Anambra State, The Cry For Help, By Tobenna Obiano.

Governance or leadership chiefly entails serving the people, protecting the people and their interests, addressing their worries and solving their problems. Any person within the corridors of power who falls short of provision of these integrals and basics is as good as a “misleader”. Infact failure in leadership squarely entails failure in these circles.

In few weeks time, the Anambra populace will line out, at different polling units to vote for who manages their affairs as Governor for the next four years. This is particularly important, for as a people, we must unite to address issues that matters and raise our worries as much as we can.

Where leaders underperform, we call them to order, and where there is less or no improvement, whenever the opportunity comes calling, we simply remove and replace them by our votes. If things are done like this, leaders would begin to take us very serious, and understand that power lies within the people and that with our votes, we can do and undo, for the people’s choice becomes a determinant factor. Our vote should be our bargaining power, where we may choose to reward excellence or shaming mediocrity.

Every serious leader understands the place of education of the young and where it stands in world affairs plus it’s multiplier effects as to the progress and prosperity for the people. Nations of the world that progress are majorly those who take the education of their generation next very seriously. The rewards from sound and quality education can never be quantified.

I attended Tansi International College, Awka for my high school. This is an institution to which I have remained proud of, and I will forever remain thankful to the management and staff for their role in tutoring and mentoring us right from the cradle till now. If we eventually succeed, they richly deserve to be appreciated, but where we fail, we take the blame for ourselves.

Sometime last week or so, I had received a call from an old time friend of mine who happens to be just like my very self, a graduate from thesame school. He was pained and even sounded angry over the phone. He chose to reach out to me, that I join my voice in speaking for the failure of Government and governance within the locality of our former school.

I have read and often ignored several articles written about the current state of the road leading to the institution, and I have always treated those write ups with kid-gloves. This is not because I do not take it seriously, but because I have been eagerly waiting on the Government to extend the dividends of democracy towards them. Well, they have failed.

Two days ago, while I was all-set for a trip from the Caribbean island for London, just as I was heading for the airport, another former schoolmate called me about thesame dilapidated state of the road leading to Tansi International College, Awka. This caller actually sounded shattered. He told me that he was visiting his younger brother and his car couldn’t get to the school because of the very bad state of the road. The current state of Umuodu, Okpuno road is one crying to high heavens. This young man took photos of the current state of that road and sent to me, to back up his claim.

Sometime ago, I think two years ago or so, there was a convoco for the old boys association. Many of those who drove down couldn’t drive till the school. It was a sad experience; I for one had to park my car by Joburg Hotel, then join someone else who was driving a Sports Utility Vehicle. The bad state of that road had remained a big problem.

The previous administration had began the road from Goodwill junction in Okpuno into Umuodu community. The Peter Obi’s administration had constructed the road, which by the way also leads to the only Catholic owned senior seminary in Awka. The road had been begun and stopped just after the only bridge leading into the community and to Tansi International College, Awka. This road has since been abandoned from then till date. The contractors have also pulled out of site.

Governance should be a continual process. It’s even more laughable that the current administration in Anambra had campaigned on the mantra of “CONTINUITY”, then quite sadly, and incredibly, this Government had long foregone the continuity initiative and keyed in for a replica of jamboree of Government where it’s become “anything goes!”

Priests, teachers, parents and students are suffering and this is saddening. My intention isn’t only aimed that this road be constructed because of the presence of my alma mater which is domiciled there, but more importantly, the construction of this road serves a unique purpose, for the use of the people, the locals from Okpuno community, and for many who own landed properties and are ready to develop those, but obviously can’t, unless and until there are assess roads leading into the community.

Tansi International College happens to be an institution with class distinction from many fronts. As at the time of my graduation, I made distinction in West African Certificate Examination, WAEC, so also were many of my classmates. Other classes even before and after us have remained resounding success stories. The teachers and the Catholic Church takes the training of students very seriously, and the success recorded in Tansi International College over the years had only been made possible because of the church’s dedication and diligence of the teachers towards excellence in service delivery.

There are sterling records TICA has made, aside consistently coming tops in National Board examinations. Three months ago or thereabouts, the Priest in charge of that institution had called all the way from New York, United States where some students of his institution had journeyed to the United Nations youth parliament. I was particularly proud that students from Tansi International College, Awka were amongst the select few that made the trip from Nigeria.

The hardworking team narrated their experience with the students and the importance of the outing to them. Ofcourse, one of Anambra’s finest and most refined mind who lately has keyed into politics fully had played an integral role towards making their outing at the United Nations to become worthwhile and as well, record breaking. Infact, these students had assess to all within their reach and this was an eye opener for the secondary school students.

In that institution, there are a team of three Priests who manage the institution for and on behalf of the Catholic Diocese of Awka, they and their teachers, students and their parents are all suffering. The people of Umuodu, Okpuno, Awka are also suffering. The raining season isn’t helping matters. How long will these ones suffer before the State Government does the needful?

I learnt that Priests who might leave the school in the morning for other assignments in town, while returning back, maybe after rainfall are forced to sleep elsewhere because of the bad state of the road. Teachers have to park their cars nearly one kilometer away after any heavy downpour to trek to the institution for lectures and ofcourse, this makes them often late or simply miss classes. Parents now no more visit their wards in the boarding house because of the terrible state of that road. It is an acceptable fact that one produces his best in this sort of hostile situation.

