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In my recent missive titled, “Can Igbos Govern Nigeria?”, I spoke aplenty about the dearth of credible Igbo political leaders, especially, in light of the renewed order of disorder in Anambra where the state’s legislators have since been beaten by the impeachment bug and have followed the path of Bayelsa, Oyo and Ekiti lawmakers who successfully impeached their state governors. Many would agree that the impeachment of Gov. Peter Obi was, for all practical purposes, an exercise freighted and well soused in a cesspool of jaundiced disposition and indeed induced by the powers that be. It is noteworthy that of all the five Igbo states, only Anambra is in the fold of Ojukwu’s party, and therefore, must attract special attention from Abuja. When Dr. Chris Ngige was in office, though a PDP steward, he fell in disfavor with Aso Rock because Andy Uba, the elder brother of Chris Uba, the terrorist and thug, was and still is the president’s bosom friend and most trusted adviser and therefore used his closeness to power to blackmail, extort and upstage Ngige, all in the sordid interest of pilfering state funds.
With Gov. Obi’s introduction into the fray, matters became more complicated even as the president upped the antes with his unexpected anointment of Andy Uba as the next executive governor of Anambra State, using the pretext of his recent official visit to the state to make such unsolicited and bogus declaration. But once again, we see the work of the avaricious and rapacious political leaders in that state as they have fallen intoto in the presidents’ trap with their impeachment song instead of engaging in a true assessment of the potentials and leadership abilities of Gov. Obi and recognizing his good intent. In fact, what the lawmakers of Anambra may not know given the blinders frosted on them, is the solemn fact that Gov. Obi was the man to lead their state out of the doldrums and onto the path of peace, development and political relevance.
Here is why – in the town hall meeting Obi held in London posted on www.nigeriavillagesquare.com website titled, “Peter Obi: Before the Storm,” by the veritable Uche Nworah, most of us learned of the vision, plans and intentions the governor had for his state. His agenda was very ambitious and spoke of a man whose heart was truly with the people of Anambra and whose intentions were honorable. As we all know, this cannot be said of Dr. Mbadinuju and certainly not of Ngige who battled to stay in office with very little time for the people whose work he had gone to Awka, the state capital, to do. As I listened to him in that town hall meeting, I learned of the rot the previous governors left behind even going back to Chief Jim Nwobodo of the old Anambra State who may not have laid a lasting foundation for development and economic viability.
In that town hall meeting, the governor talked about a pilot project where twenty-five out of two hundred and twenty-five secondary schools in the state would be equipped with computers, laboratory equipments and quality teachers. With time, this project will be expanded to the rest of the secondary schools in the state. Additionally, he spoke of building a secretariat for the state ministries to consolidate their activities in an effort to make governance a serious endeavor. Being the technocrat he was, he appointed visionaries and well educated citizens to positions of importance. I was baffled when he indicated that the state once had a commissioner of education who did not attend secondary school. This, occurring in a state with no shortage of educated minds and certainly no shortage of noted scholars. Was it because of patronage? Was it politics? Was that governor who appointed the illiterate commissioner of education paying a political debt? Obi, recognizing this deficiency moved to appoint PhDs and well qualified citizens to run his ministries.
From all indications, Obi wasn’t in Government House to embezzle state funds; he wasn't in Government House to run the state aground like Dr. Mbadinuju did, he wasn't in Government House to acquire land and properties; in fact, I was endeared to him when he stated that he came to Government House without a plot of land and would be leaving in the same manner. In truth, how many governors in today’s Nigeria are leaving office without multiple plots of land and properties acquired illegally? Is Dariye leaving empty handed? How about Peter Odili? For a man to tackle the mighty PDP and its agents of destruction in court to reclaim his mandate, was truly an indication of an honorable wont of servitude to the people of Anambra. Obi may not have been your typical politician, he may not have the political gusto and bravity needed in today's Nigeria, he may be just an orange juice importer before running for the governorship, but he was a man with heart, tenacity, vision and a plan. He was a man who refused to sell the state to thugs like Chris Uba and the legislators who had lost out in the money sharing game.
It is all the more why his impeachment is yet the most ominous sign of a state bedeviled by the demons of disorder and the Pharisees of modern day Nigerian politics. Why would the lawmakers impeach him? Was it because he refused to continue the financial arrangement they had with previous governors? What manner of legislators? What manner of leaders? And if I may ask; where is the people’s interest in all these? When will these so-called legislators tackle the developmental agenda of the state? And the benefactor of Obi’s misfortune, Mrs. Etiaba, would soon find that the train that eliminated Obi is headed in her direction. In the true meaning of her name, Etiaba - Somersault - so will she somersault out of Government House ferried away by the same impeachment train. We should note well that the events issuing out of Anambra is all a grand design orchestrated from Abuja. The script has since been written and being played out in Awka. At this juncture, Obi’s part has ended abruptly and Etiaba’s has began. At the end of the script will emerge the main actor, Andy Uba, the accused money launderer, for he is the ultimate benefactor of this scheme and will be the only man standing when the lights are dimmed and curtain drawn.
How sad!
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The author can be reached at alalibo@gmail.com
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Posted by Robot| 09.11.2006 01:17