How Obiano Arrested And Prosecuted 240 Kidnappers Within 100 Days In Office Marvels Us ------Evangelist Obi Okoli, MD Ekwulobia Mass Transit

An All progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Chieftain in Anambra State and Managing Director, Ekwulobia Urban Mass Transit, Chief Obi Okoli says Governor Willie Obiano is the still on the right footings. 

Evangelist Obi Okoli as he prefers to be called has contributed largely to the growth and development of the party in the State as a transport mogul and a notable businessman. 

He has his business conglomerates spanning across various sectors.

 In this interview with odogwuemekaodogwu.com Evangelist Obi Okoli spoke on some issues of national importance. Excerpts:

There are divergent views of Anambrarians on Gov. Willie Obiano’s 100 days in office. Do you think he had started on a good note asks odogwuemekaodogwu.com?

People place premium on the first 100 days in office of every public office holder in this country. They attach great importance to that. In their views it gives an insight on how well such an officer can do, or even how visionary such a leader is. Certainly, everybody cannot share the same view with one another.

But mark my words; Chief Willie Obiano has started on a very good note; in fact, he started on an excellent note. Let’s look at it this way. Before now, there is high level of insecurity in Anambra State. In fact, Upper Iweka axis of Onitsha was a breeding zone for criminals.

It is their headquarters in Anambra. Kidnapping was quite rampant and as a result of that foreign and local investors dreaded coming to this state to invest. But when Obiano came on board he marvelled all of us just within one hundred days, just 100 days. Again Nsugbe axis which is still a suburb of Onitsha, the rate of criminality there was high.

Some students of Nwafor Orizu College who’re close to this office will always come here to tell us how bad things had gone in the area security wise. But go there now and see the difference. When your N5 drops unknowingly people will be beckoning on you to come and pick it unlike in the past when some hoodlums will point gun at you in a broad day light and demand for either your bag or your life.

So security of lives and property is one of the basic things a responsible government can give her citizens. If one can shut his two eyes to sleep with a hope of free smooth day devoid of any form of harassment, why won’t the businesses and indeed, other sectors of the state economy grow?

Chief Willie Obiano came and restored security to the state. What is even more amazing is that he spares no one. With Willie, there is nothing like sacred cows. Take a look at it; he went to his home town of Aguleri and destroyed criminals’ hideouts and sternly warned that no criminal would be treated kindly even if you’re from his kindred. One thing here is that some people naturally have opposition mentality and never see anything good in apparently positive achievements.

 Apart from the issue of security, there are quite some areas he has made some laudable marks. And one good thing is that he has a wife who understands his job and you see her doing that job with him. It was reported in the Daily Sun newspaper of August 13, 2013 of the pitiable state of schools where blind, deaf, and dumb students are meant to be tutored.

Those schools were in a sorry state but go there now and see the handiwork of Her Excellency. Was it not few days ago that she went to commission some of her projects in those schools just within 100 days in office with her husband? Some people will not understand the plights of those children because they are not theirs. Just within this period he flagged off 14 roads and the construction is on-going. Again over 150 kidnappers had been arrested and over 90 prosecuted.

Let’s look at agricultural sector. He is taking bold steps to make agric sector juicy and attractive to young people. People see farming as a profession designed for the never-do-wells or old people but that is a blatant lie and very ridiculous. Farmers are people who contribute greatly to nation building. Obiano understands the importance of farming having come from an agrarian community.

And good enough, it is one of the cardinal points of President Goodluck Jonathan’s transformation agenda. One would not need to be told that Jonathan is determined to revive our lost glory in agriculture; those good old days of groundnut pyramids. And it’s good that our governor is working closely with the Minister of Agriculture, Dr Akinwumi Adesina.

Again, was it not few days ago that Chief Willie Obiano flagged of the construction of about three flyovers in Awka to decongest the city of heavy gridlocks that greet it each day? My brother our governor started on a very good note. I don’t know the yard sticks of those who’re opposed to that are using to measure it.

But some of those criminals are said to have relocated to the motor parks, snatching people of their valuables by means of ‘pick-pocket.’ What would you make of that then demands odogwuemekaodogwu.com?

It is not true. It is even now that greater level of sanity has returned to the parks. You remember when Mr Peter Obi came on board, and how he sanitized the parks. Willie Obiano is simply building and improving on the already built foundation.

Pick-pocket has always been from time immemorial, and I can tell you it has reduced very, very drastically. It’s just that people need to be more careful with their luggage when they’re using public transport. That’s why the issue of three persons per seat is a good idea because with that you not only feel more comfortable but you know when the person by your side moves his or her hands.

Recently some delegates at the on-going national conference called for the immediate scrap of Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) on the grounds of being inefficient and virtually moribund. As a transport mogul, do you think such calls should be heeded asks odogwuemekaodogwu.com?

There is no agency created by the government without good and genuine intentions but the problem is that some of these politicians use these agencies for political settlements.

Nowadays politicians now use the available offices particularly from their hierarchies for political compensation. So scrapping it may not be the best option. If they scrap FERMA what will happen to their entire workforce; what will they be doing?

At this period when the nation is still battling with insecurity, don’t they consider that the insecurity in the land may get worse as a result? There is also high level of unemployment in the country even though President Goodluck Jonathan is working assiduously to address that. So I believe that the government that set it up in the first place should find a way to strengthen it.

If I’m to suggest, I’ll tell the government to set up a formidable, responsible taskforce that would among other things find out the main problem with FERMA; the root cause of the problem, and how it would be solved.

Again, the government should not be appointing people into the offices of these agencies on the bases of political affiliation, or for political settlement. Let it be purely on merit. That is my stand on the issue.