My recent visit to Anambra State 

The year is 2008 and the month is March and for the first week I was in Nigeria, predominantly in Anambra state. I travelled the length and breadth of the state: the three senatorial zones, the eleven federal constituencies and the 30 state constituencies looking for the dividends of democracy, seeking for evidence of democratic returns on the much touted Anambra Integrated Development Strategy (ANIDS), perusing for development post Chris Ngige, feeling the pulse of my people. What did I see? Nothing on the ground post Chris Ngige. 

Onitsha, the principal town in the state is without pipe-borne water. Unregulated, untreated and private boreholes are the main source of drinking water. Streets littered with refuse, for refuse disposal appears not to be part of the so-called ANIDS. Craters in the middle of roads. My people, please visit Fegge, Odoakpu, Omogba, parts of GRA, Awada, Three-three and Okpoko to see for yourselves, for the body evidence of a state abandoned to the elements are there to be seen.  

My people, what I saw in Onitsha was a multi-billion naira building named Stock Exchange building, another multi-billion naira building labelled Onitsha North Local Government Headquarters, a mega-billion naira stadium complex all built by the current state government and all without due process. When and where, were the contracts advertised and who tendered for them?  

But most importantly, Stock Exchange business in Nigeria is purely a private sector arrangement but regulated by the government via the Securities and Exchange Commission, just like banking, insurance, construction and telecommunication industries to name a few, all private sector enterprises. My people Anambra state government building a Stock Exchange building at Onitsha for use by Nigerian Stock Exchange is akin to the state government building a regional head office for Julius Berger or Fidelity Bank; this is madness, this is corruption beyond the realms, this is an impeachable offence.  

My people, Nigeria operates a three-tier system of government: Federal, State and Local Governments, all independent. What business has a state government with relocating, awarding contract and building a local government headquarters? Again this is akin to Abuja relocating and awarding the contract to build a new Government House for a state government. If this again is not an impeachable offence, if this is not corruption to high heavens, if this is not total abuse of power then what is? Imagine the furore that would have been generated if OBJ has relocated and awarded the contract (to his friend) for a new Government House for Anambra state direct from Abuja. 

My people, the people of my state, the residents of Anambra state are without a functional pipe-borne water system in this 21^st Century but instead of our governor addressing this issue, he is busy constructing a multi-billion naira stadium complex to make us fit, to quench our thirst after rigorous work-out, to prolong our lives from lack of Typhoid fever. What a governor? What a priority? 
 

My people, there is a library complex at Onitsha commissioned by the then Lt Col Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu in 1967, it is located on Enugu road, Onitsha. From 1967 till date, the library building has remained the same, it has not been painted, it has not been expanded, it has not been modernised yet the population of our state, of Onitsha, has grown ten-folds since then, the population of pupils needing library facilities has quadrupled since then but rather than modernise this building, my governor chose other-wise. His priorities, some-where else. ANIDS where are though? 

ANIDS! ANIDS! I beckon thee. For my governor attended Christ The King College, (CKC), Onitsha. CKC the college that produced the likes of Prof. Chike Obi, Governor Peter Odili, Justice Ambrose Allagoa to name a few of the greats from that great institution, is a sorry state, it is a dilapidated structure waiting to collapse any time from now. For the uninitiated, CKC, my governors alma mater is located at Oguta Road, Onitsha, my governor routinely drives pass it without any remorse to the state of his old school. Anyway, trading and not education has been his forth. 

Just before CKC is another great school, Dennis Memorial Grammar School, DMGS, Onitsha still located on the same Oguta Road. DMGS is a sad site, the school that produced the likes of Sir Ike Nwokolo, former president, ICAN, Nigeria to name a few. 

At the end of the same Oguta Road is another great school, an all-woman school, Queen of the Rosary College, QRC, Onitsha. QRC is pathetic, infrastructure-wise. If you think I am politicking, please drive pass QRC located at Oguta Road, Onitsha. The school that trained our mothers, sisters and wives. Again trading and education rarely goes hand-in-hand in Nigeria but it will change for change is imminent. 

