PETER OBI; a pinhole peep

The journey to Agulu Anambra State began with a distress call from Mrs. Anulika Obienyem. I have known her from my hay days in Abuja and she has been a faithful friend. The message from the call was simple, “my father-in-law is dead. We had to bury him immediately according to his wish.” I was dumbfounded that the Igbo man could bury his deceased relation in record time. To confirm this sad story, I got a call from Valentine Obienyem, Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State.

I have known Val. for over ten years, as far back as in our undergraduate days in Lagos State University and a fraternal friendship is still blossoming over since. I cancelled all my engagements to make sure that I attend the final burial rites of his father, Ozo Bonaventure Obienyem, who died at the age of 78. Apart from Val. being a reliable friend in the university, my first child was actually conceived in his house at Lugbe, Abuja.

Having put my relationship with Val in perspective; let me regale you with the journey to his father’s burial that ended up in an unforgettable encounter with the democratic phenomenon of Nigeria’s democratic experience, Mr. Peter Obi.

I took off from Abuja my economic exiled base to Biafra (South East Nigeria) and anchored in Owerri. The conversation in the bus was centred on the marginalization of the Igbos in Nigeria, despite the”no victor no vanquished” declaration by the Gowon administration at the end of the 30- month civil war.

As an afterthought, the passengers zoomed in on the non-performance of the South-East governors. While these arguments raged, all the passengers were in agreement that the Amanbra State governor is in a class of his own and a trail blazer in the enforcement of rule of law, firm belief in the due process and integrated approach to development. Why won’t he, I belched, after all it was the judiciary that restored his stolen mandate. It should be remembered that Governor Peter Obi ran through the judiciary gauntlet to reclaim his mandate stolen by Dr. Chris Ngige of the PDP, after the former had spent 3 years in office.

Ever since Peter Obi regained his mandate, he has stuck to the rule of law and due process, with little regards to whose ox is gored. Despite these pass mark given to Peter Obi in the bus, I still remained a doubting Thomas. My pinch-of-salt faith in the accolades showered on Peter Obi, sprang from the numerous newspaper advertorials by governors, brandishing what they have done during the past one year. Yet in their states, there is nothing to show for it. The dividends of democracy and good governance to their people are on the pages of newspapers and the crafty imagination of their image makers.

As though one passenger read my mind, I was reminded that the ongoing stalemate with the PDP dominated state House of Assembly is nothing but the governor’s stubbornness that the interest of the Anambra people must prevail against party and selfish interest. With great skepticism about reports from bush telegrams and Nigerian arm chair investigative journalists, over the super performances of the governors, I proceeded to Agulu via Ideato North.

To my greatest shock, the road from Urualla is as smooth as the Abuja-Keffi road. When I passed my Alma Mater, St. John Chrysostom Seminary Osina, pride swelled up to a bursting point in me. It was in this school, under steady hands of Rev. Sam Ilo that my faith was shaped. It was also there that my first baptism of rebellion was born. I protested the forceful banning of vernacular by Mazi C.C. our form master in Class 2B. I still have fresh memories of my brief stay in that school.

Akokwa to Ekwulobia was a pleasure to travel on and once in a long time, I was proud of the South East roads. Another interesting observation was the absence of bill boards advertising the governor. A trip round other South-East states, in fact the whole federation, you will have the faces of their governors welcoming you to squalor, unemployment and insecurity.

But that was not the case in Anambra. As we cruised across the border of Imo and Anambra, no nuisance bill board was welcoming me to Anambra. I started feeling there is something different about the state. But my pride knew no bound when I got to Obe Village, Agulu, the venue and Val’s village. There was electricity, which I understand has been there since the seventies. One could feel the fresh air exhuming from the green trees and virgin vegetation.

I was minding my beer, discussing Barack Obama’s half chance in November, reinterpretation of Andy Uba’s empty mandate and the failure of the opposition parties to challenge the foisting of Rotimi Amaechi at the Rivers State Election Tribunal with Barrister Emeka Ikedigwe that I paid no attention when the Governor’s presence was announced by the master of ceremony. But when Peter Obi appeared, with little fanfare, my pride did a somersault and at once I longed to be a governor in the shoes of Peter Obi.

Peter Obi came with the most skeletal security out-fit I have seen in modern times. Coming from Abuja, where a common minister intimidates road users, it was a cultural shock for me to see a governor at close range and his security details were not over -zealous, not wearing Abacha-like goggles and scaring electorates. I cannot remember the last time I was this at ease in the presence of security men.

To crown it all, Peter Obi ate in public glare. No special venue was arranged for him to eat. This simplicity touched me that I could not help but think, how better Nigeria will be if all governors will borrow a leaf from Peter Obi, make themselves accessible and not build wall of Jericho with Policemen around the governor. You may also wish to know that the convoy used by Peter Obi had about four cars; there was no dispatch rider or a lorry load of Mobile Policemen.

The siren was not at full blast. The governor mixed well with the people and was accessible to all who wanted to chip a word into his ever listening ears. With a wide smile and gentle voice the governor nodded to the praise singers and cheerfully made himself available to all and sundry. Read more

Bribery allegation divides Anambra State.

According to Val Obieyem Esq. Special Assistant Media to Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State, the allegation by Hon. Njideka Ezeigwe is a joke.  Barrister Obieyem further stressed that going by Governor Obi’s antecedents it will be an imaginary concoction of a mentally deranged person to opine and believe that Governor Obi will offer a bribe to the PDP dominated house. Obieyem said that it is the height of sadism for people to play chess with the development of Anambra. According to Obieyem it was out of obeisance to due process and rule of law to which Gov. Obi is a faithful adherent that made him present the budget to the house on December 27^th 2007, thinking others would be patriotically inclined to pass the budget before the end of the first quarter of 2008.

Barrister Obieyem was reacting to Hon. Njideka Ezeigwe, a leader of the Anambra State Assembly who had at a stakeholders rally organised by a faction of the PDP loyal to Andy Uba accused Governor Peter Obi of offering a bribe of N50 million naira each to the 30 members of the Assembly to rush them into signing the 2008 budget of N57.6billion.

In a related development, Anambra State Association of Town Unions has called on the House of Assembly to increase the 2008 Anambra state budget.  News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation slashed the budget from N84.2 billion to N57.6 billion, reducing allocations to all sectors of the state but increased the allocation to the assembly from N284million to N1.235 million.

Meanwhile a group of youths going by the name of Concerned Youths of PDP (CYPAS), gave the factional PDP state chairman Mr. Tony Nwoye a 48 hours ultimatum to vacate office or face the wrath of the youths. This fatwa is against the backdrop of the division of the division in the PDP led Assembly with 11 supporting Tony Nwoye’s leadership while 19 supports Bright Nebedum leadership.

 

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