Anambra, by Peter Obi

On August 27, 1991, a new state full of hope and bright prospects was born. Inhabited by one of the most industrious and entrepreneurial people in Nigeria, Anambra State derived its name from one of the major rivers of the state.  Twenty-three years after creation, my special thanks go to all those who worked hard for its creation. I thank organizations and individuals which and who have contributed to work assiduously for the progress and development of the state. I particularly thank the Elders Advisory Council, the Traditional Rulers’ Council and Association of Town Unions (ASATU).
At inception, the state was administered by Joseph Abulu, a Navy Captain who was in the saddle until December 1991. He was succeeded by an elected civilian governor, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, who governed from January 2, 1992, to November 18, 1993 when his government was truncated by a military takeover. Consequently, Colonel Mike Attah became the military administrator from December 13, 1993 to August 20, 1996. He was succeeded by another military officer, Group Captain Rufai Garba, who ruled from August 21, 1996 to August 9, 1998 when he made way for the last military governor in the person of Wing Commander Emmanuel Ukaegbu who held sway from August 10, 1998, to May 29, 1999.
It was at the time that Nigeria transited once more from military to democratic governance with Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju becoming the state’s first elected governor in the Fourth Republic. His regime lasted from May 29, 1999, to May 28, 2003.
Then came what was supposed to be another bold step in the country’s democratic journey, when elections were held throughout the country to elect another set of civilian leaders. At this point, it was clear to everybody that something had gone wrong. Anambra State was lagging behind most states in the performance indices of good governance and development. That was when I decided to come out from the secure and organized private sector to delve into the murky waters of politics with all its uncertainties. Driven by a burning zeal for a corrective mission after my experience at Kellogg Graduate School, North Western University, USA and observing the obvious decay in the politics of our dear state, I could neither say “No” to myself nor to the desire of our people for change.
I contested election for the position of governor on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). Following an extensive issue-based campaign that was acclaimed as unprecedented, I was overwhelmingly endorsed by the electorate to govern the state. Regrettably, that unflinching verdict of the people was thwarted by anti-democratic elements who declared another candidate the winner of that election. Rather than give up and surrender to fate or resort to violence, I saw the anomaly as part of my raison d’être for being in politics and therefore a challenge to be confronted. I initiated proceedings at the Election Petition Tribunal where I eventually reclaimed my stolen mandate after three grueling years of political and forensic battles. The verdict of the Election Petition Tribunal was subsequently affirmed by the Court of Appeal. It was the first time a sitting governor would be removed from office by a litigant.
However, I was barely seven months into office when the same anti-democratic forces again struck and illegally impeached me. Part of the reasons adduced for my illegal impeachment was that I was frugal in pruning the cost of governance by reducing the previously inflated cost for the rebuilding of the Government House and Governor’s Lodge burnt by the same undemocratic forces. Interestingly, reducing cost of governance and efficient management of resources, which contributed to my jungle impeachment, formed the need for my involvement in politics. Was it then time to say “Enough” and pack my things and go? I returned to the court and made history again as the first governor to upturn an impeachment.
Incidentally, the state had suffered another setback in its developmental journey as the midnight impeachment came just as I was fashioning out a blueprint for its restructuring. Having come back from the illegal impeachment, I was confronted by yet another obstacle. This time, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the body charged with conducting elections in Nigeria, wrongly ordered the conduct of gubernatorial election in Anambra State, despite the constitutional provision that any person elected as governor has a four-year tenure which begins from the day he takes the Oath of Allegiance and Oath of Office. Worse still, I was even excluded from contesting this new and controversial election for fear I would win.
Eventually, somebody was declared winner. This forced me to vacate office on May 29, 2007. I once more returned to the courts and doggedly pursued the case from High Court to the Supreme Court, while the public doubted the validity of my conviction. Again I won. This case changes the timetable for the conduct of gubernatorial elections in Nigeria, as I was reinstated on June 15, 2007—17 days after being forced out of office.
This judgment opened the doors for some other governors to benefit from similar situations. Such governors include: Adams Oshiomhole, Olusegun Mimiko, Rauf Aregbesola, Kayode Fayemi, Liyel Imoke, among others.
However, despite returning to office, my troubles were far from being over, with a State House of Assembly that was 100 percent PDP. By the time I was able to make the House members see reason and key into my programmes, 2007 had already gone. Suffice it to say that while I was sworn in on the 17th of March, 2006, my actual service to the state started in 2008. The 2008 budget was thus the first budget that I presented to the House of Assembly as governor. It was based on the vision of achieving the Millennium Development Goals by the year 2015 as stipulated by the United Nations during the Millennium Development Summit in 2000. The strategy for achieving this was christened Anambra Integrated Development Strategy (ANIDS), which is a process for planning, budgeting and implementing all sectors of the Millennium Development Goals simultaneously.
Hence the budget of 2008 was tagged ‘Budget of Integrated Development’, which was principally anchored on the need to turn Anambra State around and commence visible and sustainable development that would permeate all sectors. Thus, today, ANIDS has transformed Anambra State and made it a destination for donor agencies/development partners.
As part of our strategy, we turned our planning/budgeting and implementation from being supply-driven to being demand-driven, by involving all stakeholders in the planning, budgeting and implementation processes. A good case in point is the incorporation of the Presidents-General of town unions in the process of governance as experimental 4th tier of Government – an innovation that is fast gaining popular acceptance. It is noteworthy that ANIDS and the sectoral programmes that it contains were borne out of the needs of all stakeholders expressed during the 2008 Budget Preparation and Implementation Workshop sponsored by the European Union. Since then, the state has never been the same again as it turned from its pariah status to a state everybody and group want to associate with.
Some of the results of this vision can today be seen in the well-articulated and strategized road construction programme that has made Anambra one of the states with the best road network in the country. It can be seen in the revitalization of such critical sectors as health, education, commerce and industry; institutions of government, sports, to mention but a few. It was also in tandem with such vision that, for the first time, Structure Plans were produced for Awka, Onitsha and Nnewi by the UN-HABITAT for the all-round development of the state by my administration.
Today Anambra State has shown that, with a clear vision, proper planning and frugal management of resources, a lot can be achieved. Any wonder that Anambra has fittingly turned from being ‘Home for All’ manner of people to The light of the nation.
As the light has started shining, I urge all of you, great people of Anambra State, to make it shine brighter by being committed to the state.

