Gov. Obi at 3: so far so good

When I read Peter Obi, Anambra state governor’s two years of excellence sometime last year, I was under no illusion that the state will continue its progressive march towards development unabated. One year after, the administration in the State has not disappointed. The story has been that of consistency in developing both the institution of government and human capital, simultaneously.

The government in the state has hoisted Anambra on a pedestal for true greatness. The years of the locust it appears, have taken flight from the State since the coming of the Obi administration. The euphoria of transformation has become so infectious that virtually everybody in the State has caught up with it. Even some known cynics, who gave the administration little chance of success, have purged themselves of earlier prejudice against it and passed a vote of confidence. Ditto, for some political opponents who have in recent times been acclaiming Obi’s development efforts publicly. Hear one of such commendations “Obi has done well, in fact, he has passed his exams very well but since he is not of our party he has to advance to another class for one of us to continue from where he stopped”.

Of course, that was an honest assessment from a member of an opposition whose party is also interested in the governorship race come 2010. The Obi administration is fast becoming the recipe needed by the State to take its pride of place among the comity of other states in Nigeria. The hitherto smoldering flame of development in the state has been lit with incandescent light of achievements in virtually all the sectors of human endeavor.

After the tour of some of the project sites in the State by various organizations and interest groups, all agreed that the Peter Obi administration in the State has done well. The appraisal was done by a cross-section of practicing Journalists from the State and beyond, town union Presidents-General, Civil Rights Groups among others and they all returned a verdict of an achiever on Obi.

Not even a section of the State, nor a sector of its economy has been exempted from Obi’s action formula for development called Anambra Integrated Development Strategy (ANIDS). Areas that were formerly neglected by previous administrations have experienced ANID’s touch of transformation. Most of the agrarian communities, which agricultural produce had sustained the food base of the state, but had unfortunately borne the brunt of past neglects had seen Obi reverse the trend in his quest to give all sections of the state a sense of belonging. The opening up of these areas with interconnecting roads has not only guaranteed greater food supply to the state but also assuaged the pain of deprivation.

Today, with the flag off of many roads in the State in addition to the over 350kms already constructed, the Obi administration is ahead in road constructions and reconstruction. Let us not forget that this government, irrespective of its pioneering efforts in many sectors, is also developing a host of abandoned communities. A case in hand is the long neglected communities in Anambra West which have a road recently flagged off to link up Umueze Anam- Mmiata Anam-Inoma-Nzam and beyond.

One keeps wondering where the money for the projects are coming from, going by the fact that previous administrations in the state had explained away their failure to develop the State on lack of money. Some have even said that the Federal Allocation to the state has doubled since the Obi government came to power. That argument lacks merit for the simple reason that inflation has also been on steady rise in the country as well as the cost of executing contracts. Truth is that the present Government in the State has cut Government expenses drastically. The level of prudence in the management of the common wealth of the State by the Obi Government is particularly high. Profligacy was not Obi’s forte and that much he has admitted publicly.

His Government is a direct opposite of the Mbadinuju administration, which frittered away state fund on political patronage. That period will go down in history of the State as the time when some politicians exploited their closeness with the man at the helm and snaffled at our common wealth without let.
Today, with careful management of resources, Obi administration has been able to touch education, health, judiciary, environment, agriculture, housing, security, etc. Anybody who has not visited the state in recent times will marvel at the transformation in the last three years.

In the area of road construction, it may be difficult to enumerate in its entirety all the over 320km stretch of road already constructed. And by the time the ones flagged off are completed, the State will boast of well over 400kms of road network. However, a brief preview of the major ones will suffice. From Onitsha end of the State to Awka, down to Nnewi and the interior parts of the State, these roads stand out. The traffic congestion in Onitsha Township has been eased up with the dredging of Nwangene/Otumoye and the reconstruction of Awka road, New Cemetery road, Old Market road, Ugwunabamkpa road, New Market road, Creek road, Niger Street among others. While Awka, the capital city has been opened up to traffic with the construction of Zik Avenue-Eke Awka, Ifite Awka-Ebenebe-Holy Family road, Umuishi-Ifite road, Works road e.t.c. In Nnewi, the story is not any different, Lasselle- University road, Amuko-Ezeogidi road, Nnewichi-Nnobi road, Eme Court road et al. The many communities in the State have these long stretches of roads opening and connecting them together Atani-Osamala-Ugwuikpele, Abagana-Oye Nimo, Omor Junction-Igbakwu-Ifite Ogwari, Old Onitsha-Awka road, Ekwulobia-Nkpologwu-Akpo-Achina-Umuchu,Nibo-Umuawulu-Awgbu-Amaokpala with spurs and bridges etc.

Education sector is another area where the Obi’s administration has invested quality time and money in order to achieve results. Today, several faculty blocks have been constructed in the State University campuses of Uli and Igbariam and the Colleges of Education and Agriculture, both in Nsugbe and Mgbakwu respectively. He followed it up with donation of Engineering Equipment and wide range of books. In both Primary and Secondary Schools in the State, the administration has brought excellence to bear on them by rehabilitating dilapidated buildings and equipping their Laboratories. Computers were also supplied to a greater number of them as well as generating sets. Other amenities like water supply and public convenience were also provided.

Even though there is no area that suffers neglect under the present Government, Health institution is one which has witnessed great transformation. The turn around maintenance going on in this sector has seen the accreditation of Onitsha General Hospital, Schools of Nursing and Midwifery Nkpor and the process of accrediting Amaku Hospital nearing completion with over six more buildings being erected. Note that other Hospitals like Ekwulobia and Iyienu were not left out as was Umueri General Hospital which the Obi administration built from scratch.

Other sectors like Judiciary, Environment, and Housing are not left out as many quarters have been constructed for Judges in the State both in Onitsha and Awka respectively. Two Courts, Federal High Court and Customary Court of Appeal were also caused to establish in the State.

It is marvelous to see the commitment of the State Government in the fight against environmental degradation. The ravaging erosion is being brought in check by the awareness campaign mounted by the administration. Recently both the Federal Government and some Donor Agencies have been roused into action in view of the ferocious threat and the situation is fast improving.
In the same vein, several Housing Estates have been constructed by the administration which the State made possible through the importation of Hydraform block-processing machine.

As I said earlier, it will be difficult to recount how Obi did the first State Secretariat, the first State Library, the Odor Bridge (the longest ever constructed by any Governor of the State),two Flyovers (one at Upper Iweka and the other UniZik junction) because of space constraint. Truth is that Obi has done quite well and may not necessarily need repertoire on his heroic deeds to endear his government to the people.

Scripted by: Ejike Anyaduba (Lagos)