Politics in Anambra State is no longer for the moneybags, but for intellects, who have something to offer to the people,
It is common knowledge that Anambra State has been enjoying democratic dividends since the days of Chris Ngige, current minister of Labour and Productivity, was in the saddle as governor of the state.
Ngige’s emergence brought real change to a state that was in the hands of charlatans and selfish individuals, who milked the state and people dry.
Ngige was innovative and put the people first before self, an attitude that saw him open up the state for investment, through the provision of infrastructure, especially rural road development, hospitals, among other amenities.
The Ngige administration opened the eyes of Anambra people in more ways than one. Under Ngige, the people began to objectively perceive the range of possibilities available to their aspirations.
It is also to Ngige’s credit that teachers, civil servants and pensioners, for whom all hope had been lost, were paid in arrears and progressively.
With the limited but pioneering road network, the geography of Anambra became compressed somewhat, enabling workers living in some distant places to make it to Awka in time.
The removal of Ngige, by the court, brought Peter Obi, who believed in the axiom that Government is a continuum. Obi did not only complete projects initiated, by Ngige, but enunciated what he called the Anambra Integrated Development Scheme (ANIDS), a programme that brought development to all nooks and crannies of the state.
Through ANIDS, Obi provided roads access, potable water, educational, health and economic structures, across the state.
His methods were intended to put an end to the long-standing imposed ad hoc approach to development in Anambra.
Peter Obi according to some stakeholders brought stability and civilisation that were lacking in the governance of the state.
After Obi, came Willie Obiano, the sitting governor, who declared that his vision was to make Anambra State the 1st choice investment destination and a hub for industrialisation and commercial activities.
He affirmed that his mission as the governor of the Anambra is to ensure that Anambra State becomes a socially stable, business-friendly environment that would attract both indigenes and foreigners to seek wealth-creation opportunities.
Consequently, he outlined an economic blueprint known as the Four Pillars of Development, which indicates clearly the key sectors that his administration would focus on, for accelerated development.
The Four Pillars of Development include –agriculture, trade and commerce, industrialisation and Oil and Gas.
These economic areas instantly became priority areas into which he welcomed investors into the state.
The choice of these sectors according to Obiano, was informed by the fact that these are the four major areas where Anambra State has a clear competitive advantage.
In Agriculture, Anambra has 100 percent arable land that can support year-round cropping. In trade and commerce, the people are great entrepreneurs and masters of the informal sector.
In Industrialisation, they are among Nigeria’s greatest industrialists with Innocent Chukwuma, blazing the trail as the manufacturer of Nigeria’s first indigenous automobile.
In Oil and Gas, Anambra is richly endowed with a vast gas field and crude oil production.
More than 2000 micro, small and medium entrepreneurs (MSME), have received revolving working capital facility of N500, 000 each from the Anambra State Small Business Agency (ABSA).
The facility is to assist them build and expand their businesses under the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) scheme.
Obiano stated that the agency was established to deepen entrepreneurship in the state, noting that the programme would be sustained to outlive his administration and future administrations in the state.
As part of efforts to cushion the harsh effects of the current economic recession, Obiano suspended sale of emblems, collection of wheel barrow tax and hawkers permit in all parts of the state.
He also lowered Okada and Keke daily levies to N50 and N200, respectively, to cushion the effect of the recession.
With improved road infrastructure and security, Onitsha, a major trade hub in Nigeria and the West and Central African sub-regions, is attracting interest from foreign and local investors, especially manufacturing concerns that are looking towards the South-East/South-South business corridors for business expansion.
Onitsha, which in the past was famous for the bad reasons, is now one of the most peaceful towns in Nigeria, thus becoming the toast of investors, a development His Royal Majesty, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, Obi of Onitsha, attributed to Obiano’s good governance.
The sprawling trade centre, which is bounded by the River Niger, is the gateway to the South-East region of Nigeria from Delta State.
It also hosts one of the largest markets in West Africa (Onitsha Main Market), which is highly patronised by merchants from the West and Central African sub regions.
Recall also that Chukwuma Soludo, a former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), likened Obiano to a general, who must not be replaced during wartime.
Soludo rated the state under Obiano, as the fourth largest economy in Nigeria, while commending the governor for prudent and expertise management.
He said that only Lagos, Abuja and Rivers states were ahead of Anambra in terms of economic prosperity.
The former CBN boss, who contested the gubernatorial in 2013 on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance ticket with Obiano in 2013, said he would not contest the November 18 governorship election.
According to him, there is no need for change at the moment.
Although a number of big names and moneybags have indicated interest to contest the gubernatorial election in November this year, it appears however, that the people, having seen and felt what looks like good governance in the last 11 years plus, whosoever that wants to dislodge the incumbent must be ready to convince them that he or she has something extraordinary
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