The emergency of Chief Willie Obiano as the All Progressive Grand Alliance’s governorship candidate was seen as a master stroke and one capable of upsetting the calculations of the opposition parties, which has left some of them wondering how they will fare against APGA come November 16th, 2013. It is not surprising that strange names masquerading as public affairs analyst who are hell bent on black mailing Governor Peter Obi for endorsing Chief Willie Obiano, a perfect gentleman, astute banker and manager of men and resources.
I came across a report by one Mr. Okafor Mark-Anthony, a resident of Onitsha, who failed abysmally to portray Governor Obi as an election rigger and one who is planning to muscle his way through the House of Assembly in order to secure an alleged sixty billion naira appropriation with the intention of using same to rig the forth coming November 16Governorship election. Nothing could be farther from the truth, in fact it is in the figment of the writer’s imagination and a calculated attempt, and conspiracy by the vocal minority to cast aspersion on the most transparent Governor that Anambra has seen since the creation of the state. Governor Peter Obi won his election free and square in 2003, and repeated the same feat in 2010. His projects and legacy speak volumes, and same will return APGA to power, therefore he does not need to bribe and coerce anyone to rig an election for the party.
Intelligence reports had suggested that in the coming days, there will be an orchestrated attempt to malign Governor Peter Obi and the APGA Governorship flag bearer, Chief Willie Obiano, by forces who lost out in the power struggle in the state and some others who are being sponsored by the opposition. They have not deemed it fit to debate the projects and policies of the Governor, rather they are resorting to half-truths, conjectures, innuendos and outright false hood. These set of people congregrate in secret chambers and plot how to churn out malicious propaganda through the social media with the intention of creating sensation and sustaining a campaign of calumny.
These people have not come to terms of the fact that Governor Peter Obi has brought transparency and civility to governance in Anambra state, and how such high standards will be passed on to a very equally transparent man such as Chief Willie Obiano. They have not disputed the fact that Governor Peter Obi has constructed and completed major brigdes and roads that links the urban areas to the hinter lands; they have not contested the fact that Governor Obi has completed fifteen General Hospitals complete with state of the art equipment and got accreditation for all our teaching hospitals; they have not contended the fact that Governor Obi has handed mission schools to the original owners and has supported them with over five billion naira; they fail to realize that Governor Obi has paid all arrears and entitlements of retirees and pensioners; and his intervention in community policing and traditional institution’s support just to mention but few.
It is disheartening that Mr. Okafor and his co-travellers have opined that Governor Obi has threatened contractors to sack all workers who are not disposed to voting for APGA in the forthcoming elections. Who are these contractors? When has it become the job of contractors to solicit for votes? What is the overall population of these contractors? It is preposterous to aver, that the Honourable members of the Anambra House of Assembly will request for bribe before passing any appropriation into law. Governor Obi has never lobbied and will never pay for bribe to have his appropriations in the Anambra House of Assembly passed.
The writer questioned Peter Obi’s “spending spree” of over fifty billion naira to communities and private sector. Why did he not list the communities and the private sector that benefited? It is not justifiable for Mr Okafor to be making such unguarded assertions that are not backed with facts. Recent disbursement of funds by His Excellency was for statutorily funding of schools handed over to the missions, and it was broadcast before the whole world, in keeping with his modernization project of all the schools in Anambra state. Also, he donated over 500 patrol vehicles to the community vigilante groups towards curbing crime. Why are people like Mr Okafor mis-representing facts? Why can’t they present the facts at their disposal? Why resort to cheap blackmail?
Anambra state has never had it so good under any Governor. Nobody is perfect but Peter Obi has demonstrated enough capacity to lead the state from the rot it found itself, and he has managed the state in a very prudent manner.The APGA state delegates choose Chief Willie Obiano as their flag bearer on merit, and Chief Willie Obiano is the most qualified of all the current aspirants in the field, and he will bring over three decades of experience in Banking and the Oil sector to bear on Anambra state. He is a technocrat and very effective Executive Director while he lasted in banking industry and is still widely respected. The Anambra electorates will be voting in a very competent man, with his running mate who has a Phd in economics. Anambra is in for exciting times, and I welcome the likes of Mr Okafor and his cohorts to join the winning team.
