Not Yet Uhuru

Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State

Governor Peter Obi’s campaign for “Moral Rebirth” among the citizenry seems to be gaining currency, as some perceived opponents of his administration pledge support for his policies and programmes
By Okechukwu Obeta, Awka
Anambra State on Monday, August 27, clocked 16, having been created on August 27, 1991, by the then President Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida military regime. At this year's celebration, there were expectations that there would be a clinking of glasses and popping of champagne by citizens of the state and their friends at different corners of the state, particularly in Awka, the state capital, where if that had happened, the state governor, Peter Obi would have led top functionaries of government and other opinion leaders such as politicians, religious leaders, traditional rulers and Presidents-General of town unions, leaders of market unions, captains of industries as well as other friends and lovers of the state to merry and propose a toast to the state at 16.
But there was no such celebration. For the state governor, the occasion rather provided an opportunity for sober reflection, to enable the people re-examine themselves, ask pertinent questions regarding whether the expectations that underlined the euphoria expressed when the state was created had been achieved. As far as Obi is concerned, the situation in the state at 16 reflected a failed dream and indeed, “a failed state.” He was apparently disappointed with the situation in the state which he said did not reflect the ideals of the citizenry and the founding fathers and therefore, called on the populace to imbibe a new attitude to life. He stated this much in his broadcast to the people to mark the state’s anniversary.
Obi: “It is with mixed feelings that I address you today on this occasion of the 16th year of the creation of our state: mixed feelings because rather than attain the lofty ideals that we had envisaged, we have, indeed, taken a few steps forward and several ones backward. This situation is worrisome because if, for purposes of analysis, we compare our state to a child born 16 years ago, we will shudder why today we are, as it were, still crawling instead of walking comfortably.
"In 1991 when we were created out of the old Anambra State, we had a lot of expectations, probably because of our numerous potentials in industry, commerce, academics, diplomacy, civil service and what have you," he said.
He went down memory lane to mention some illustrious sons and daughters of the state who, he said, played key roles not only in the founding of the country, but also laid the foundation of the various institutional framework upon which modern Nigeria society is evolving, yet similar feats are lacking in their own state. He thus called for a serious and sincere soul-searching.
Obi: “With such role models and distinguished personalities as late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, the foremost nationalist and first Governor-General of independent Nigeria, Sir Louis Odimegwu-Ojukwu, who set the pace for commerce and transportation in our country; Professors Chike Obi and Chinua Achebe, world distinguished mathematician and novelist respectively; Chief Emeka Anyaoku of the Commonwealth fame; Philip Emeagwali, the computer czar, just to mention a few, we and indeed the world, had thought we would hit the ground running. But alas, that expectation, that hope, that dream has not been met since our take-off. What a great pity!"
The important question the situation, therefore, calls for, the Governor said, was “why have we, inspite of all our potentials, failed to make it even as other relatively younger and less endowed states have been thriving?”
The governor went on to offer an answer thus: “It is a failed state because when we came into office on March 17, last year, everything except the state of some roads was in its lowest ebb; there were no hospitals which were accredited by the Nigerian Medical and Dental Council; our schools were not only dilapidated, but even those designated “ special schools” did not have test tubes; there was no state secretariat; Onitsha, once the greatest market in West Africa, was one mighty dustbin; there were no master plans for Awka, the state capital and other major towns like Nnewi and Onitsha and there was no law and order. We can go on and on cataloguing our deficiencies in all aspects of life.
So far, Obi has made some modest achievements within the past 17 months since his administration was inaugurated despite the hiccups that saw him in and out of office in two separate periods. Within the period of his inauguration, the Onitsha General Hospital has been accredited and is currently training a total of 24 house-officers, thus eliminating the frustration hitherto suffered by citizens of the state who graduate from medical school, Pharmacy and Laboratory Technology when the hospital lost its accreditation. In addition, a Cardiac and Kidney Dialysis Centre (CKDC) is being built in the hospital.
Also, over 40 secondary schools have been provided with water bore-holes as well as science and laboratory equipment; School of Nursing, Nkpor, accredited by the Nursing and Mid-wifery Council while the School of Medical Laboratory, Obosi has also been accredited. Master-plans are being produced for the major cities in the state, including Awka, Onitsha and Nnewi;Umueri General Hospital is being re-built; Onitsha Library renovated with assorted textbooks procured, with the Microsoft village located near it. A business park is being built at Onitsha GRA comprising the new Stock Exchange building, as well as other projects on housing and roads among others.
These achievements, as far as Obi is concerned, do not qualify the state to celebrate for now. He would rather use the occasion to enunciate a programme of action towards not only transforming the institutional and infrastructural decay apparent in the state, but also canvass moral rebirth among the citizenry.
Obi: “Fellow Anambrarians,in- spite of the foregoing, it is not yet uhuru. While we have, to some extent, tackled our physical infrastructure needs, the more fundamental infrastructure- human infrastructure- has not shown signs of improvement. We are still as materialistic , vain, greedy, ostentatious and superstitious as ever. This is why I seize this opportunity to call us to order.
So, rather than call out the people of the state to make merry, Obi used the occasion to marshal out the projects his administration has set out to implement within the last quarter (September-December) of this year.
Entitled, “ Work Plan for September to December, 2007”, the projects which are encapsulated under Obi’s administration’s philosophy of Anambra Integrated Development Strategy[ANIDS], cut across all sectors including, institutional, human and physical infrastructure. The ear marked projects are in the areas of education, institution of government, law and order, road and housing; water and electricity; youths and sports; health; information and communication; women and children; agriculture; lands; commerce and industry; environment; internally generated revenue and others.
And determined to boost the commercial status of the state the Ogbaru area of the state, he said, would be transformed into a Trade-Free zone. Obi said that his government would soon apply to the Federal Government for license while construction of infrastructure at the state university would be pursued with vigour to ensure accreditation of the Law Faculty , Medicine and many other courses.
The occasion was indeed an epoch-making event as new members of the State House of Assembly for the first time, identified with the governor and the programmes of his administration at a public function. Not only did the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Anayo Nnebe ride with Governor Obi in his (Obi’s) official car to the Civic Centre, venue of the ceremony, the Speaker pleged the support of the lawmakers for the governor's programmes. Many other state lawmakers, including the majority of the House were present. Although the Speaker wouldn’t accept that their presence on the occasion was anything spectacular, as according to him, they had always been with the governor whenever he organised a function and invited them, not a few close observers, at least since the lawmakers came on board, would say that their presence was not an image laundering tactic, probably to dispel media reports that they are plotting an impeachment action against the governor.
The media has been awash over the past three weeks with alleged moves by the legislators to oust the governor through impeachment, a development the House of Assembly dismissed as baseless. But apparently worried over the negative image the reports brought on them in the eyes of the public, the lawmakers had during a visit of Governor Obi to the House, demanded an apology from the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the governor, Mike Udah, suspecting that he was behind the media reports. But reacting to the lawmakers allegation, Udah rather insisted he would only apologise when the House provides proof that he was behind their ordeal in the media.
Udah (in a press statement): “…the Speaker who implied that the negative Press the House has got lately were brought about by the Chief Press Secretary did not mention how the Governor’s Media Chief committed the alleged offence….I hope the Speaker of this honourable House will feel well to point to me the evidence of the offence which , in his opinion, I have committed and for which he demands an apology from me, for as far as I know, apology presupposes wrong-doing or the commission of an offence.”
Interestingly, though no apology has so far been tendered by either side, the events at this year’s anniversary of the state's creation are a pointer to a possible mending of fences between the governor and the legislators – even if it is only for now.