Zik Gbemre

It is not every time that we have had course to write about an individual singing praise of his exemplary leadership in the corridors of government. But as patriotic Nigerians and of course, amongst the country’s leaders of thought, we felt the need to appreciate a good outing of a State Governor, emphasize the relevance of doing the right thing by our political leaders and the importance of advancing on the exemplary dispensation of the outgoing Anambra State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi.

It is often said that the best way to understand the actions of any individuals (that is the reason behind observed behavioural pattern), is to find out the ‘motives’. Once motive is known, the individual’s actions are better understood. Then one would decide if such an individual is someone of integrity that can be trusted or not, with every word that comes out of his/her mouth. Hence, when we look at the ‘motives’ behind every actions/inactions of our Nigerian Politicians as leaders in government circles, we are often left bewildered and disappointed. Most of our political leaders, who are fond of making promises they end up not keeping, are the reason why Nigeria, despite its enormous human and natural resources is bedeviled with a baggage of problems that have left us in a deplorable status as a ‘developing nation’. It is simply because, the true ‘motives’ of most typical Nigerian politicians, is never about ‘selfless service,’ neither is it about transformation and economic elevation of the citizenry. That is why we are glad when someone like Peter Obi, has proven to be an exception.

Sincerely speaking, it is not every time that we hear or see an outgoing governor in Nigeria handing over the baton of leadership to a successor and equally doing so on a clean slate, showing ‘accountability’ and ‘transparency’ without nothing to hide but simply praises for a “job well done” from virtually most parts of the polity. That is the story of the outgoing governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi. The outgoing Anambra State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi said his administration has N75 billion in savings for the state. Obviously, this is to allow the incoming governor, Willie Obianu to have something to start with and “continue” from the Obi left off. Unlike what we find most state governors by leaving their state in debts, thereby making those taking over to start borrowing.

The Anambra State governor who announced the amount he left in office during a public presentation of his “end of tenure report” at the Women Development Centre, Awka recently, said the money included N25billion investment for the state. In a further breakdown of the savings, Obi said that expected bank balances as at March 14, 2014 would be N11.5 billion: Federal Government of Nigeria approved refund N10 billion; foreign currency investment (US$155m) N26 billion. Obi also gave account of the investment the state made in some projects being executed, some of which are N3.5 billion in INTAFACT, N9 billion in Nigeria Independent Power Project; N4 billion in Orient Petroleum Resources PLC; N1 billion in Onitsha Hotel; N1 billion in Agulu Lake Hotel; N0.9 billion in Awka Shopping Mall, N350 billion in quoted investment portfolio, among others.

The Governor explained that his administration received about N620 billion and N20 billion naira from Federal Allocation and interventions from donor agencies and development partners.  He noted that despite the state’s low revenue profile, his government completed over 801 kilometres of roads that gave access to all parts of the state and opened up rural areas. He noted that collaboration with the church transformed and repositioned the education and health sectors to meet the needs of the people. According to the governor, through strategic planning, “prudent and transparent management of resources as well as reduction in the cost of governance, his administration achieved integrated and comprehensive development in all sectors without borrowing or owing anybody”. This is one feat most past and present State and Federal political leaders in government circles have never achieved while leaving office. Obi also expressed satisfaction that his government had rescued the state and laid a solid foundation for sustainable development, stressing that the state was not cursed, rather, the people were the cause of its previous challenges. The Governor-elect, Chief Willie Obiano in his speech assured that his administration would build on the foundation laid by Governor Peter Obi and sustain his interventions in schools and hospitals as well as attract people in the Diaspora and other investors to set up businesses in the state.

Many have argued that perhaps, one the reason for Obi’s success story was hinged on the tedious manner in which he ascended to power. This made him not somewhat ‘answerable’ to any political godfather or group like we see with most Nigerian politicians. But we believe Obi’s success story goes far beyond that. It has to do with his character as a person and his imbibed values over the years as an individual. If you have the right values as a person, it does not hide neither will you find it easy to do something contrary to such values. All throughout his tenure governor Peter Obi has demonstrated to be one who is not interested in looting public purse but one who wants to make a mark in his society. It was just few weeks ago when several reports annexed the retirement from active politics, of the Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi. What really caught our attention was what he gave as reasons for ‘early’ retirement from active politics in Nigeria, especially when we considered the fact that this is Nigeria, where politics and the political circle is seen as an avenue to accumulate wealth and change ones economic status for life. Hence, we still have so called past political leaders and elder statesmen who, rather than leave the corridors of power for the younger generation, still prefer to remain and die in the political scene so as to maintain their ill-gotten wealth by all means necessary.

