By Victor Afam Ogene
In, perhaps, more ways than one, the November 18, 2017 gubernatorial election in Anambra can be fittingly described as a referedum on the leadership ability of the people from the Anambra North senatorial zone of the state. Consisting of seven out of the 21 local government areas of the state, Anambra North had never had the good ‘fortune’ of having one of its own mount the exalted seat of governor since the creation of the state, almost three decades ago.
Well, that was until four years ago, when the immediate past governor of the state, Peter Obi, led the clamour and actualisatuion of the “Anambra North for Governor” project, which led to the election of the incumbent, Willie Obiano.
Today, after three and half years in the saddle, it is time for stock-taking, regarding whether the incumbent, nay the people of his senatorial district, would be entrusted with a fresh four-year mandate.
Although every election ought to centre around an individual candidate’s ability to deliver on the job, the coming Anambra polls has, quite against the norm, dovetailed into a citation on the leadership capability of the entire people of the governor’s senatorial zone. Easy reference is made to the governor’s clannish tendencies in filling many appointive positions with his Aguleri kith and kin, as well as having started and completed no fewer than 35 roads within the community, while leaving the other 170 communities in the lurch.
For a man who ascended the governorship stool on the promise of ‘continuing, completing and commissioning projects started by his predecessor before commencing (4Cs) any other, Governor Obiano didn’t take long in recanting this pledge. For, as soon as he mounted the saddle, he spared no effort at proving that he was antithetical to everything former Governor Obi represented.
Whereas Obi is known for his prudence, Obiano is an acclaimed spendthrift; just as Obi’s sobriety is made nonsense of by his consquistorial disposition, and his frugality jettisoned for an ostentatious affinity. A few examples would suffice. While Obi maintained a five-car convoy, Obiano’s stretches to above 25; while Obi flew regular flights, and sometimes on economy tickets, Obiano routinely chartered jets. Obi was famed for severely cutting down the costs of governance generally.
Now, as someone who hails from that region and who actively played a defining role in actualising the North’s governorship quest, this rankles. Yet no one can gleefully deny the sincere concerns of our brethren from the Central and South Senatorial zones, when they make infamous references to Ndi North, as represented by Governor Obiano, as “happy go-lucky fellas” – an euphemism for a people who prefer to merry when the bell of duty tolls. Ironically, the angst of the people does not dwell on the governor’s dubiety, infrastructure wise (a story for another day), but rather on his many foibles Indeed, the dividing line of moral probity is reinforced by the use of the word, Excellency, as against the commonplace prefix, Mr. Though, while high ethical and moral rectitude is expected of everyone regardless of title or status, a heavier burden of acceptable social conduct, at all times, is placed on the head and shoulders of every public office holder.
This, instructively, is what ought to differentiate an Obiano, who as a dainty banker can afford to spot a stylish 1950s patting of the hair and the many distractions that it breeds, from the man who the people chose nearly four years ago as their standard bearer, with misplaced belief in his ability to further the moderation which his predecessor had enthroned. Instead, what confront reasonable indigenes of Anambra in the public arena are often telltale signs of a somnambulist. Added to the realisation that instead of growing the state’s fortunes as bequeathed to him, he has proceeded to not only lavish same but has even taken the audacious step of accumulating debts of his own, one can begin to understand the on-going negative profiling of the people of Anambra North.
But the average Onye Anambra North does not fit this label. On the contrary, they are an industrious lot, being predominantly farmers who work hard to eke out a living. Indeed, above all else, they are a people given to a high degree of fidelity to the truth. Which is, perhaps, why it is the people of the North that would readily agree that they sold defective merchandise to Ndi Anambra in 2013. And as a conscientious lot, it behoves then to change the bad product, with profuse apologies, and then proceed to replace the deficient with a better one.
Luckily, the major political parties in the country, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), have both picked candidates from the North Senatorial zone. All that the voting population of Ndi Anambra have to do on Saturday, November 18, 2017 is to pick one of them – but this time, with the deep philosophical lyrics of music maestro, Ozoemena Nsugbe, ringing in their heads: Onye obu na ya chi Anambra, chi kwa ya ka Peter Obi (anyone who will rule Anambra state should do so like Peter Obi).
• Hon. Ogene, a former magazine editor, was deputy chairman, Media & Public Affairs in the House of Representatives