If prime schools like CKC, DMGS and QRC all in Onitsha are in such parlous states, imagine the fate of sub-prime schools in remote villages of Anambra state. A prime example is Community Secondary School, Obosi. If any body has the time, please drive by it. The condition of the school is criminal to say the least. Yet we have a governor. We have ANIDS. These are the schools that will train our Stock Brokers. What a joke? 

Good people of Anambra state, my visit to Nnewi the secondary city of our state says it all. Nnewi needs help, Nnewi is dying but for the ingenuity of the Igbo man, Nnewi is a town abandoned for reasons best known to his Excellency. Perhaps it is due to his perceived differences with his deputy; the Dame Virgy Etiaba who hails from Nnewi. But Nnewi like the rest of Anambra state will survive His Excellency’s bad governance. We survived Clement Mbadinuju’s.  

Roads, needs periodic maintenance. The Chris Nwabueze Ngige built roads; the best in the country are been wickedly and systematically neglected. If you doubt me, Odenigbo, please drive through Umuoji-Uke-Nnobi road, Nkwelle-Ezunaka by-pass and Awka Etiti-Ukpor-Isseke road to name a few. ANIDS, where are you? 

My people, I capped my visit with a trip to Awka, the state capital, visiting government organs, government offices, government outfits, the town itself. Awka, our state capital is soul less and desolate. Government workers, unmotivated. Government non-existence. I visited the Judicial Headquarters amongst other outfits, the place extremely pathetic and miserable. The supposed temple of justice. The justice that brought our governor to power is being reduced to a joke in Anambra state going by the state of the Judicial Headquarters, Awka. Yet, we have ANIDS. 

For more on Awka and Anambra state, my people, please visit www.ukpakareports.com for pictures tells thousand stories. There seems to be wickedness in the air right now in the governance of Anambra state. 

My governor, the state you are neglecting today, for perhaps personal pecuniary gains, may take its revenge on your children tomorrow. This is your mantra. 

I left our great state shouting ANIDS! ANIDS! Where are though?  
 

Odenigbo Chidi Anyaeche

London

Robot  # 1 | 14.03.2008 05:33

My recent visit to Anambra State ...Read the full article.

peterclaver2006  # 2 | 14.03.2008 10:40

I don’t buy the views you expressed here. In this type of thing, you only see what you want to see and ignore those you don’t want to acknowledge. If you were in Onitsha some twp years ago, you wont say nothing has changed in recent times. I passed through Onitsha, Upper Iweka to head bridge yesterday and I can tell you that the state is really working. That stretch used to be the dirtiest parts of the state before now but Obi has well dealt with and is still working there. Obi has told us where he is focused most; equipping the hospitals to modern standard and the author never contested any of these. He said he wants to equip the schools with adequate staff and science equipments, make the state environmentally safe, and recreate the infrastructures and create social amenities. I didn’t see the author contest that these are not happening but wanted to tell us that the Ngige ‘miracle’ is not happening and pray, what is the Ngige miracle? Build some roads and lease the state to ghouls and abandon the schools and hospitals to rot because people always over-emphasize the importance of roads. Even at that, if the writer is objective enough, he would have admitted that Obi has more roads to his name presently than Ngige. We would have loved to hear how much Ngige cleared the state of the miscreants that turned the state hell on earth, how he transformed the schools into breeding grounds for intellectuals, how he modernized the hospitals into effective health institutes that drive the health needs of Ndi Anambra. But how can an objective assessor of Anambra situation drive his readers to Ikenna Ellis Ezenekwe’s ukpakareporters.com, a site that was set to champion Andy Uba’s political interests and see Obi and whet he stands for as its enemy number one? Odenigbo, that decided it for you.

ikechiji  # 3 | 14.03.2008 11:01

=peterclaver2006;4294995882>But how can an objective assessor of Anambra situation drive his readers to Ikenna Ellis Ezenekwe’s ukpakareporters.com, a site that was set to champion Andy Uba’s political interests and see Obi and whet he stands for as its enemy number one? Odenigbo, that decided it for you. A truly yeye report - Ndi Nzuzu!