In the words of governor Obi, when he was asked what his plan in politics is after his current tenure, he expressed that; “for me, I have come to the end of it, I want to quit and rest. The level of greed in Nigeria is overwhelming. Where people cannot see the suffering of other people. They are just accumulating wealth, for me, it is time to go.

“I wonder why one person should own a house in Ikoyo, Asokoro, Dubai and he is not using them for anything, people accumulate what they do not need, it is madness, the level of greed in Nigeria is intolerable. I want all of us to be praying for Nigeria, so that God will touch the heart of our leaders to use public money for the people. In Anambra State, we have never borrowed money despite all the works we are doing.”

It is with these words of lamentation that the Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi; made known to the public of his retirement from active politics at the end of his current tenure. He said he would like to use the remaining part of his life to serve humanity in other spheres where God would want to use him. The governor, who was quite emotional, lamented the level of financial waste in government, stressing that “the cost of running a governor’s office in Nigeria is too much. When I came in as governor, I discovered that the state had 70 workers in Abuja office. Apart from their salary we spend close to 15million maintaining that office. They had nothing doing there than to come to the airport to welcome me, constituting nuisance, so we redeployed the workers and closed down the place. Till date, we have not missed them, which means they were really doing nothing there.”

Peter Obi was one governor who never believed in “paying people for doing nothing”, like we find most State Governors and Federal Officials doing today. In other words, Obi does not pay sycophants, godfathers, praise singers, media hypes, solidarity visitors etc, like we find most government officials doing just to remain/sustain their false public image of a ‘working public servant’. Obi was one governor who believe every penny of state funds should be used for the good of the people and nothing else.

Although, there were recent reports that Obi might be going to Abuja to join the Presidency, we do not know how true this is but we believe Obi will not make any significant difference at the Presidency. It was reported that for his loyalty to the Presidency, the ruling party and indeed for his diligence, prudence, consistency and discipline, Peter Obi, the immediate former governor of Anambra State, may replace a very important official in the presidential bureaucracy or even the cabinet that is undergoing some unexpected surgery. For us, Obi’s presence in the Presidency will be like a drop of water in an ocean. He would not be allowed the free hand and room to bring in his prudency and accountability traits in handling public service. His activities will always be overshadowed by the perverted ways of handling public office evident at that level of government.

A public affairs analyst who is very familiar with how Abuja works, noted that “Governor Obi may not fit into the lifestyle of the Abuja people. Abuja people, especially in the presidential bureaucracy and cabinet, spend money and look for more to spend all the time…prudence is not part of the governance process in the current ‘regime’ in Abuja where even the office of the First Lady is itself a large bureaucracy that needs a lot of money…I mean Obi will find it tough to be prudent. I even doubt that any anyone would like to put the man with arthritis on his fingers in the bureaucracy of finance in an election year.” Meanwhile, another public affairs analyst from Anambra-Enugu axis noted in the report that: “It is not true that Governor Obi does not spend money; he does on good causes and relevant projects.  But he does not settle idle people and godfathers who have nothing to offer the state.” The crux of the matter is that Abuja/The Presidency at its current state, is no place for someone like former governor Peter Obi to thrive and make any meaningful difference. At the State level, governor Obi had the power to make a positive difference as he had the power to decide how and what state funds are to be used for. But the situation will be different at the Presidency level. We have had well respected technocrats and public officials who, before their ascension to the Presidency, were men and women of proven integrity, accountability and transparency. But today they are completely from what we know them as. It is as if the Presidency and its cabinet have a ‘virus’ that contaminates any good that is left in any public official.

We can only hope and pray that the situation with former governor Peter Obi will turn out differently. But the fact still remains that Peter Obi has indeed left an indelible mark to be remembered in years to come.

Peter Obi was born on 19 July 1961 at Onitsha. He attended Christ the King College, Onitsha where he completed his secondary school education. He was admitted to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 1980, graduating with a B.A (Hons) in philosophy in 1984. Going into business, he became Chairman of Next International Nigeria Ltd, then Chairman and Director of Guardian Express Mortgage Bank Ltd, Guardian Express Bank Plc, Future View Securities Ltd, Paymaster Nigeria Ltd, Chams Nigeria Ltd, Data Corp Ltd and Card Centre Ltd. He was the youngest Chairman of Fidelity Bank PLC. Peter Obi married Margaret Brownson Usen in 1992 after which they had their first child Gabriella Nwamaka Frances Obi, two years later they had their first son Gregory Peter Oseloka Obi.

