Obiano on the threshold of greatness By Ejike Anyaduba

Professor Okoro Ijeo­ma is a great guy. He taught History at the University of Nige­ria
with infectious passion. His off the cuff, but brilliant lectures, held many students, including laggards awe­struck. Nobody skived a ses­sion with the Prof. None ever left his lectures, regretting attendance. For many of us, he was as luminous a teacher as he was a trusted mentor.
Recently, I ran into him at a function at Nike Lake Resort, Enugu. While fiddling with my papers for documenta­tions – in time – to avoid being turned out of doors by orga­nizers of the event, I saw the erudite Professor ensconced on a chair in the foyer. He was poring over a paper when I called his attention. I made brief introduction of myself whereupon he enquired after my state and her governor, Chief Willie Obiano. As I made to speak, he motioned me to silence, suggesting he was already in the loop about the developments in my state.
With the concision of a his­torian, he regaled me with the governor’s achievements. He expressed joy that Obiano has joined the league of perform­ing governors in Nigeria and the better of the two perform­ing governors in the South east. I wanted to find out who the other governor is. Sullivan Chime, Prof said matter-of – factly. He said the young man has done well for himself and the people of Enugu State.
As our discussion tailed off, he wanted to find out why, upon Obiano’s achievements, he is still under attack on the social media? I told him the attacks are the handiwork of idlers; men and women who are not bred to any known trade. That I have a hunch some of them might have been crossed with the sanitization exercise carried out by the new government. In consequence, they now amuse themselves writing the disparaging lines against the government. The impetus of writing, I told him, is stoked by a number of dis­gruntled politicians from the state. He agreed no less with my views and asked me to tell the governor – if I could – not to be distracted from his good work.
Pleased, I scurried to the conference hall to attend to the business of the day. I was happy that, beyond the din of confusion from the social me­dia, Obiano government is re­garded highly within and out­side the state. More than that, I was pleased I convinced my teacher to disregard the sto­ries as coming from distorted minds.
The fact of Obiano’s devel­opment strides is not in doubt. What is strange, maybe, is why, amidst the progressive developments, some people are blinded by hate to sully the image of the State. I find it a bit odd that their vision is so blurred they can nei­ther glimpse nor feel the pal­pable transformation going on in the state. Perhaps, their conscience is already seared otherwise no sane mind can spew as much lies against a government that has done so much within so short a time. What Obiano has done, using the four pillar development thrusts and their enablers, is remarkable. He achieved in one year what others took twice as much to attempt. His effort can be described as su­perlative with confirmatory evidence in the bargain.
Two things stand Obiano’s government out as remark­able. One is improved security and welfare. Two is infrastruc­tural development and invest­ment. Both, in the context of time and speed, were never bettered in the history of the state. Before his government was enthroned, Anambra did not spot a particularly won­derful image. It copped – es­pecially Onitsha – the picture of unsafe place, blazoning like armorial bearings brokenness and decay. Even her high per­formance rating in the area of education and road network could not alter the perception. But few months into his gov­ernment, Obiano has brought order back to the state. He reordered the security machin­ery, making it both responsive and proactive.