Commentary: Governor Obiano And The Future Of Anambra

Written By: Jude Emecheta

Like his predecessors and others that would come after him, history would be exceptionally kind to Governor Willie Obiano. This is because of the outstanding differences he is making in the governance of Anambra state.

Apart from restoring law and order to the state by dealing decisively with the menace of armed robbery and kidnapping, Governor Obiano is the first helmsman to make Ndi Anambra proud of their state capital, Awka. That the Twelfth Biennial Police Games, tagged ‘Anambra 2020’ is holding in Anambra is not a coincidence. It is a clear testimony from the police hierarchy that the state is indeed the safest in the country, bearing in mind that this the first time south east is hosting the tournament. The socio-economic benefits are unquantifiable.   

More so, Obiano kick started the transformation of the previously dull environment and landscape of the township into a bustling modern city where many people are now clamoring to settle. This is evidenced in the construction of three magnificent flyovers adorned with flood lights and the tremendous boost which commercial and business activities have received in the state capital. 

Other unprecedented things done with panache by Governor Obiano are the commencement of the first ever “community choose your project initiative” in Nigeria and establishment of the Anambra Small Business Agency, ASBA, to train and facilitate provision of soft loans from the Central Bank of Nigeria to micro, small and medium scale enterprises.

Equally, Governor Obiano established the Anambra State Health Insurance Agency, ASHIA, the Anambra State Investment Promotion and Protection Agency, ANSIPPA and the Awka Capital Territory Development Authority, ACTDA. Akpokuedike built the biggest and most modern Oxygen Production Plant in the Southeast of Nigeria, located at the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, Amaku Awka. 

The present Anambra state government equally provided physical structures and facilities for the establishment of a division of the Court of Appeal, Awka, in addition to creating the enabling environment that has made Anambra state one of the major food baskets in the country. The light up program of the Obiano administration has illuminated many roads and streets across Anambra state, thus returning night life and enhancing the laudable security architecture of the state.

It is equally gratifying that Governor Obiano inaugurated the Anambra Vision 2070 Committee to formulate a fifty-year development plan for sustainable socio-economic growth and development of the state. The Committee is headed by one of the most celebrated economists in the world today and former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, who is also the chairman of another strategic Committee set up by the Ohaneze Ndigbo to prepare a blueprint for enduring socio-economic development of all aboriginal territories of the Igbo nation in Nigeria.

Even as the Anambra Vision 2070 Committee has discreetly swung into action, Sir Willie Obiano is in the vanguard of agitation for Nigerian citizens, especially Ndi Anambra, to without further delay, embrace “artificial intelligence”, which is in vogue nowadays in most developed countries of the world. Presently, artificial intelligence is making it possible for robots to take over lines of production in advanced economies of the American, European and Asian continents. Indeed, this is one of the major challenges of Anambra Vision 2070 development plan.

That notwithstanding, the Anambra state government has laid a very solid foundation for the take off and actualization of the fifty years development plans. It has constructed many legacy projects some of which include the longest bridge in Omambala River from Otuocha to Aguleri-Otu, to the state’s oil deposit reserve, an International Conference Center, ICC, in Awka, with the Golden Tulip, a hotel of global standard already completed and running at Agulu. 

Therefore, there is no doubt that Governor Obiano, is poised to place Anambra state on the path of irreversible growth and development beyond the terminal date of his administration on March 17, 2022.