Revisiting Governor Obi´s blue print and more…
Chidi Anyaeche
August 14, 2008
Just after assuming office in March 2006, Governor Obi in April of the same year announced his economic and developmental blue print for Anambra state. Details of this blue print were published and announced nationally by both the electronic and print media. Highlights of this blue print as published on-line by This Day newspaper of Tuesday, May 02, 2006 are replicated below: -
Massive improvement in the states Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
Restoring quality and functional education across board.
Institution of overseas scholarship for indigenes of the state to study Medicine, Engineering and Financial Management.
Recruitment of Chinese farmers (within 3 months from April 2006) to kick-start the state´s cassava revolution.
Massive construction of roads across the state.
Construction of boreholes in 44 selected towns yearly from May 2006.
Rehabilitation of water schemes in Onitsha, Awka and Nnewi.
Massive clean up, reconstruction and urbanisation of Onitsha, Awka and Nnewi via the establishment of Urban Development Councils (UDC).
Establishment of 20 industries before March 2010.
Reconstruction of all buildings and infrastructure damaged by the Andy Uba sponsored November 10-12, 2004 mayhem by May 2007.
There were mixed feelings across board as to how this blue print will impact on the development of the state and its effect on its indigenes. Some school of thought saw the blue print as the catalyst the state needed to move forward but some more enlightened school of thought saw the budget for what it is: A low-level piece of document put together by amateurs and not worth the paper it was written on. The later, I belonged to and infact published an article in This Day newspaper of May, 2006 and online in nigeriaworld.com describing most contents of the blue print as "analogue thought process in a digital age". Time has proven me right.
Taken into consideration that Governor Obi has been out of office twice since the publication of the blue print, it should be noted that he has been in power for 25 months out of a total of 29 months his government came into power, for he was sworn into office in March 2006. So those few months out office not withstanding, 25 months in power is enough to judge the success or otherwise of his blue print.
Within one month in office without recourse to verifiable facts, data and other matrices, Governor Obi´s boast "to improve the revenue of his government via massive improvement in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR)" is a massive flop as evidenced by the 2008 Budget exercise by the Anambra State House of Assembly. The Honourable Commissioner for Finance could not present any data that captured any increase in IGR from 2006 to 2008 when demanded by the Hon. Ikenna Amechi led Finance and Appropriation Committee. Again no publication anywhere to date has shown any increase in IGR. A visit to the states amateurish website http://www.anambrastateng.org/general under the caption "Summary of Achievements" attests to this fact.
Rudimentary trading and not sound education has been Governor Obi´s stock in trade so his swank on "Restoring quality and functional education across board" was a mere paper exercise for a visit to his old school, Christ the King College (CKC), Onitsha and other schools in the state such as Boys High School, Nnobi, Community Secondary School, Obosi, Girls Secondary School, Ukpor to name a few, show a failed education system in Anambra state. The Anambra State University of Science and Technology, Uli is a laughing stock to say the least. The vice chancellor was in the news last month pleading for money to buy a generator; to provide electricity for a university of science and technology. How can science and technology be taught without electricity? Yet Governor Obi´s administration is spending millions of naira building sports complexes, stock exchange buildings and other white elephants. Nwafor Orizu College of Education, Nsugbe is not even accessible by road, more especially during the raining season. But most importantly, Governor Obi during his campaign, vowed to educate his children in the state should he be voted to power: to show his commitment in restoring quality and functional education. The education that is good for his children. Today his children are been educated in the UK whilst ´other people´s children´ are being educated in his failed schools, what hypocrisy? Readers are also invited to visit: http://www.ukpakareports.com to visually see for themselves the state of schools in Governor Obi´s Anambra state. Pictures do not lie.
Another swank of Governor Obi in his blue print was; Institution of overseas scholarship for indigenes of the state to study medicine, engineering and financial management and recruitment of Chinese farmers (within 3 months from April 2006) to kick-start the state´s cassava revolution. To date no indigene of the state has been awarded the said scholarship and there are no Chinese farmers anywhere in Anambra state kick starting his cassava revolution. The only Chinese in the state are his fellow traders found in Onitsha main market and Nkwo Nnewi trading in contrabands and fake products imported from China.
Governor Obi´s promise in his blue print "to provide indigenes of the state portable drinking water this 21st Century" via construction of bore holes in 44 towns across the state yearly and rehabilitation of water schemes in Onitsha, Awka and Nnewi is in shambles. He has failed woefully to deliver on this promise. Taps in Onitsha, Awka and Nnewi are still dry, whilst the promised bore holes that should have been sunk in 88 towns by now are nowhere to be found. Again readers are invited to visit the states website http://www.anambrastateng.org/general under Projects to verify this fact, besides the situation on the ground. My town, Ukpor, a local government headquarters cannot boast of any Governor Obi sunk borehole.
