Obi: What Made Him Thick

VALENTINE OBIENYEM

As I keep repeating, the one reason for remembering Anambra’s glorious moments under Mr. Peter Obi is not for people to know or praise him for he is already sufficiently known and is daily being commended for the excellent leadership he showed when he was the Governor. 

Meanwhile, he did not go about seeking to be known through what normal governors do, like commissioning biographers within their first year in office where the panegyrists portray them as Angels of light or employing close to 2000 aides to sing their praises, but at all times he did things that made him worthy of being  known and remembered. 

By remembering him now and again, the sole reason is to keep alive those things that made him exceptional for the instruction of those that govern states.

As Governor, Mr. Peter Obi demonstrated enough goodwill, and Anambra people and corporate organisations doing business in the state appreciated him for that by the full support they offered him.

As the Governor, there was hardly any big corporate organisation doing business in the state  that did not support the state in one way or the other. I just used the pictures of MTN and UBA donating patrol vehicles to the state as examples. Every bank in Nigeria purchased at least 5 to 10 patrol vehicles, or more, for the state, as well as other forms of support: purchasing of computers, renovation of schools, support for the construction of libraries, among others.

With so much money at his disposal, as a result of such goodwill, he also considered it necessary to save for the state. It is only a fool that does not provide for tomorrow. This was how he left over N75 billion in the treasury for his successor, which people like Nimo-born lawyer, Chux Okonkwo, moved more by hatred and desire to bring Obi down are questioning.

This was also how he was able to clear all the arrears of pension owed in the State since 1991 – close to N40 billion. This was among the reasons he left without owing kobo to any contractor or supplier in the State. Even when he recruited civil servants, he left enough money specifically for their three years salary.

Most importantly, he did not plunge the state into debt.

Rather than telling us how these things are better done today, how his savings have been doubled and other positive narratives, the e-rats will go haywire and throw insults, which is their forte. Shortly you will see them gather together on my timeline like antibodies gathering to attack an infection as if Val has become their very infection!