the world, investors entrust their investments in political environments where accountability, prudence and financial frugality can be attested to.
Recently, ex elected officials at the local government level took to the media to demand for the payment of their arrears, gratuity and allowances owed them by this administration. Many of them have threatened to sue the state government as correspondences and efforts made to get their payment were spitefully neglected.
The Obiano led Anambra State government alleged that the state has no money to offset the legitimate entitlements of the aggrieved Local government officials. In the case of the ex councilors, His Excellency pleaded that they shall be paid in instalments.
It is therefore, ill advised for the chief executive of a state battling with such financial difficulty to embark on such frivolous spending for a mere graduation ceremony that threatens the fiscal stability of the State, when few family members and friends could have sufficed to grace the largely private event.
In order to develop our state and place it on the path of sustainable development and financially stability, Ndi Anambra should consider November 18, governorship election as another opportunity to make the right choice.
We can't continue to make avoidable mistakes in leadership, as it has cost us so much and kept our youths and children unemployed and financially emasculated.
Dr Chike Obidigbo
Osisoma Igbo
APC governorship Aspirations u