Anambra’s Emerging Social Landscape – By Ifeanyichukwu Afuba

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Two events in close succession just before the 6^th
anniversary of the  Willie Obiano
administration on March 17, 2020, open a window into the resilient community
that has been forging in Anambra State. It is an evolving society in which the
government – citizen pact is growing roots. More importantly, the process has
largely been driven by its participatory and transparent nature.

 On February 29,
2020, the 12^th Nigeria Police Games kicked off in Anambra State. The
eight day sports competition was widely adjudged a resounding success. But the
crunch was whether to host the Games in the first place in the prevailing
economic circumstance? Would the Obiano administration’s policy of ‘doing more
with less’ win again? Did the principle still resonate with the public? The two
questions were answered in the affirmative. The huge task of providing the
needed facilities and services for a successful hosting at short notice was
understood by sections of the society. However, the conviction was strong that
in the true tradition of rising up to the demands of time, the set targets
would be met. And they were. Public support proved pivotal to successful
hosting; in a competition involving over three thousand athletes and officials,
there were no cases of injuries or brawls.

 In another
historic break, Governor Willie Obiano on Thursday, March 12, 2020,
commissioned the impressive NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp built by his
administration at Mbaukwu/Umuawulu. It is a project with especial significance
for the Anambra society. Since creation in 1991, Anambra had for 28 years
operated a temporary, improvised NYSC camp at Umunya. The State received butt
of derisive jokes from youth corpers and other concerned Nigerians for this act
of omission. Obiano found this self relegation unacceptable and had on February
10, 2015 laid the foundation stone, restoring Ndi Anambra’s sense of pride with
delivery of the complex.

It is partly correct to trace the making of this new
Anambra State to the traumatic events of 2003 to 2006. However, the an attempt
at a new consciousness by the Chris Ngige regime was circumstantial, narrow in
objective and driven by the instinct of self survival. The radical shift came
with the reclamation of Peter Obi’s stolen 2003 governorship mandate. That
democratic empowerment ushered in the season of citizen – centred governance.
The APGA – driven change mission has received impetus from Obiano in a number
of ways.

The Willie Obiano administration’s efforts to place
Anambra State on the front row of Nigeria’s developing States seems
philosophically run on the legacies of leading lights of Anambra State origin
in history. The quest to maintain the standards of heritage has often meant
taking on challenges that break new grounds. It is a spirit that Ndi Anambra
recognised in the realised dream of making Anambra a major food producing
State; an investor choice destination; a system of functional institutions
exemplified by the State road maintenance agency. It is a mission that Ndi
Anambra has come to share.

Rallying the people became easier by striking the right
chord and regularly demonstrating the fitting spirit. From the outset, the
invitation to participatory governance jettisoned officialdom and took on an
affective appeal. In his addresses and interaction with groups, Obiano again
and again uses the endearment expression ‘umunnem.’ The kindred compliment has
a way of breaking the partition between governor and governed, affording the
atmosphere for constructive engagement.

Aside stakeholders’ summit, the Obiano administration
interfaces with the influential Anambra Elders’ Council on a quarterly basis.
The body comprises past governors of the State, retired Chief Judges, bishops
of the Church, select captains of industry and such other outstanding citizens
of the State. With the wide spread of members’ constituencies, aggregate public
opinion is conveyed through the Council’s input in decision – making.    

The new Anambra State has come this far because the
present leadership has put the people first in the consideration of choices
open to it. Obiano stands out as a Governor who has kept fidelity to the
principle of continuity in government. Obiano who inherited N9b cash, N35b
investment and N109b debt from the Peter Obi administration has continued with
the execution of uncompleted projects he met on assumption of office in 2014.
Among the inherited projects completed are roads, hospitals, school blocks,
government buildings, Agulu Lake Resort and Onitsha Shopping Mall.  

With its commitment to continuity and completion of
inherited projects, the Willie Obiano regime saved Anambra State losses
associated with policy inconsistency. It is a sad reality that projects are
sometimes discontinued for new ones by successor administrations for the lure
of taking political credit.  The spectre
of abandoned work sites is also about contractors absconding from site after collecting
hefty mobilisation fees.

As Catholic newspaper Fides observed in its editorial
on commissioning of the Onitsha Mall [April 17 – 23, 2016], ‘Obiano could have
chosen to abandon the project and cite any reason for that.’ Not only do
incidences of arbitrary project discontinuation lead to investor flight, it
introduces the element of instability in governance as well as stalling
development. In 1983 the Lagos State Government had concluded arrangements to
introduce the metroline transportation system in the State at the cost of
$100m. Indeed, preliminary work had started at Yaba when the December 31, 1983
coup occurred. The new ruling junta unilaterally cancelled the project which
action attracted a default penalty of $60m on the country.

Consider also that the expatriate consultants who
produced the road map to Nigeria’s steel development had chosen Onitsha as the
fitting site for steel industry. But this expert decision was discarded by
small – minds in strategic government positions who changed the location to
Ajaokuta. Four decades later, and trillions of naira into the bargain, Ajaokuta
has neither grown into a town capable of hosting a modern industrial complex
nor has it started producing quality steel.     

Afuba
is editor of Anambra Times.