Mr. Obi is the immediate past Governor of Anambra State

An addendum By Val Obienyem

On the divorce matter

Ever since he finished his tenure in 2014 in a blaze of glory, some elements have continued to commit millions of Naira in the elusive task of bringing him down, perhaps to their level.

Whether those elements  want it or not, his name has entered history books and been enshrined in the consciousness of Nigerians as the only Governor in Nigeria that understood what governance is and lived it out with adamantine consistency.

Whether those elements that represent a knock-out-blow, that is his utter destruction, ironically, those that he made, want it or not, the fact that when other Governors left trillions of debts and unpaid salaries and pensions/gratuities, he left money and investments in excess of  100 billion Naira (set aside money included), cannot be obliterated. The fact that he attracted functional industries to Anambra State as never done before nor with any prospect of being repeated in future is clear. The fact that he cleared arrears of pensions and gratuities of close to 40 billion Naira and built roads all over the state are clear against all pretenses. The fact that he was one Governor with high moral sense borne out of years of stoic life that is second nature to him is always there for all to observe. One can go on and on.

Endowed by nature with surplus energy, how do they think they would retire him when he is still in  the June of his life?

As part of the moves to kill his spirit,  they are after him, pouring obloquy on him now and then, publishing false stories about him, going to the houses of prominent Nigerians to spread falsehoods about him, but all their efforts remain futile.

1. As soon as he left Govt. they published in many newspapers that he demanded 7 billion  Naira as campaign expenses.
2. Some of the most vicious actors among them arrested themselves and  pointed at him as having instigated the arrest.
3. They mounted campaigns that gulped billions for him not to be made a Minister until he voluntarily  reached an agreement with the former President that had nothing to do with their infantile campaign.
4. When they mounted another campaign against his becoming the State campaign director of president Goodluck Jonathan Campaign, he got a higher position- DG, South
5. They were shocked he was not named in the corruption surrounding that campaign, because he is above board. They prayed he should be indicted even out of respect for human nature- and they asked: is he an Angel?
6. When the probe was directed at financial institutions, they trembled when they found out that he  was not named – they scratched their heads in perplexity.
7. After the October 1 Platform speech that shook the world, they paid many people in the newspapers to counter it by portraying him as a pretender that does not practice what he preaches.
8. As I write, they have, as usual, through their proxies, written many petitions to the EFCC  which are all part of the indict-him-by- all-means campaign.

It is for these reasons that I wrote sometimes in the past that their relationship  with  Mr. Peter Obi has become the madness of Rufus about Naevia. Rufus would not do anything without mentioning Naevia and if Naevia was not borne, Rufus would be dumb.

The latest in their madness is the imaginary divorce story they have planted all over the place. This is the 3rd time they are coming up with that madness.

Were I selfish

Were I selfish, I would keep quiet and keep enjoying the reckless tossing of my name with that of Mr. Peter Obi.

Because of this tossing, many organizations take me as his alter ego such that anytime I walk into companies where he has interest, I am treated in a special way. Trying to buy my “favour”, financial institutions he has interest in  are all asking me, from the highest quarters,  to come for loan if I need.

You may laugh at this, some people desiring to become directors actually come to my house with their CVs, but there are differences between appearances and reality.

Obienyem