Written By: Gab Okpalaeze
The recent gathering together of about fifty Anambra sons and daughters of all ilks, shades of opinion and callings, as well as diversified areas of specialization, for purpose of laying a solid foundation for the posterity of the state, has become another of the many firsts, scored by Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State.
The litany of other firsts, applauded by both friends and foes, lie in the areas of security infrastructure, stomach infrastructure, otherwise known as agriculture, and human capital development, among others. And so, when the state’s helmsman plucked the plum of Anambra’s intelligentsia, technocrats, wizened by age and experience in statecraft as well as women and youth leaders, bursting with vigour and gifted with administrative acumen, it becomes crystal clear that a solid foundation for the aggregated visions and mission of the Anambra people is in the offing. It is noteworthy that all previous administrations of the state, both civilian and military, had their various ideas of development plan.
One recalls with nostalgia how the first military administration of the new Anambra state, then Navy Captain Joseph Abulu, used to exclaim: ‘’Here are people hungry for development and really in a hurry to develop their state’’. That observation later proved true as other administrations jumped into the fray, with one idea of development or the other, which, at the end of the day, appears a scratch on the vast potentials of the geographically contiguous state.
It took the political will and the development- consciousness of the present administration to agree to call to action for the first time ever, depths of socio- economic knowledge and expertise of the members of this 50 year development plan committee, headed by a one-time Central Bank Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo.
Ever since the inauguration of the committee, it has been applause from across the globe for the governor’s thoughtfulness. One has not seen anybody within or outside the state opposing the idea. It has only been few dissensions with the fifty year long period. Though such uninformed view have long been put clear by the governor’s charge to the committee, which clearly shows that there are short-term, mid-term and long-term aspects of the fifty years.
Indeed, it is only a committee peopled with the best brains and others studded with vast experiences such as these that can peep long into the future and come up with a master plan that will still be relevant in fifty years time. Also, the independent mindedness of members of the committee has assured of the readiness of their silver hairs to buy the development plan committee a golden opinion, as William Shakespeare is wont to say in his book, ‘’Julius Caesar’’.
One other unique feature of the membership of the development plan committee is that Gov. Obiano was statemanly in choosing them. He did not pick only members of his government and political party, but harnessed Anambra’s best brains, business moguls, economic gurus and tested technocrats, their political leanings, notwithstanding.
A fifty year development plan committee, headed by Prof. Soludo, with members like Engr. Emeka Eze of the Bureau of Public Procurement fame , Val Ozoigbo of Transcorp, Ben Akubueze, Olisa Agbakoba, and Chris Okoye of the South East Economic Development, is a good blend, as they have seen it all.
In setting up the committee, Governor Obiano is not just expecting them to come up with the need for an airport, as he has already promised to realize one, in less than eighteen months from now. They are set on sail, to go deeper and find those hidden gold mines capable of making Anambra the economic hub of the South East and South South zones.
For instance, there is this Ose Akwa Seaport at Urashi River, Ihiala Council area, reputed to have the capacity of handling over 35 percent marine businesses in Nigeria, if developed. Oseakwa Harbour is eighteen nautical miles to the Atlantic Ocean, as against Lagos port that is sixty nautical miles away from the Atlantic.
Research shows that, when developed, the Ihiala seaport will offer over two million jobs in marine business, oil and gas, power education, housing, agro-food industry, entertainment, tourism etcetera. When this is done, it will make Anambra become a Mecca of a sort, as all South Eastern states, as well as Rivers, Delta, Edo, Bayelsa, Benue, Kogi, and Akwa Ibom businessmen in Lagos, will relocate their businesses down East, as it will have become easier, safer and cheaper to import goods from China to Nigeria, via Oseakwa-Ihiala seaport. Only eggheads like the ones assembled by Obiano will be able to pry into these and know how to realize them.
We cannot stop giving kudos to the man at the helm of affairs in the state as he does not only dream big, but makes a bold move in transforming the dream into reality. At the end of it all, when the history of Anambra’s development is written, such history will be so kind and full of gratitude to Akpokuedike who did not just come to see, but also conquered.
Comments are closed for this post.