One year of Obiano’s pact with Ndi Anambra By Ifeanyi Afuba

At the turn of one year of his assuming office as Governor of Anambra State, the tenor of Chief Willie Obiano’s governance is still unraveling.
There are emerging patterns, some discernible trends and predictable positions but obviously a definitive picture would take a little while longer. What is indisputable is that these have been eventful 365 days for the fifth civilian Governor of Anambra State.  The impact of these activities on the socio – economic life of the State  
From the whistle blast of his inauguration on March 17, 2014 to the present, there has been no dull moment in Obiano’s executive diary. The hectic pace of the administration has in the vogue of popular interpretation, begun to elicit the appellation of action governor for Obiano.  This comes against the backdrop of the somewhat slow approach of his predecessor, Peter Obi, who was given to long planning before hitting the ground. It is striking that it took Governor Obiano just three weeks to put in place his cabinet and keep the machinery of government revving at full throttle. For someone coming into public office in Nigeria for the first time, this is a significant step especially in the light of party and constituency balancing dictates as well as carrying the legislature along. It is also the case that some of the notable programmes of the administration such as the agrarian policy; environmental renewal, investment campaign; youth employment/empowerment were actually kick–started in the first few weeks in office.  Security was, of course, top on the list.
The earnestness with which the regime embarked on its first set of programmes should be considered a significant opening in the appraisal of the administration. It says something about the willingness of the Governor to meet the yearnings of the people and perhaps, more importantly too, indicates the ability of the leader to rise to the occasion and satisfy the requirements for achieving expected results.  While fleshing of the regime’s outing may only have started at this stage, the course and pace of its activities are nevertheless important for gauging its priorities and promises. For this writer, therefore, the first defining feature of the one-year-old Willie Obiano governorship would be the consuming desire to begin to deliver on the inaugural targets in the shortest possible time. This consistency in word and action is remarkable and marks out the Governor as an uncommon politician with regard for social contracts beyond their political value.
It should do to use the four pillars of Obiano’s manifesto, namely agriculture; trade & commerce; industrialization; oil & gas as well as the chief enabler, security to illustrate the focused progress of the administration so far. Clearly, the realization of nearly $2 billion investment in the state’s economy in less than one year is a testimony of a commitment to boost industrialization, trade and commerce in the state.  This had led to the creation of a Diaspora Unit in the office of the Governor and the very active Anambra State Investment Promotion & Protection Agency [ANSIPPA].  Of the above figure, about $360 million is being invested in agriculture where, at least, five solo/joint ventures in rice, cassava, fish, and tomato puree production are at various stages of implementation.  With the operation of these agro ventures appreciating in the next couple of months, their combined output would go a long way towards attaining the objectives of making Anambra State one of the leading states in agriculture generally and rice production in particular.
Early this year, the Anambra State Government signed an agreement with the consortium West Africa Intercontinental Trade Centre for the construction of an international market at Ogbunike valued at $320 million for the first phase of the project. This initiative in trade and commerce was beautifully followed up a month later with the Thailand trade delegation visit to Anambra State. The six-day long tour was rounded off with signing of Memorandum of Understanding between the state government and the 13-man business mission on a diverse range of manufacturing and trade interests.
Implementation of the industrial plan has led to Richborn Nig Ltd establishing a $40 million vehicle assembly plant in Oba. It is worth mentioning that Oba is also the site for the proposed commercial airport for the state, the other being the cargo airport to be built at Umuleri site of the Orient Refinery. In the area of oil and gas, progress was made recently with Falcon Nigeria Limited’s $100 million investment deal in natural gas distribution.
The administration’s strides in the area of security are too well known to be repeated here.  Again, what is interesting is the systematic way Governor Obiano has followed up on his statement of intent.  In a broadcast to mark his one month in office,  he made the following declaration: ‘…the war against all forms of criminality and lawlessness  in Anambra has begun…I am determined to win this war…I say this to kidnappers, armed robbers and vigilante gangsters, in the name of God, give up your crimes or leave Anambra State for good. If you do not, the might of this government will find you.  We are determined to rid this State of your criminal activities, whatever resources it takes.’
The second striking feature of the Obiano regime is a tendency to what approximates as welfarism. There is reason to think that Governor Obiano believes the primary purpose of Government should be to cater for the welfare of the citizenry.
In much the same way that it takes courage to be a follower of Christ in a world that sees sophistication in a secular way of life, it also demands strong conviction to approach governance from a welfarist framework at a time the apostles of ‘free enterprise’ have almost elevated the economic theory to gospel.  A man of standards and even class, Obiano certainly believes in the practice of social models that promote initiative, hard work and competition as can be seen from his target oriented governance.  But what seems to distinguish Obiano from the classical capitalists is that he seeks to grow the state’s economy not as an end in itself but purposely to uplift the standard of living of the people – and this in a manner that recognizes the plight of the weak and disadvantaged.
In the seventh month of coming into office, Chief Willie Obiano liquidated the debt of N1.9 billion naira owed staff of the State Water Corporation and a defunct sanitation agency for the past twelve years, which successive administrations had shirked responsibility. For the Governor, what was paramount was to bring to an end the untold hardship the victims had borne all these years rather than dwelling on legalistic and administrative considerations of the matter. Workers’ salaries have been increased even without any increase in federal revenue allocation. In December last year, every public servant employed by the state government received a bag of rice; a gesture presently being extended to pensioners. A few weeks back in February, a mass transit scheme took off with dozens of luxury buses operating at subsidized cost to the public. Snacks are soon to be introduced as part of the bus ride package.
•Afuba writes from Awka