Mischievous Reference to Anambra State for Fiscal Excellence

By Polycarp Onwubiko
My foray into journalism profession stemmed from the appreciation of the three-fold cardinal objectives viz: to educate, to inform and to entertain and the watch-dog role of the society. More importantly, the sustaining force remains the parental virtue of going the extra mile to press for justice, equity and fairness in private and public matters; in addition to contending with the sacrifices involved.In the passion to learn from my betters, I erroneously believed that columnists are paragons of excellence; but latter observed mischievous conducts that questioned the cardinal objectives of the profession.
I was distressed by the article captioned “ States and empty treasuries” at the back page of Daily Sun October 22, 2015 where the columnist Amanze Obi, was excoriating the former Governor of Benue state, Gabrie Suswan for rationalizing his failure to clear four months salaries of workers before he left office. He however cited former governors Attahiru Bafawara of Sokoto state and Peter Obi of Anambra state as quintessence of fiscal excellence .According to him, the former left #12 billion while the latter left a whooping #75 billion for the public till.It is sad to observe that some media executives have unwittingly thrown the objectives of the profession to the dogs due to unrestrained compromising of their assumed integrity. These columnists banked on the much-talked about ‘collective amnesia’ of Nigerians, in addition to weak institutions which give impetus to indulgence in brazen impunity and corruptive manipulations in governance.
It is grossly misleading for the columnist to cite Anambra state under what could rightly be referred to “Sole Administrator-ship” of Mr. Peter Obi as a state that hallmarked fiscal excellence. What Anambra people contended with during that best-forgotten tenure was the monstrous illegalities as the Governor allegedly entered into ‘covenant’ with about five national newspapers not to publish write-ups that were not showering accolades to his style of governance that threw all civilized conducts into the dust-bin. This master strategy ostensibly was for political expediency and calculations to be the greatest achiever ands king maker in the state.
Two years to the massively rigged 2010 governorship election in Anambra state [forget about the legal technicalities in the election tribunals], the Governor detailed four Toyota buses to be conveying people daily to the sites of projects he executed. After the jamboree, the people would be fed sumptuously at the government house; and thereafter given #5,000.00 each and more for the leaders of the team. Trust Nigerians, people resorted to faking names as being domiciled outside Anambra state and pretended that they were very anxious to know the kind of stupendous achievements the Governor has recorded to warrant the quest for second tenure. Billions of public funds went into the reckless spending for the frivolities as people who ought to condemn the jamboree kept sealed lips. However, very few people including this writer shouted against the monumental and unconscionable wastage of public funds that could have better been channeled to the basic needs of the people.
As the governorship election was approaching, my constructive criticisms on the untoward state of affairs in Anambra state which were being published in the compromised national dailies were suddenly stopped. Also, press interviews of prominent Anambra people were no longer published which could have enabled people who live outside the state to know how the state was apparently being mis-governed. For instance, a prominent lawyer abruptly discontinued his interview with a reporter of one of the newspapers on the ground that the interview would be thrown into the shredding machine since he was being forth-right with the irrational state of affairs in the state. This writer had to write a petition to the managing directors of the conniving newspapers [except Daily Independent] but nothing changed.
If the former governor of Anambra state really left #75 billion in the treasury, what prevented him from harmonizing pensions with effect from May 2011 when the new minimum wage was implemented, since the law says that pensions should be harmonized whenever new wage comes into effect; and he swore to uphold the laws and constitution and to treat all manner of persons equally. Why did he not obey the IndustrialCourt which ordered the state government to pay the arrears of salaries of staff of Water Board? If #75billion was left, he would have completed the NULGE office road abandoned when he was in office, Ministry of lands to Agu-Awka, Amansea-Reserve-Ndiukwuenu-Ufuma road, even as the people are crying as the contractors have vacated the sites, among other projects have been abandoned due to financial crunch sequel to the dwindling revenue receipts from the monthly Federation accounts.
In his recent piece, a media aide of Governor Obiano said that he restrained himself from exposing the shenanigan behind the purported #75 billion left by the former Governor so as to leave the sleeping dog lie. He was to reply to the brick-bats on the frosty relationship between his principal and the former Governor. The summit at the government house where the former Governor was invited was to halt the bitterness and mend fences. The undoing of Governor Willie Obiano was that he was apparently carried away by the euphoria of the office and did not take his time to peruse the Hand-over Notes, embark on fact-finding tours to ascertain what were on ground;and more importantly ascertain the sustainable sources of revenue receipts before his blitz of road contracts which the media aide claimed to be above 270; toping that of his predecessor’s 8-year tenure and Dr. Chris Ngige; what a marvel in governance and the imperative of priority setting since public fund is limited! Governor Obiano ought to have shunned the crazy impression of trying to show-case his ‘impressive accomplishments within 100 days in office like President Muhammadu Buhari. If he had done so, he could have factored in realistic priority setting and start from the basic needs of the people especially rehabilitation of inter-connecting roads in Awka capital territory. He would have used the over #5 billion naira sunk in the three fly-overs [federal government’s project which he never sought permission to execute so that it might be refunded; unlike his predecessor who obtained permission to reconstruct the express way which would be refunded] to rehabilitate streets and roads in Awka, Amawbia, extend Dr. Alex Ekwueme Square road to Enu-Ifite to open up the area to enable people develop the lands purchased for residential and industrial purposes, civil servants estate which is like where animals live, and the dilapidated roads at the Udoka housing estate, among other dilapidated places in Awka capital territory to accord it befitting status.
