How The Obiano Administration Restored Laughter To The Faces Of Ndi Anambra

CHINWEOZO AMUTA

There is no denying the fact that Anambra State is one of the most lively places to be in Nigeria today. This is because she is apparently the safest and most peaceful state in the country – an assertion confirmed by THE NIGERIA POLICE, WHICH INCIDENTALLY HELD ITS 12TH BIENNIAL GAMES IN THE STATE from February 29 to March 7, 2020. Economists say that apart from attracting about N1.5 billion into the state’s economy, the seven day event which was held at different locations showcased Anambra’s potential to the rest of Nigeria and the World which is now a global village.
Other landmark events hosted by Anambra State signposting the return of peace and laughter to the faces of her citizens since the coming of Governor Willie Obiano are the performance of the OZOEMEZINA FUNERAL RITES in 2015 for the repose of the souls of Ndigbo who lost their lives during the Nigerian civil war and other political cum religious crises in the country, the hosting of the POP STARS OF THE 70S MUSICAL FIESTA in 2017 as well as the Summit on RESTRUCTURING OF THE NIGERIAN FEDERATION ORGANISED BY THE OHANAEZE NDIGBO in 2018, at the Dr. Alex Ekwueme Square, Awka.
Before the advent of the present State Government six years ago, Anambra was at various periods between 1999 and 2014, in a very tense and sullen mood. She was actually enmeshed in different types of socioeconomic and political turmoils and outright crises. That unpleasant scenario and its attendant bad publicity evidently made the state not conducive for business and commercial activities to thrive optimally. The spate of extra judicial killings, armed robberies and kidnappings in the state in pre-Obiano era scared both Nigerian and foreign investors while Ndi Anambra living outside the state hardly come home to felicitate with their relations or participate in traditional marriages, burial and other cultural events or festivals.Happily, these unsavoury stories have become ancient history since Sir Willie took over the mantle of the leadership of the state on March 17, 2014. Even though he came well prepared with his vision and mission statements in addition to his original four pillars of development program, Governor Obiano was equally conscious of the fact that the most fundamental responsibility of governments all over the world is the protection of lives and property of the citizenry.  He also knew that his government would not fair better than those of his predecessors if he failed to take drastic measures to  contain the spate of insecurity which hitherto hampered socioeconomic development of the state. Sir Willie, quickly convened a SECURITY SUMMIT which involved the topmost statutory security officers in the country, Israeli security experts and relevant stakeholders in Anambra state. The summit evolved a formula with which the BEST SECURITY ARCHITECTURE in any of the federating units of Nigeria has been put in place in our beloved Anambra state.The clement socioeconomic atmosphere has enabled the government, in the past six years, to within available resources implement its original FOUR PILLARS OF DEVELOPMENT anchored on mechanised agriculture, trade and commerce, oil and gas as well as industrialisation. LOGISTICS WAS ADDED LATER to the  state’s economic blueprint. This explains why the Obiano administration has recorded unprecedented achievements in terms of good governance and delivery of democracy dividends. THE ADMINISTRATION HAS IN SIX YEARS SURPASSED THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF PREVIOUS GOVERNMENTS WHICH SERVED FOR EIGHT YEARS IN THE COUNTRY.
The accomplishments of the present Anambra Government have obviously manifested in the agro industrial sector where the state has today become one of the leading producers of rice and other staple food in the country. Trade and commerce have received tremendous boost because of the safe and secured environment which has resulted in significant number of traders and businessmen and women from other places trooping into our state on daily basis to engage in one legitimate commercial activity or the other. 
Under Obiano’s watch the Anambra education sector is the best and most dynamic in Nigeria. Little wonder students and teachers are winning golden laurels in national and international competitions. In terms of physical infrastructure, the land scape of Awka, the state capital has changed for the better with the THREE FLYOVERS ON THE ENUGU-ONITSHA EXPRESSWAY as well as many modern and beautiful buildings that have sprung up in the city, which has a network of motorable roads. With the light up program of the state government many roads and street in urban centres and their sidelines have been illuminated.
A state-of-the-art PERMANENT ORIENTATION CAMP FOR MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL YOUTH SERVICE CORPS, NYSC, has been built by the Obiano government at Umuawulu-Mbaukwu in Awka South local government area while a division of the COURT OF APPEAL has become operational in Awka because of provision of necessary facilities in record time for its judges and staff by the present  administration.
Today, THE BIGGEST AND MOST MODERN OXYGEN PRODUCTION PLANT IN THE SOUTHEAST had been built at the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu University, Amaku in Awka, thanks to the present state government. In addition to other visible and tangible achievements in the health sector, the Obiano administration introduced a cost effective health insurance program being managed by the Anambra State Health Insurance Agency, ASHIA. Under this arrangement, every family in the state registered in the program spends about twelve thousand naira per annum to access medical checkups and treatments in authorised public and private hospitals in any part of the state.Other outstanding and novel introductions of the present state government include but not limited to the establishment of the Anambra Small Business Agency, ASBA, Anambra State Investment Promotion and Protection Agency, ANSIPPA and Awka Capital Territory Development Agency, ACTDA. The state broadcast outfit, the ANAMBRA BROADCASTING SERVICE, ABS, AWKA, HAS BEEN REEQUIPPED WITH MODERN AND DIGITALISED TRANSMITTERS, UNLIKE PREVIOUSLY been reequipped with modern and digitalised transmitters unlike previously. The LONGEST BRIDGE IN THE STATE ACROSS THE OMAMBALA RIVER, from Otuocha to Aguleri-Otu into the crude oil deposit field has been completed while an INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTER, ICC, is on the verge of completion at Agu Awka. Without doubts, OTHER LEGACY PROJECTS WOULD BE BUILT IN THE STATE BEFORE THE END OF GOVERNOR OBIANO’S SECOND TENURE IN TWO YEARS TIME.
Surely, the numerous accomplishments of the present state government were made possible by the fact that its impressive security architecture has provided the conducive environment for their actualisation.

– Chinweozo Amuta, a Public Affairs Analyst writes from Onitsha.