PHILOSOPHY is good because it awakens in man the need for critical thinking. However, if what Emenuaga was trying to say is that Obi as a philosopher should have performed better, he is wrong. I challenge him to tell us one governor who is doing better than him with the available resources? There is no sector in which Obi has not done better than his predecessors.
Emenuga gleefully echoed El-Rufai's view on the poor IGR base of the State and submitted that "only Lagos, Kano and a few other non-oil producing states are not as valuable as Anambra. If he were sincere, he should have named two more states that do not fall within his vulnerable ranking. He knows he may not get any beyond Lagos and Kano.
But like a typical home opposition, Anambra must be used as an example. I cannot accuse him of criticizing what he did not understand, because it was evidently out of mischief. Since the advent of Obi, Anambra's IGR may not have reached its optimum, but it has continued to increase. Obi says that he has enough money to pay salary for even a year should nothing come from the centre.
In six years Obi has invested over N10 billion for Anambra State in promising businesses and yet he is doing nothing to improve Anambra's IGR base. If all the companies: SABmiller, Orient Petroleum , Innoson Motors, Juhel, etc, he is supporting or attracting to Anambra pay taxes, would it not improve the IGR base? Surely Emenuga's understanding of IGR is still within the base category of collecting stallage fees and all that.
Coming out more pungently to showcase his real motive, Emenuaga asked: "What are the good works a visitor will see in Anambra State? Peer review? King Solomon of Israel did not publicize his good works before Queen of Sheba heard of it and embarked on a trip to Jerusalem to see for herself".
If everything Solomon did should be glorified, I advise Emenuga to get 700 concubines for himself. In a State where people like Emenuaga deny what exists, what will happen if such are not shown to the world? In fact, the antics of people like him call on the Governor to re-double whatever he does to showcase his work. I think Emenuga should rather not concern himself about false claims.
In saying that the only solution to poverty and unemployment in Anambra State is to expand economic activities in the State and create enabling environment for the private sector to flourish, Emenuga left many more confused than enlightened.
In the past six years, economic activities in the State have been expanding. Consequently bank branches have more than doubled, industries are coming up, hotels grew from about four to over 30, and development partners that were not in the State are all here. Emenuga, what do you mean?
To show you what Emenuaga set out to do, he denied any development taking place in his part of the State. Even the road he referred to, the Igbo-Ukwu – Uga – Umunze – Owerre-Ezukala road, was completed by Governor Obi. He does not know that this government has completely rebuilt the Umunze Cottage Hospital, constructed the longest bridge – Odor – in his area, did the Ufuma – Enugwu road; he is doing the Ajalli- Aguluezechukwu road. In his part of the State, there is no town that did not benefit from a new classroom of five blocks. Most schools for the first time benefited from library, buses, internet, boreholes, etc.
Judging from what Obi has done and the recognition that has come his way, it will not be easy to distort the truth here. Thisday Best Governor on Financial Prudence; Champion Most Trustworthy Governor; Thisday Fourth Most Performing Governor; a Governor heading a State acclaimed by the Nigerian Senate as most stable; a Governor Debt Management Office acclaimed as leading the least indebted state; a Governor the Federal Ministry of Works acclaimed his State as having the best network of roads; a Governor who is beloved by the international community/development partners; a Governor who enjoys warm relationship with the Federal Government, cannot by any stretch of imagination be called a failure.
In his long and tortuous journey in politics, we must accept that Obi has driven lunatics away from Anambra State, clipped the wings of predatory politicians eyeing the State treasury, prevented those who saw themselves as readymade to govern Anambra State from succeeding. But even if he turns Anambra into an Eldorado, this tribe of critics must see him as a failure. Too bad! Too tragic!
Dr. AMOS ONYEDIKA, wrote from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State.
Vanguard Nigeria