It is therefore mischievous to cite Anambra state as example of fiscal excellence going by the monstrous illegalities in governance. Anambra state would have recorded tremendous progress in infrastructural development if local government council operations were not deliberately crippled from 2006 till today. The statutory monthly statutory allocations to the third tier of government meant for management by the elected chairmen and councilors for the provision of basic amenities and infrastructures like inter-village roads, culverts, rehabilitation of markets, primary school building and support facilities, health-care delivery, etc. in the 177 communities were brazenly hijacked by Governor Peter Obi; and the illegality is being replicated by Governor Willy Obiano. Consequently, the aspirants and operatives of the third tier of government in Anambra state have been ruined since it from system that potential legislators, deputy governors, governors and even presidents are nurtured due to the opportunity to display talents, initiatives and administrative acumen. In Anambra state, it was only the name of one elected politician [Peter Obi] in terms of provision of democracy dividends that was being heard. For instance, he would tar motor parks [the statutory duty of elected chairmen of LGAs] and erect huge sign boards bearing his name. This is quite unlike states in the south-east like Enugu, Ebonyi etc. where chairmen of LGA were given their statutory allocations by their Governors who also never confiscated their viable sources of IGR. The chairmen awarded contracts for inter-community and inter-village roads, bridges, culverts, etc. and raised the standard of living of the people at the grass-roots level.
In Anambra state now, the standard of living in the hinter-lands is lamentable due to the hijacking of the statutory allocations meant for the communities and for the Governor. All the inter and intra community roads are impassable and some have been cut-off from other communities due to failure to tackle the perennial flood and erosion menace at the initial stages if the local government system was operational. Of course these are what the chairmen of LGAs would have being doing with the statutory allocations and exploitation of the viable sources of IGR which were taken over by the rampaging state government. Rather every December, presidents-general of town development unions who are not public servants were illegally given #1million for the supposed palliative measure on communities roads; a monstrous aberration in the management of public funds. The money could have better been given to the heads of local government administration who could have designed work schedules like construction of culverts, sand-filling and tarring so that within a given time frame, all the roads would be motor-able all the year round They are public servants and subject to auditors reports; unlike the PG’s whoregard the money as Christmas gift as they use a fraction of the money to merely pour sand on some portions of the roads; and when the rainy season comes they are washed away. Sadly, Governor Willy Obiano without reflection increased the money to #1.5 million in December 2014 and the money had gone down the drain as all the roads in the communities are bad; of since constructive criticisms are not tolerated in Anambra state, the PG’s are expecting another tranche in December. If the local government council were functional, most of the roads that are now impassable would have been tarred. There is no way a reasonable human being would compare the quantum of infrastructural projects which could have been provided by the 21 local government chairmen in Anambra state with that of a Governor within four years. In other words, if the 21 LGA’s were functional since 2006, all the 177 communities would not be lamenting about woeful lack of basic infrastructures, amenities and dilapidated inter and intra village and community roads. Traditional rulers are given #500,000.00 for every December in the name of being in-charge of security even when no law gave them such statutory responsibility; these are impunity to waste public fund and buy their conscience.
The legally appointed Chairman of Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission [ANSIEC] was arbitrarily removed from office and the court was allegedly manipulated to make LG election impossible during the 8 years of Peter Obi administration. At the end of the tenure, the election was less than credible. For instance, local government areas where APGA could not rig the polls, the winning political party was denied the position, like Nnewi North.As a “government of continuity,” the elected chairmen are rendered useless as their statutory allocations are still being hijacked in spite of the stern warning of President Muhammadu Buhari. The elected chairmen are frustrated as they could not implement their campaign promises to their constituencies; they go to work once a week since they have nothing doing in the office. As their tenure comes to an end in December, there is nothing on ground to indicate preparations to conduct the LG election. The plan being to resort to the unlawful contraption dubbed “Care-taker committees”; and other parties will do nothing since the country is wallowing under a curse of bad governance at all levels!
 All the LG headquarters are over-grown with weeds and the buildings are in various stages of dilapidation due to lack of funds [each LGC ought to receive over #120,000.00 monthly] to effect repairs.

Upon making ducks and drakes with LGC statutory allocations, the former Governor closed his ears to passionate appeals to recruit primary school teachers for 7 years! It was pathetic that children who were denied teachers have had their future ruined because primary level of education is a foundation which is crucial in children mental and moral development. To actualize his selfish political calculations, the Governor embarked on recruitment at the eve of his departure thus burdening the new Governor with gargantuan salary bills. In one of my articles which the compromised newspapers dumped, I asked a columnist to stop writing on Anambra state since he knew next to nothing on how the state was being raped in the name of governance. Columnist could eat the money given to them but should desist from referring to Anambra state as example of fiscal excellence.
Mr. Onwubiko is an author and commentator on national issues, [email protected], Awka, Anambra state.