Peter Obi stood in the Anambra State governorship election as candidate for the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) party in 2003, but his rival, Chris Ngige of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). After nearly three years of litigation, Ngige’s victory was overturned by the Court of Appeal on 15 March 2006. Obi took office for on 17 March 2006. On 2 November 2006, he was impeached by the state house of assembly after seven months in office and replaced the next day by Virginia Etiaba, his deputy, making her the first ever female Governor in Nigeria’s history. Obi successfully challenged his impeachment and was re-instated as the governor on 9 February 2007 by the Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu. Etiaba handed power back to him after the court ruling. He once again left office on 29 May 2007 following the general elections, which Andy Uba won. Obi returned to the courts once more, this time contending that the four-year tenure he had won in the 2003 elections only started to run when he took office in March 2006. On 14 June 2007, the Supreme Court of Nigeria upheld Obi’s contention and returned him to office. This brought to an abrupt end the tenure of Obi’s successor, Andy Uba whose April 14, 2007 election the Supreme Court nullified on the grounds that Obi’s four-year tenure should have remained undisturbed until March 2010. On 7 February 2010, INEC declared Peter Obi the winner of the 6 February 2010 gubernatorial elections, where he defeated Professor Charles Soludo, former Governor of CBN. This election victory gave Governor Obi an additional four years as the governor of Anambra State.

Even with vipers and struggles all around him, Obi as governor in the time he was in office; was building roads, bridges, school blocks; refurbishing schools, hospital and dilapidated government structures. Many of his critics could not get themselves to acknowledge it. Some even called him reckless and said that he wanted to empty the treasury before he leaves office. At a time when his mates are buying private jets, flying first class, owning properties in Dubai and all over the world, stashing billions in Swiss banks, building mansions all over Nigeria and buying exotic cars/jeeps for their girlfriends and sycophants; he was investing state funds and making returns into their treasury. Among other things, Obi partnered with private bodies and religious organizations to get the hospitals back on their feet; attracted and invested Anambra’s money in industries and refinery, which include a brewery that produces one of the best beers in Nigeria, Hero Beer, and he completed Orient Refinery and helped make Anambra the 10th oil producing sate in Nigeria which created jobs for the unemployed. Anambra educational system also went through a transformation; missionary schools were returned to those concerned to administer while the state pays salaries. He inter-connected all Anambra roads accounting for over 800 kilometers of roads. The forgotten towns in Anambra state that could only travel home by canoes and boats are praising him for constructing their roads and bridges and giving them the sense of belonging and opening up their areas to ready markets where they could sell their farm produce.

Funny enough, we are sure that if Obi had emptied the treasury, those in opposition/detractors would cry ‘blue murder’, but he left billions for his successor to take off with, yet detractors say that he should not have left money but should have invested it.

Now that it is obvious he had invested it, those in opposition are saying that he funneled state money to his private business. But they fail to realize that Obi was already a success as a ‘private businessman’ before venturing into politics. Hence, he went there to serve and not accumulate/misappropriate. Talking about investments, how about the investments that the state made in some projects being executed which include: N3.5 billion in INTAFACT, N9 billion in Nigeria Independent Power Project; N4 billion in Orient Petroleum Resources PLC; N1 billion in Onitsha Hotel; N1 billion in Agulu Lake Hotel; N0.9 billion in Awka Shopping Mall, N350 billion in quoted investment portfolio, billions in SABMiller Breweries PLC (makers of the popular Hero Beer), among others. These investments are generating and would still generate more money for the state and create more job opportunities for the state.

Obi kept working for Anambra even when he knew that he had less than few days to go. His colleagues in other states use their second term to steal public funds, make friends with criminals that would assist them launder the funds and virtually become a lame duck governor, but he refused to toe that path to ignominy. These are the sort of political leaders that deserve National Honours and Centenary Awards, unlike what we witnessed recently. We truly admire Peter Obi as an individual as a public servant. His style of governance and accountability are worthy traits. He is not a ‘media freak’ like some governors who use the media to project ‘false image’ of their inept administration. Obi was even ‘publicity shy’, but rather his works spoke volumes for him. Obi did not leave his State bankrupt, but rather he left behind a “thriving State on the path to more economic growth and development.” We believe that all existing and incoming State Governors across the country should emulate Obi and the admirable legacy he left behind in Anambra State. Let our political ‘serve’ the people and not expect to be served.