Like many of his fellow aspirants, one of APGA’s flagbearers , Chief Willie Obiano wasn’t born rich and is neither politically connected by birth, that is being a scion of those political big names, the Ziks, Okafors, Amaechi’s etc. Like the Ngiges, and the Ukachukwu’s theirs has been the American dream where out of one’s individualistic tendencies, one can own the world or at least a part of it. This is commendable, it shows that Ndi Anambra can boast of a number of credible candidates and for the now, the man Willie Obiano is one of them.
However, Willie’s creditability is now very much in doubt, or may likely do so should he emerge as the Governor of Anambra State, come November 16, 2013. Why? It is because of the dilemma that may likely arise out of the Fidelity Bank connection, a connection that is seen as unethical , breaching all norms of civilized politics in a state of many firsts like Anambra.
As a shoo in candidate for APGA, the name Obiano provokes no recognition, who is he? Where is he coming from? What have been his antecedents? Osi ebe? To teeming Anambrarians he is simply the sleeper Governor Peter Obi wants to put in Anambra State Government House. The Manchurian candidate. Little wonder his spin doctors have gone over themselves trying hard to sell the man’s candidature, like the prophets of Baal they are cutting themselves on all aspects of the media, but it does seem that ndi Anambra so far have not been impressed.
No doubt, he Willie Obiano has every right to aspire to govern Anambra State. It is his right as a citizen of Anambra State, Aguleri to be precise although there are rumours that his folks migrated from Igala areas in Kogi State before they settled in Aguleri sometime in 1920’s, how true this is left for Mr. Obiano to refute, after all a man has a right to choose where he comes from and in the Nigerian context it is said that many of those who have presided over us were never really Nigerians but sons of migrants. Now then, if we did not raise a hoot about them, why Willie?
But seriously is it morally right for a chairman of a bank to govern a state and then hand over to a director of the same bank? Should Willie become Governor, (did I hear someone one say God forbid and another say over his dead body) Will he simply steer the ship of state as a one unchained from the strings of his would be puppeteer, Governor Peter Obi and Fidelity Bank’s interests or would he breakdance to the business like disco tunes of Mr. Obi. These questions arise because it is a known fact in Anambra that Mr. Peter Obi in his eight years as Governor used Anambra State funds to feather his business nest. To those not suffering from selective amnesia we can recall the 250 million naira scandal, where Anambra State money was on a monthly basis ferreted to Lagos to finance many of the governor’s business projects. Asides that, Anambra’s funds for the past eight years have been at Fidelity Banks’s beck and call, without the State benefitting from such a banking relationship. Most interests on such funds have been channeled to one man’s account rather than the state. Was it not for this reason that the State House of Assembly had him impeached, even his fellow cabinet members deplored such a mercantile approach to governance, it is on record that the Deputy Governor of the state, Dame Virgy Etiaba in her book berated the Governor for not taking the interests of the state to heart, of not putting the states interest first. Let’s not forget Chudi Offodile who is in court over the phony investments of Anambra money into Intafact, another company owned by Mr. Peter Obi, need I say more. Now,in the light of this exposition will an Obiano who it is said never harboured any interest to run for Governor in Anambra State but was drafted in at the very last minute when it seemed that no other aspirant would play the game by Obi’s rules. Would he put state before friendship and interests? Will the evils of 2003, where the Ubas wanted to dictate to an unwilling Ngige how the state’s commonwealth will be distributed among the gang of looters not be upon us should a Willie Obiano triumph?
Those who forget history they say are bound to repeat it, I am not a fan of any candidate and will not solicit for any here, but come November 16, when I vote it will be a vote against impunity for eight years, against deceit, against fraud, against the mercantilism of governance, against non compassion, against the agulunization of Anambra State, against an unholy stranglehold of Fidelity Bank upon our state. I may go for all of the candidates except one and that is Willie Obiano and it is not because I hate him, or because he does not have the capability but for the k leg, the moral dilemma of his candidature which ultimately harbours no good will for ndi Anambra. Assessing all that has transpired in Mr. Obi’s eight years , I can sum up his achievements with the statement that change is what we need, enough of this business as usual thing.
Dennis Madu writes from Ogbaru.