Chidi Anyaeche  # 4 | 14.03.2008 11:27

Dear Peter Facts are divine. My article was based on facts on the gorund and not theory. I named schools, towns, neighbourhoods, etc. Please visit the schools, visit Fegge, Odoakpu, Okpoko, Awada. Visit Nnewi, Awka. Visit the Judicial HQ's that I named and see things for yourself. Visit Ukpakareports.com and marry what you see there with situation on the ground. They are real. Period. This is the gist of my article, an article based on facts and not mere grand-posturing. I am far too sophisticated to write other-wise.

ikechiji  # 5 | 14.03.2008 11:35

Even if one accepts your submission on face value, the problems you describe are not unique to Anambra state. Your article also fails to address a way forward, solution. You talk about Peter Obi committing an impeachable offense, so is impeaching Peter Obi the way forward? We need to adopt a more holistic approach to solving Nigeria's myriad of problems.

SOC Okenwa  # 6 | 14.03.2008 11:58

'Odenigbo' This article was written out of bad faith. You claimed you travelled the lenght and bredth of Anambra State looking for 'proofs' to castigate His Excellency Governor Peter Obi, right? And you never saw any good thing he did but lack of water and neglect of schools right? It is clear that you are one of those antagonizing Governor Obi for no just cause. May be Andy Uba's hired Diasporan 'thug'. If you think the dividends of democracy come suddenly and automatically ask those who governed for eight years what they achieved. Since it is clear you have an axe to grind with the Obi administration which credible people and organizations rate highly it is advisable you settle whatever problem you have with him rather than lauching cheap tirade against the gentleman doing his best under a difficult circumstances. By asking us to visit the discredited "Ukpakareports.com" owned by the notorious Ellis-Ezenekwe for 'more pictorial proofs' you have answered the question as to your motives and intentions.