He has reneged on his pledge in the said blue print "to clean up, reconstruct and urbanise Onitsha, Awka and Nnewi via establishment of Urban Development Councils (UDC)." Firstly the UDC´s has not been established and secondly the principal towns of Onitsha, Awka and Nnewi remain an eyesore. Infact Onitsha is in a position to vie for the dirtiest and most disorganised town in Nigeria whilst Awka remains the most under developed state capital in Nigeria. Nnewi is in a better shape, thanks to Dame Etiaba´s 3 months in power.
In the said blue print, Governor Obi promised to "ensure the establishment of twenty industries before March 2010. This is one of the reasons that in my rejoinder to his blue print, I described the contents of the blue print as "borne out of analogue reasoning in a digital age." For this pledge is impossible. To date he has not established a single industry and March 2010 is around the corner.
The buildings and infrastructure destroyed by the Andy Uba sponsored November 10-12, 2004 mayhem that Governor Obi promised to reconstruct by May 2007 are still as they are: destroyed.
From the above analysis of Governor Obi´s blue print, it is quite obvious that his government has failed irrespective of the rhetoric´s his PR machinery spews out daily. The situation on the ground speaks for itself. His, is a failed government blaming every body but himself.
The "… and more…" in the title of this article is also to highlight other failings of Governor Obi and his government. These other failings include his inability to get on with people and constituted authority as well as his selfish killing of APGA, the political party he hijacked to get into power.
Few months after assuming power in March 2006, Governor Obi was impeached for glaring failings in office. This impeachment was reversed by the courts only on technicality and not on the grounds of the impeachment, for the grounds are purely legitimate. The impeachment exercise was blamed on Andy Uba. Dame Virgy Etiaba was sworn in as the acting governor and she got on cordially with the same House of Assembly that impeached Governor Obi to the extent that they approved her 2007 budget without any rancour. On getting back to office, Governor Obi is finding it difficult to get on with the current Assemblymen and again blamed the 2008 budget imbroglio on Andy Uba. Now he is at loggerheads with his deputy, Dame Virgy Etiaba, state employed medical doctors went on strike last month over failed government health policies. Who is to blame?
On APGA, Governor Obi has selfishly killed the political party in Anambra state for the benefit of PDP. PDP is the only grass roots party in the state. Civil servants man the local governments and Anambra state is alone in this regard, in the whole country. APGA does not exist any where in the state. He has selfishly abandoned the foot soldiers that brought him to power. Infact, the current state chairman of APGA is his colleague from his ANPP days. Perhaps there is a deal between Governor Obi and PDP to kill off APGA in Anambra state. Anything is possible in politics. Anything is possible in Nigeria.
Genuine APGA chieftains, wake up and smell the coffee.
To God be the glory
Odenigbo Chidi Anyaeche
London
UK
Massive improvement in the states Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
Restoring quality and functional education across board.
Institution of overseas scholarship for indigenes of the state to study Medicine, Engineering and Financial Management.
Recruitment of Chinese farmers (within 3 months from April 2006) to kick-start the state´s cassava revolution.
Massive construction of roads across the state.
Construction of boreholes in 44 selected towns yearly from May 2006.
Rehabilitation of water schemes in Onitsha, Awka and Nnewi.
Massive clean up, reconstruction and urbanisation of Onitsha, Awka and Nnewi via the establishment of Urban Development Councils (UDC).
Establishment of 20 industries before March 2010.
Reconstruction of all buildings and infrastructure damaged by the Andy Uba sponsored November 10-12, 2004 mayhem by May 2007.
There were mixed feelings across board as to how this blue print will impact on the development of the state and its effect on its indigenes. Some school of thought saw the blue print as the catalyst the state needed to move forward but some more enlightened school of thought saw the budget for what it is: A low-level piece of document put together by amateurs and not worth the paper it was written on. The later, I belonged to and infact published an article in This Day newspaper of May, 2006 and online in nigeriaworld.com describing most contents of the blue print as "analogue thought process in a digital age". Time has proven me right.
Taken into consideration that Governor Obi has been out of office twice since the publication of the blue print, it should be noted that he has been in power for 25 months out of a total of 29 months his government came into power, for he was sworn into office in March 2006. So those few months out office not withstanding, 25 months in power is enough to judge the success or otherwise of his blue print.
Within one month in office without recourse to verifiable facts, data and other matrices, Governor Obi´s boast "to improve the revenue of his government via massive improvement in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR)" is a massive flop as evidenced by the 2008 Budget exercise by the Anambra State House of Assembly. The Honourable Commissioner for Finance could not present any data that captured any increase in IGR from 2006 to 2008 when demanded by the Hon. Ikenna Amechi led Finance and Appropriation Committee. Again no publication anywhere to date has shown any increase in IGR. A visit to the states amateurish website http://www.anambrastateng.org/general under the caption "Summary of Achievements" attests to this fact.