Above all else, during my studentship years there, I served as an Infirmarian, and often times, students might have need for emergency medical care. One can only imagine what the institution goes through to assess their way through that rough road to Awka to treat sick students. The current state of this road is honestly a sad one. Somehow, it seems that we have a Government that has squarely failed in many fronts, they have failed the people, they have failed in leadership, even as they continue to celebrate frivolities and mediocrity.

The sad tale of governance in Nigeria is that whenever election time comes, our “misleaders” and other contenders suddenly become saintly, promising and assuring to do what they have failed to do over the years in whatsoever capacity they are, or could have been before the campaign proper.

The current horrible state of Umuodu, Okpuno road is enough for the entire people from that community, all those who own investments and landed properties plus students of voting age there, their parents and teachers to in unison decide never to vote for the incumbent Government, who currently is in a seemingly desperate bid for a re-election. If they unite to vote out this Government, in all honesty, it is right and justified.

What does it take to complete a less than one kilometer of road? The major or strategic parts has been completed. The only bridge along the road had been completed. What then is the problem of this Government to do the needful and bring true leadership to Okpuno people. This is simply unfair. Okpuno in Awka capital territory had been abandoned, while glory had befallen Aguleri.

In the past, I had written several articles celebrating the Anambra State Government wherever and whenever they do well. Where they fall below par, I do not hesitate to confront their misdoings headon.

I wrote about the bad state of Nibo road which we were promised it’s construction from the Governor’s first day in office. I persistently wrote asking the Government to do the needful. It took series of efforts and ofcourse election fever coupled with the reality towards the fear of the unknown as election drew closer for the Government to suddenly wake-up from their years of slumber, to beginning the road construction.

Unsurprisingly, the road which was began with the speed of light some two to three months ago may have been abandoned, as reliable sources say workers aren’t anymore on site. Ofcourse, Nibo people aren’t fools. The trumpeters may continue blowing their trumpet, on Election Day proper, it would be to your tent oh Israel.

Also, I have written twice about the bad state of Ifite, Awka road leading towards the only Federal presence in Awka, the Nnamdi Azikiwe University backgate and down to Amansea. Students and their lecturers of UNIZIK, Ifite Awka people and those from Amansea have suffered years of untold neglect by this administration. Sadly, after over six months of workers on site, only waterways or gutters are still been opened. This is heartbreaking. Again, if Ifite Awka, Amansea and the UNIZIK family fails to vote for this Government, it’s only right!

In what seems to be a radical turn of events, in Anambra, Governance has been reduced to a joke. It’s a sad one and those within the corridors of power are ridiculously shameless and proudly celebrate this catastrophe as true-leadership. It’s even more worrisome when the literate, the traveled and he supposed intelligent join the bandwagon in the leads of praise singing, while the people suffer.

Anambra is suffering because those who pride with this abysmal failure in leadership care less about the general wellness of the people and the populace, infact, they are more concerned about their personal gains and rewards from the Government. Many have ditched selflessness for selfishness and it’s sad.

The debate for “if it’s not broken, why mend it” is a joke in its entirety, for only self-interest, class deception and unfortunate confusion can lead anyone to believing that it’s not broken. The Gov. Willie Obiano’s administration honestly care less about Anambrarians. This Government and her foot-soldiers clearly know less or nothing about leadership. It’s simply shameful.

I was forced to write about this because I can’t continue to sit on the fence while things go from bad to worse. The case of Umuodu, Okpuno Awka road is one out of many. The litanies of hypocrites surrounding the Governor would never summon the courage, the morale or the temerity to tell him pointblank that all is not well.

Anambra isn’t getting any better under this administration. There are obvious choices which can outdo this joke of a Government and if the Obiano government fails to raise high their games now, then they should simply be ready for the worse which is simply underway.

In what name are they spending this heavy for a reelection bid? If this Government had honestly done well as they now nearly force the public to believe, there would simply be less or no need for the endless campaign style and push, plus the heavy spending going on currently in a quest to win by all means. The endorsements also now coming from all quarters, lately in the list were also okada riders, even if crayfish and palmwine sellers also endorse, these would never be a match to what and who or groups that endorsed Goodluck Jonathan in 2015. The fact is, he was still shamed out of office.

Gov. Obiano should understand that singing praises online, singing and dancing on campaign trains and that many are shouting “Willie is working” already means he is winning, even with the power of incumbency, many have lost in this sort of bid too. The list are endless, from our own Anambra was Mbadinuju, there have also been: Fayemi in Ekiti State, Wada in Kogi State. Even in Presidency, the duo of Jonathan of Nigeria and John Dramani Mahama of Ghana individually suffered same fate.

The road leading into Umuodu Okpuno, to Tansi International College, Awka is particularly important for the development of the Awka capital territory. The road also is less than one kilometer as from where it was stopped by the previous administration to its very end.

I have seen the suffrage of ndi Okpuno. I have heard about the suffrage of Priests working in Okpuno. I am aware of the suffrage of the teachers, students and their parents in a quest to assess Okpuno, I have chosen to speak up and hoping that miracles can still be done.

In the coming weeks, while we go to the polls, we should vote with our conscience and get persons who have studied, researched, followed and worked assiduously hard towards leadership and it’s circles into office, not any person we run into. The sheriff in town is obviously not doing too well.

Lastly, many thanks to Mr. Oseloka Obaze, the PDP Gubernatorial candidate for the role he played when students from my alma mater who had traveled to the United Nations General Assembly for the Youth in New York were well received and had special privileges at his former office. These are characters that understand true leadership.

Where they fail to help us, we help ourselves. We look out for the best.