From Obinna Odogwu, Awka
Former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, yesterday, criticised his successor, Willie Obiano, for not giving him credit for the just completed Awka Stadium.
He said he did the work up to 80 percent and also saved money for its completion before leaving office.
The former governor, in a statement by his media aide, Valentine Obienyem, said it was bad of Obiano to have taken credit for the work which he said remained only 20 percent before he left office.
“The other day when the National Youth Service Corps permanent site was commissioned at Umuawulu/Mbaukwu, Obiano failed to acknowledge the fact that it was the brainchild of Obi, who did about 80 percent of the project.
“On Tuesday, Obiano commissioned 20 percent of the completed part of Awka stadium. 20 percent in the sense that he just did a portion of it but, in his usual way, he presented it as if he completed the entire stadium.
“Commendable as such projects are, but the curious aspect of the commissioning is the fact that, as usual, he did not mention the fact that he completed part of what Obi started.
“If I had the choice, I would not have opted to correct the factual details but since the lies were told at this joyful season, I think nothing is wrong correcting it ‘out’ of season as well.
“Indeed, Obi flagged off the construction of the stadium in 2013, as usual, after extensive work begun in 2012, had already been done,” the statement read.
Obi said he lodged over half a billion naira in a bank with which the project would be completed and wondered why it was difficult for Obiano to acknowledge his efforts.
“Obi also set aside the money for the completion of the part of the stadium that was commissioned yesterday. The money was at the then Enterprise Bank with the account name of Ministry of Youth and Sports and account number of 1400036145. The amount was over half a billion naira.
“It is not a question of trying to discredit anybody, but a question of telling the truth without dissimulation. Very soon, he will commission the International Conference Centre (ICC), which is 100 percent his project and which nobody begrudges him even when expressing the genuine reservations on the actual need for that project”, Obi said.
The 2019 vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), however, advised the incoming governor of the state, Chukwuma Soludo, to consider turning the ICC into a shopping mall, saying it would yield revenue to the state.