peterclaver2006  # 7 | 14.03.2008 13:08

Odenigbo, check your facts with these ones. THE PHENOMENON CALLED PETER OBI Afamefuna Eriobu, At the opening of the Stock Exchange building at Onitsha , the Director General of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, Prof Ndi-Okereke Onyiuke gave Governor Obi an opaque crystal, which she said represented his transparency. Earlier, the Prof. thanked God for Governor Obi saying: “We knew him in the private sector as a transparent, honest, dedicated and admirable goodman. We thought politics would corrupt him, but till now we are happy to note that he had remained the same in terms of morals and manners.” For those who know Obi very deeply, Prof. Onyiuke has summarized the man. An important player in the private sector, Obi rose to head so many big companies, climaxing in his Chairmanship of Fidelity Bank. His foray into politics was viewed with reservations, because Nigerian politics is known to have turned angels into devils and implant even in the most urbane of humans, a killer instinct and thick skin to absorb any manner of shock. As testified by Prof. Ndi Okereke Onyiuke, Peter Obi has remained his old self. He did a good study of Anambra State and her problems and posed the question: “Are we cursed or are we the cause?” The question was apt, because, since creation, godfathers, having taken over the State, it refused to grow. Thus, our problems are the over bearing influence of those who did not mean well for the State, they were the cause of our problems as we were not under any curse. Before he became Governor, Obi outlined what he would do, embracing the simultaneous development of the State. Regrettably, his dream was temporary cut short because he was rigged out. This was how Dr. Chris Ngige became the Governor. When Ngige had problems with his godfathers, he realized he needed the support of the people to fight the monster. Ngige, therefore, concentrated on roads following the master plan of Peter Obi. Not given to abandoning worthy projects, Obi continued and insisted through due process, that his mandate be restored. On the 16th of March, 2006, his mandate was returned to him, thus signaling the return of the one with a master-plan on how to resuscitate the State on all fronts. He went on immediately to encapsulate this task in the State Integrated Development Strategy (ANIDS). Today, Obi is fast proving that we have never been under any curse, strictly speaking. Indeed, we are the cause of our tribulations, for allowing individuals of questionable pedigree to control the destiny of the State. Now that Obi is in charge, we are pretty surprised at what he has done in 2 years. There is hardly any area that he has not done one thing or the other. In the area of governance, he has restored credibility to that. Besides leading by inspiring example, which is the hallmark of leadership, we now have a governor who is committed to enthroning ennobling values. It may sound incredible, but the truth is that under him, Anambra State woke up from slumber and is now laying the foundations the State ought to have laid a long time ago. Under him, just in two years, we now have a Secretariat, phase one has been completed and phase two started. Under him, we now have our health institutions accredited and our hospitals provided with modern equipment. In the area of education, the confidence lost in that sector is gradually returning. While the physical developments of our higher institutions are on, the equipping of the secondary schools in the State with laboratory facilities, boreholes and computers are on-going. A total of 75 schools have been covered and the Governor confidently assures that the entire secondary schools in the State would be completed before his government goes to bed. Recently, Anambra State appears to be the darling of International organizations, donor agencies and countries. Recently, the Ambassadors of Ireland , Brazil , Germany (represented) and Belgium were in the State. I understand many ambassadors have signified interest and desire to come. Most international agencies, besides preferring the State as a focal State, actually take time to visit and expand on the level of cooperation with her. As made clear by the European Union, the attraction to the State is because of prudent management of resources made available to the State, which everybody can see. In two years, Obi has tarred over 200 kilometers of roads in the State, thus surpassing what any Governor has done since creation. He does this in a strategic manner and commits all his energy to such tasks than playing to the gallery of engaging in propaganda. There is no local Government Area in the State where road is not being tarred. I imagine what Awka will look like after the completion of the dualisation of Zik Avenue and the repair of many intra-city and ring roads. Development is nothing if it is not composite. Today in, we see a governor who is pursing integral development of the State. In the area of commerce and industry, the opening of the Stock Exchange and the Central Bank are landmark achievements. The move to secure a Trade Free Zone for the State, just as the building of industrial parks, is mind-boggling. For the first time, agriculture and urban development are receiving due attention. This reminds us of the master plans for Awka, Onitsha and Nnewi, which are on-going and the attention paid to many erosion sites in the State. One cannot possibly exhaust Obi’s achievement in a limited space; suffice it to say that the man has proved to be a focused leader in the most adverse of conditions. As we join him to celebrate two years in office, we call on him not to relent in his fidelity to the cause of the people. Obi is a hero, because it takes heroic resolve to record what he has recorded amidst hostile environment, populated by a hostile House and some of his people who are equally interested in his sit. However, as Prof. Onyiuke pointed out, Obi is simply on trial, and no matter the yardstick, he has passed the test. I say this because all the things he said he would do, he has done them or is doing them. Today all the gangs in the state, from NARTO to Bakassi Boys are out and the recognized security agencies are doing very well with adequate support. One is pretty sure that if Obi continues the way he is going, Anambra State will soon be turned into an Eldorado. Afamefuna Eriobu, Department of Engineering, Nnamdi Azikiwe University , Awka

Chidi Anyaeche  # 8 | 14.03.2008 13:11

SOC Ellis-Ezenekwe's peccadillo's not withstanding, should we ignore the truth in his message, when there is one? Buying computers for a ramschackle school, infested with snakes (Abagana Girls) as shown by Ukpakareports is not really partisan or Ghana-Must-Go journalism, is it?

truthsayer33  # 9 | 14.03.2008 13:18

a great commercial city with a stock exchange and 1football stadium..oh what a crime! I don't know how Peter Obi manages to retain his sanity when he has to contend with politicians who will only smile at the mention of Andy Uba. Politicians who will do their utmost to frustate the development of their own state just because the ideas are coming from Obi.In any other country these people would be behind bars. Sorry author,our Uche tried the same trick a few months ago and was shown the door.

Bunch17  # 10 | 14.03.2008 13:29

Dear Admin, In view of the furore this article and those by ezenekwe have generated, I wonder if it is time to make a change so that each time an article is submitted, the writer has to declare any competing interest they may have so that we can critic their articles properly. I think that many will agree with me that were these analysts and environmentalist to declare their paid hack status, we would be able to assess how well they are doing their jobs ( as paid hacks) rather than respond to a product of the imagination of a member of the Uba camp or someone attempting to blackmail the government.

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