In Response To James Eze’s Piece Titled, Where Has Governor Obiano Gone Wrong? By Tai Emeka Obasi

   

I took time to go through the long article, which the SSA, Media to His Excellency, Dr Willie Obiano put up in defense of his master based on his stewardship so far. Mr. Eze, in every sentence he stringed together, exhibited a tolerable level of language command in construction and phrasing.
However, if what he penned down were truly the level he understood Anambra State then it is very evident that bringing in an alien to do a job meant for well-grounded people within a community can never be a smart move when issues concerning sustainable development come up as a menu on a giant dining table like that of Anambra State.

To start with, it is quite inconceivable and to some extent uncongenial that in all 177 communities in Anambra State, nobody seems to command as much as Eze’s competence even if it comes in a combination of Oxford and Harvard decorum. Well, I know that in my own community, there are more than 50 vibrant young men and women who Eze can’t lace their boots if the job of our Governor’s SSA Media was ever put on a competitive plate. But the Enugu State indigene can rejoice it never was a matter of bidding and then enjoy the benevolence of Chief Obiano, who believed this journey man deserved to hold a position no Anambra indigene would ever be considered for in Enugu State.

And that is why Eze could use unprintable names for Anambrarians, who had journeyed from the days one Nkanu man called Jim Nwobodo came and introduced the monster called dichotomy in old Anambra State, through the better-forgotten-days of Dr Mbadinuju, via the ‘halachri’ days of Dr Ngige…and finally to Chief Peter Obi, when for once in the creation of the state, Anambrarians witnessed real governance. A governance that ushered in EQUITY and CONTINUITY after its eight years of miracle in all spheres of development.

Mr Eze's lack of knowledge about Anambra and her people is why he would attempt to make Anambrarians believe Coscharis Group came into Anambra because of his master’s ingenuity. If Eze was from Anambra, perhaps he would have understood that Chief Cosmas Maduka, the CEO of Coscharis Group hails from Nnewi…and that none in Africa is a better businessman than a seasoned Nnewi businessman or woman…he/she never invests when he/she is not absolutely certain. Again he failed to understand that Agriculture is a long-term investment venture. He failed to think that it must have taken Coscharis over two years to consider, make feasibility studies, involve his group for repeated appraisals before eventually making up his mind to invest in an area Coscharis isn’t known to have thrived on before. The Nnewi business guru equally studied that Anambra State Industrial handbook, a master document prepared under the Chairmanship of Odi Nwosu and submitted on October 30, 2006 to Chief Peter Obi on modalities of investments and industrialization of Anambra State…that was the day modern industrialization of Anambra State was born…once that documented gets tampered with, we’ll witness a retrogression in this sector that may take another eight years to restructure.

Well, for your education Mr Eze, Coscharis had long concluded the business under last administration, then waited, like many others, for Chief Obi to achieve his project of handing over to his chosen APGA candidate to then invest. If you knew anything about administrations in Nigeria, you’d understand that lack of CONTINUITY is the bane of Nigeria’s growth as a nation. Any incoming government completely pulls down all structures of one it is succeeding! Chief Maduka and his Coscharis Group wouldn’t want to risk any hitch if something went wrong and the likes of Ngige became governor.

I applauded Gov Obiano for immediately signing documents for Coscharis Group on being sworn in. That is the CONTINUITY we fought for. On SECURITY, His Excellency smartly built on what his predecessor left on ground for instant success. Again, we applaud for same CONTINUITY. On flyovers( real professional name sub-grade intersections), question…has there been anyone built inside a forest/bush? Isn’t these three in Awka going through already constructed surfaces? Isn’t it same CONTINUITY? Are the likes of Eze aware that Awka has a developmental plan procured by Obi’s administration and prepared by UN Habitat that every structural development of Awka would be based on?

Why are there very visible efforts to condemn all the efforts of past administration to dust bin of history while promoting this very young administration to high heavens? Why won’t Anambrarians for once enjoy a CONTINUITY that can only make our state develop faster than others around it? Why create unnecessary feud when all it needs is walk through the smooth path of development already laid down by the indefatigable Chief Obi for eight tortuous years?

Or is Eze scarred that his Enugu State is being left behind and trying his own subtle way to put spanner in the works?

I have to worry because for Eze to jump out from nowhere to heap insults on same diehard Anambrarians who fought with everything in them to achieve that CONTINUITY is akin to njo ogbugbu. The same patriotic Anambrarians who fought fangs and claws to make certain Anambra never returned to the days before Obi's coming! These genuine Anambrarians can take any nonsense from all others but to stomach this unguarded barrage of speculative mischief apparently aimed at justifying his master’s benevolence is one people like me will not take from an Enugu man, who was nowhere near Anambra State when the real war to make Gov Obiano governor was ragging on.