With this episode, I rest my series on Anambra 2017 Governorship Election with a passionate appeal to the good people of Anambra to shun any form of violence. I urge all registered voters to go out and vote peacefully. The election officials are performing their constitutional duties and therefore must enjoy our support and protection. Security agencies must maintain a level playing ground without interfering in the electoral process except where it becomes necessary the peace and order is maintained.
I must congratulate the Senate of the Federal Republic for weighing into the unlawful withdrawal of the police details attached to the governor of the state. The police action is unwarranted and unprecedented. Like or loath him , Chief Obiano remain the Executive Governor of Anambra state and must be accorded all courtesy and respect due to him and his office. The Inspector General of Police was wrong in his action and need to be cautioned as such tendency he has exhibited is capable of endangering our democracy.
We do not need the police or any security agency for that matter to interfere in this election. Whether November 18 brings forth change or a return to the status quo, the fact is that people gets the kind of leader they deserve. Democracy has given us the power to decide on who leads us and how we are led. It is left for us to use the power wisely. We can decide to assert our will by putting the interest of the people above sentiments and party politics or vote for our stomach and complain tomorrow. We must therefore understand that whoever wins this election will be our governor for the next four years. So before we cast that vote we must be truthful to our self that this is who we want as our governor.
An important lesson to learn from the entire campaign is that there is always a date with history when one is called upon to give account of his/ her stewardship. I saw the difficulty in some of the candidates unable to list their achievements or even present a coherent vision on why they want to be governor, though a clear exception was Dr Dubem Obaze and Chief Osita Chidoka. Both showed clear understanding of the issues and appear ready to make a difference if elected. For the incumbent who clearly was unable to list his achievements those difficulties wouldn’t have been there if indeed he worked.
When you work, your good work will speak for you. You don’t struggle for a second term because the roads you built, the vehicles that ply the highways, the shrubs and trees in the environment you created, the infrastructures you developed, the stones and the water will rise to bear you testimony, that’s on the rare assumption that we the people made whole by the hospitals you built, housed and sheltered by the houses you gave us and educated by the quality schools you provided, denies you.
He was unable to account for his stewardship because there is nothing to show. He looked pathetic throughout the debate trying to justify the unjustifiable. It’s unbelievable, almost ridiculous that a former banker will be making a case against savings and by so doing cast doubt on the merit of his ascendancy to the position of Executive Director of a thriving bank, assuming making him a governor was indeed a mistake.
He probably doesn’t even believe himself when he asked the people to vote him back into office. If he wins the ballot in this election, he will certainly be shocked and surprised that we are willing to tolerate his prodigality despite knowing he is not fit for office having supervised liquidation of a whopping $150m (that’s N200bn) of our future savings to according to him pay workers salaries, collected billions in Paris loan refund to pay same salaries, received over N460bn from federal allocation to pay salaries, squandered savings of N75bn to pay salaries; took an additional loan of N60bn to pay salaries. Mind you he never inherited any arrears of salaries, pensions and gratuities. And by the way what are the actual civil service size of the state and how much is this workers salaries? Was it not the same workers salaries that Mr. Obi paid religiously for eight solid years?
Looking down from the cross of Calvary with grief and pains; because of this man and the way he has governed Anambra, Jesus wept again! He wept for the wickedness of the heart. Just imagine the sufferings of our people. Imagine our predicaments and how our youths are being massacred and the desperate need to develop our state, yet someone so fortunate to be blessed with the rare opportunity to govern will have the heart to liquidate the treasury as if there is no tomorrow.
Is this the meaning of APGA BU NKE ANYI? Is the current plunder of our wealth by a few what we mean by ‘Afa Igbo efuna’? ‘Afa Igbo efuna’ shouldn’t just be a slogan but an affirmation in pursuit of excellence and the ideal, not a scam perpetuated by mass hypnotism and deception.
The question is ‘if Jesus is to be with us today, what will he do to Obiano under this circumstance? I asked this question because we claim to be followers of Christ. Last week I asked for the conscience of the Church? Why are Churches scrambling for their own share of the stolen Anambra money? Why can’t the church and its followers do like Christ would do? The Jesus I know as Lord and saviour will be pained , angry and vexed; He will get his whip and whip Willie silly for being a huge mistake, Christ will whip him exactly the same way he did to those scammers, gamblers and traders of iniquity desecrating His father’s house.
It was disheartening to hear my governor speak like he is Epicurus himself just because he wants to justify his massive plundering of the future savings left in his care. I wonder what he would have sold now if no one made those savings in the first place. Need I, remind us that, you can only invest in a future when you save. And that the best way to invest in future is through education and infrastructure development. In common sense leadership, you do not borrow for consumption purposes. Like wise you do not eat up the savings made for consumption. What is consumed is gone and can never come back but what you build as an investment in infrastructure and education are recoverable. That the governor used up funds saved by his predecessor without proper justification is condemnable and displays his government’s level of economic management.
Whatever miracle that hands him second terms mandate after this balloting, the unborn generation of our people will not forgive him because he came, he saw and he squandered.
Let the people decide. People get the kind of leader they deserve. And, I am speaking to those that still love Anambra State, especially those that still have the fear of God. I beg us to set sentiment aside and like Jesus, get the whip and whip Willie and his area boys silly by voting like never before. We owe it a duty to ourselves and the future generation to enthrone back the state on the rightful path by asserting our will and saying enough is enough. Anambra deserve better to be fixed.