Rudimentary trading and not sound education has been Governor Obi´s stock in trade so his swank on "Restoring quality and functional education across board" was a mere paper exercise for a visit to his old school, Christ the King College (CKC), Onitsha and other schools in the state such as Boys High School, Nnobi, Community Secondary School, Obosi, Girls Secondary School, Ukpor to name a few, show a failed education system in Anambra state. The Anambra State University of Science and Technology, Uli is a laughing stock to say the least. The vice chancellor was in the news last month pleading for money to buy a generator; to provide electricity for a university of science and technology. How can science and technology be taught without electricity? Yet Governor Obi´s administration is spending millions of naira building sports complexes, stock exchange buildings and other white elephants. Nwafor Orizu College of Education, Nsugbe is not even accessible by road, more especially during the raining season. But most importantly, Governor Obi during his campaign, vowed to educate his children in the state should he be voted to power: to show his commitment in restoring quality and functional education. The education that is good for his children. Today his children are been educated in the UK whilst ´other people´s children´ are being educated in his failed schools, what hypocrisy? Readers are also invited to visit: http://www.ukpakareports.com to visually see for themselves the state of schools in Governor Obi´s Anambra state. Pictures do not lie.
Another swank of Governor Obi in his blue print was; Institution of overseas scholarship for indigenes of the state to study medicine, engineering and financial management and recruitment of Chinese farmers (within 3 months from April 2006) to kick-start the state´s cassava revolution. To date no indigene of the state has been awarded the said scholarship and there are no Chinese farmers anywhere in Anambra state kick starting his cassava revolution. The only Chinese in the state are his fellow traders found in Onitsha main market and Nkwo Nnewi trading in contrabands and fake products imported from China.
Governor Obi´s promise in his blue print "to provide indigenes of the state portable drinking water this 21st Century" via construction of bore holes in 44 towns across the state yearly and rehabilitation of water schemes in Onitsha, Awka and Nnewi is in shambles. He has failed woefully to deliver on this promise. Taps in Onitsha, Awka and Nnewi are still dry, whilst the promised bore holes that should have been sunk in 88 towns by now are nowhere to be found. Again readers are invited to visit the states website http://www.anambrastateng.org/general under Projects to verify this fact, besides the situation on the ground. My town, Ukpor, a local government headquarters cannot boast of any Governor Obi sunk borehole.
He has reneged on his pledge in the said blue print "to clean up, reconstruct and urbanise Onitsha, Awka and Nnewi via establishment of Urban Development Councils (UDC)." Firstly the UDC´s has not been established and secondly the principal towns of Onitsha, Awka and Nnewi remain an eyesore. Infact Onitsha is in a position to vie for the dirtiest and most disorganised town in Nigeria whilst Awka remains the most under developed state capital in Nigeria. Nnewi is in a better shape, thanks to Dame Etiaba´s 3 months in power.
In the said blue print, Governor Obi promised to "ensure the establishment of twenty industries before March 2010. This is one of the reasons that in my rejoinder to his blue print, I described the contents of the blue print as "borne out of analogue reasoning in a digital age." For this pledge is impossible. To date he has not established a single industry and March 2010 is around the corner.
The buildings and infrastructure destroyed by the Andy Uba sponsored November 10-12, 2004 mayhem that Governor Obi promised to reconstruct by May 2007 are still as they are: destroyed.
From the above analysis of Governor Obi´s blue print, it is quite obvious that his government has failed irrespective of the rhetoric´s his PR machinery spews out daily. The situation on the ground speaks for itself. His, is a failed government blaming every body but himself.
The "… and more…" in the title of this article is also to highlight other failings of Governor Obi and his government. These other failings include his inability to get on with people and constituted authority as well as his selfish killing of APGA, the political party he hijacked to get into power.
Few months after assuming power in March 2006, Governor Obi was impeached for glaring failings in office. This impeachment was reversed by the courts only on technicality and not on the grounds of the impeachment, for the grounds are purely legitimate. The impeachment exercise was blamed on Andy Uba. Dame Virgy Etiaba was sworn in as the acting governor and she got on cordially with the same House of Assembly that impeached Governor Obi to the extent that they approved her 2007 budget without any rancour. On getting back to office, Governor Obi is finding it difficult to get on with the current Assemblymen and again blamed the 2008 budget imbroglio on Andy Uba. Now he is at loggerheads with his deputy, Dame Virgy Etiaba, state employed medical doctors went on strike last month over failed government health policies. Who is to blame?
On APGA, Governor Obi has selfishly killed the political party in Anambra state for the benefit of PDP. PDP is the only grass roots party in the state. Civil servants man the local governments and Anambra state is alone in this regard, in the whole country. APGA does not exist any where in the state. He has selfishly abandoned the foot soldiers that brought him to power. Infact, the current state chairman of APGA is his colleague from his ANPP days. Perhaps there is a deal between Governor Obi and PDP to kill off APGA in Anambra state. Anything is possible in politics. Anything is possible in Nigeria.
Genuine APGA chieftains, wake up and smell the coffee.
To God be the glory
Odenigbo Chidi Anyaeche
London
UK
Print
Email
