Long
before the expiration of his tenure as Anambra governor Peter Obi had started
shopping for his replacement as has become the practice these days. He first
settled for his SSG, Oseloka Obaze, but soon the then simmering APGA crisis put
paid to Oseloka’s choice and Obi quickly settled for the incumbent governor,
Willie Obiano, who was accepted by all parties in the dispute.
Obi had
been Obiano’s boss at Fidelity Bank for some years and so one would expect both
of them to know each other quite well. According to sources close to Obi, he
was on the look-out for a successor who knew his onions, who understood and
spoke Obi’s language and who had the same international connections he had. In
other words, Obi was looking for a worthy successor that would build on the
foundation he had laid.
Thus when
Obiano was unveiled as Obi’s choice well meaning citizens nodded in
appreciation, especially after knowing Obiano’s back ground which generally
stood him out as the best candidate in the contesting pack. But while the
majority who appreciated Obi’s earth shaking achievements in Anambra felt that
God had answered their prayers for a worthy successor to Obi, a tiny minority
who never saw anything good in Obi sought to discredit Obiano’s candidacy by
attempting to create an unhealthy nexus between the two men based on their
Fideliy Bank back ground.
To these
men Obi chose Obiano as a desperate measure to cover up the crimes he committed
as governor. When they felt the public was not buying their crap they queried
why Obi should force someone on the state. In pursuing this argument they
forgot that Obi’s choice would be decided by the people’s votes in which case
if they liked Obiano they would elect him and vice versa. So if that was going
to be the case why castigate Obi for choosing someone? Was Obi the first man to
choose a successor?
Among
those leading the chorus against Obiano’s choice were members of the opposition
All Progressives Congress (APC) who conveniently forgot how their Bola Tinubu
chose Fashola to succeed him, Tinubu, as Lagos State governor.
For the
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) naysayers they also seemed to forget what
happened in nearby Enugu State when Chimaroke Nnamani produced his former
commissioner, Sullivan Chime, as his successor. In fact the same scenario has
been playing out across the states in the country and so no one considered it
as strange. They forgot that what mattered were the back ground, experience and
capability of the successor rather than their choice.
Before he
left office Obi at a ceremony beamed live on television and with Obiano and
prominent Nigerians in attendance told the world how he saved a whopping N75b
for the state in both cash and bonds. The world marvelled at how Obi was able
to that with the lean resource base of the state.
Rather
than borrow money Obi had generated it from development partners to put the
state on the path of economic recovery through his revolutions in such sectors
as health and education (recall that Anambra has come first in both WAEC and
NECO for two years now).
When Obi’s
slayers saw that their lies could not convince the electorate to reject his
candidate they resorted to saying that the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) would handcuff Obi immediately he lost his immunity as
governor. Well, it is now close to three months since Obi left office and no
one has heard anything from either the EFCC or the Independent Corrupt
Practices Commission (ICPC).
Rather
what people started hearing was how the president planned to make Obi a
minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or the secretary to the federal
government! These were sure signs that the federal government which earlier
appreciated Obi’s worth by appointing him a member of the nation’s economic
management team and an honorary adviser on finance was still appreciating him.
This was
the last straw for Obi’s disgruntled opponents and what did they do?
They
quickly went to the pages of the newspaper to place faceless advertorials
claiming that Obi rather than saving money for the state had indeed left her in
debt. In claiming this they assumed the role of Obiano who should have been the
one to be crying wolf if indeed Obi left him piles of debt.
The
faceless advertorials were aimed at dissuading the federal government from
making Obi a member of the federal cabinet as though their world would end if
Obi became one.
While
flying that kite of Obi’s lie that he saved money they were also frantically
trying to insinuate that Obi and Obiano had fallen out. What they stand to gain
from their imagined face-off between the two men, I do not know but I put it
down to an incurable desire to cause mischief even when it cannot work and when
such mischief is unnecessary.
Thus even
though Obiano is still settling down in office yet some people are simulating a
fall-out between him and Obi as well as secretly attempting to goad Obiano into
‘being his own man’ by disagreeing with Obi.
I’m not
against Obiano being his own man. In fact, it is necessary he does so.
However he
needs Obi’s influence in the presidency and internationally to succeed.
Obiano can
be his own man by continuing with the strides he is making in the area of
security. He can be his own man by fashioning out his own blue print for
transforming Anambra but he shouldn’t be his own man by abandoning projects
initiated by Obi. If he does that, he will be acting rather foolishly and will
hurt Ndi Anambra and not Obi.
But then I
know that Obiano is no fool. He may be new in the office but he is a proven
manager of men and resources which was why Obi endorsed him in the first place
and Anambrarians accepted him.
Rather
than flex muscles against Obi, Obiano should do so against the present rabble
rousers and continue keeping them at bay like Obi did. It is the only way to
succeed.
They are
people who will quickly derail his government and rush to the media to tell how
badly he is performing. They did it against Chinwoke Mbadinuju. Obiano must
ensure that those who have no business in the corridors of power are kept out.
Governance is serious business and not one to be used in favouring and settling
kinsmen, friends and well wishers. Do that and you collapse as quickly as a
house built on a sandy soil.
Like
Fashola has maintained cordial relations with Tinubu, Obiano should hold on to
Obi who I know will always mean well for him and the state. He should indeed
make Obi Anambra’s special ambassador whose wide connections will continue to
attract goodies to the state. That way Obiano will be disappointing those
trying hard to return the state to her days of anarchy.
From my
findings Obi and Obiano are still friends despite the picture some never do
wells are painting. It should continue that way. With the way Obiano is
continuing with on-going projects started by Obi, I can rest easy that at least
for now there will be no cause for alarm.
Once
things continue the way they are Anambra can only be the winner and the
jobless, mischievous and thieving crowd masquerading as Anambra Concerned
Citizens will bite the dust as losers do.
Governor Willie Obiano Is Fighting Former Governor Peter Obi Over ....?
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Friday, June 13, 2014
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