By Maj Gen Tony Emeka Ajemba (rtd)
I want to add my own apolitical opinion to the statement made by Soludo.
Before Peter Obi became Governor, governance in my dear Anambra state was just staying in the jungle with the survival of the fittest.
All military governors or administrators who came to Anambra state were on looting mission and the State was very underdeveloped.
Then the first Civilian Governor Dr Mbadinuju came with a PhD from Harvard and everybody began to dance but the jungle cabals of Ubah brothers, offor, Eze and others held him in captivity for 4 years.
They were the ones who nominated all the Commissioners and every month 10-20m naira was paid into the private accounts of the godfathers as protection money.
For 4 years of tenure, the schools were closed.Civil servants and pensioners didn’t receive salary and pension.
The roads were death traps.
His case was so bad that PDP refused to nominate him for a second time.
The cabals zeroed on Ngige who was initially willing to go along but when he saw that the cabals were not interested in any development he rebelled against them in his 3rd year in office while his election petition case with Obi was dragging on.
It was the same cabal who went to the election panel and testified how they rig the election in Ngige’s favour and he was thrown out as a Governor and Obi came in.
The cabal swooped on him and he resisted them so they used the State Assembly members to impeach him.
The members went to Asaba in a hotel and impeached him. The Deputy (a woman) was sworn in.
She was there for 11 months and the cabals didn’t allow her to carry out the systematic development program called ANIDS – Anambra Intergrated Development Scheme using the Millenium Development program worked out by UN for developing nations.
After a year , Obi won his case and returned as Governor.
Before his return, his case was still in court and INEC flagrantly went ahead and conducted an illegal election that brought one of the cabal members – Andy Uba as Governor.
He was on seat for just 3 weeks before the Supreme Court dethroned him and returned Obi.
Within that 3 weeks,the man had sold the only viable Anambra ikenga hotel to himself and began systematic looting of Anambra properties.
His reign was cut short by the Supreme Court.
Then came in Peter Obi,the first 4 years was as if nothing was happening, but he started from the foundation to rebuild schools, health institutions,road infrastructure and started attracting many industries into the State.
Anambra became first in NECO and WAEC for so many years. Local industrialists like Innoson, Chikason, International Breweries began to settle in Anambra state.
He constructed an 8 lane road leading to Niger Bridge and got rid of criminals at the notorious Upper Iweka Road and Nkpor junction.
Many other interstate roads were constructed that Anambra became the state with the best roads.
The economy picked up and Anambra became the least poorest state in Nigeria.
He supported Missionary schools and hospitals with grants and equipment with the understanding that the hospital will treat the public with minimum fees.
He supported a private hospital in Adazi to build up one of the best Heart centers in Africa where open heart surgeries are done regularly till now. Then he acquired land for international airport and bought shares in Orient refinery which is functioning today and prospecting oil in Anambra state, though there are some disputes with Kogi and Enugu states about who owned some of the oil Wells.
He saved money for the next regime and invested in Saab Millers brewery which is returning dividend to the coffers of Anambra state.
It is the solid foundation that Obi laid that made Obiano to have an easy ride and same with Soludo. We all know how shares fluctuate in the stock market especially with the fall of naira against the other foreign currencies.
It is not correct to say those shares are worthless.
