Anambra's Money: Obi And Obiano, Facts And Figures, By Tobenna Obiano

In what has become very disturbing, there has been an endless war of words, allegations and crossfire from both divides, pointing consistently, with claims and counter claims on certain directions. The question is, who stole or who is stealing Anambra's wealth?

It's already less than one month to the Anambra State Gubernatorial elections, which obviously is about to go down in history as a keenly contested Governorship election, maybe the most in Nigeria's political history by any state in this nation.

As points and arguments lead the center stage, with contenders, supporters and opposition groups having what has become a worrisome and continued hit in the polity, and a hold no barrel approach has intensified. The center question beats down to: who stole or who is stealing Anambra's money?


These are trouble times, many would advise that we stay clear of discussing anything of this nature, particularly at moments like this, but then, things go bad because persons of goodwill, who have a conscience and an uncommon integrity, and discipline stay away from speaking up when they should. We must speak at moments of great complexities. Truth or false, one may still be silenced someday, but now that we still can, for heaven's sake, for humanity's sake and for the love of Anambra State, we should say it just as it is and damn the consequences.

In the news, and particularly on the Social media platform, the argument has remained, "Obi demanded N7billion refund from Obiano" as amount used in footing his Governorship campaign back in 2013. There has been what has become the argument of what Obi left behind for his successor, or if he actually left anything behind and the last, what debt did he bequeath his successor? In what has become saddening, there is a side who say that Obi had ab initio wanted his successor never to succeed, and that's why he has been fighting him.


As an Anambrarian, like many other serious-minded Anambrarians, I am worried. I have been worried on what has been the truth surrounding what actually happened as Obi was leaving Anambra State Government House and also, what has been happening right now under the Obiano's administration. There are many troubling points and salient issues that has been raised. It's about time we begin addressing these things just as they are; for as the saying goes: he who does not know where the rain began beating him, will definitely not know where or when it dries up on him.

We should face those bothersome issues that has been trending lately, obviously being peddled by miscreants and aimed solely on misleading many unsuspecting Anambrarians. Now, we must speak truth to power; no sugar-coating, no sweet-talking, no half-truth and yes, no massaging of anyone's ego.

In the Nigerian political circle, worthy of note is the uncommon fact that former Anambra State Governor, Mr.  Peter Obi has remained one of the very few most revered, respected and beloved persons that has been distinct in public service. Love or hate him, facts are sacred, while lies die cheaply. Obi introduced decency, discipline and diligence to Governance in Igboland and within the Nigerian political space. This is a verifiable fact!


Obi's success in governance is based upon his informed understanding of true leadership. Mr. Peter Obi laid a solid foundation for the building of the new Anambra, with an aim to securing her future and those of generations unborn. In following the lead of the millennium development goals, he used his brain-child program, the Anambra State Integrated Development Strategy, ANIDS in setting Anambra on the world map, where under him, the UN, the World Health Organization and even Bill Gates foundation all recognized his outstanding service delivery to Anambrarians and rewarded the state for same.

Three years after leaving Governance, Obi had remained a household name in the Nigerian political space. It's no surprise that no Nigerian past or serving public servant had delivered more lectures to any audience on issues relating to governance, the economy or discipline than Obi. His speech two years ago at the Covenant Place on the Platform in Lagos had laid a solid foundation into a wide-range issues that has been bothering the Nigerian society, but often times has been treated with kid-gloves.

Obi has raised the bar of governance, awakened our sensibilities and subconscious of the reality that it could be done in public service and rightly too.


The bullet questions are:
* Did Obi save money for Anambra's future?
* If yes, how much exactly did he save?
* Are there verifiable and signed details of those savings?
* What was the purpose of the savings?
* Has the savings gained the State anything?
* Has the saved monies been used or spent judiciously?

These are pertinent questions that should worry the sensibilities of any right thinking individual. The truth remains that these questions have answers staring at us.

I wasn't told, it's no hearsay, I was there. I repeat, I was there and on ground at the then Women Development Center, Awka on the day that Gov. Peter Obi gave what he captioned his account of stewardship. In what has become the first in Nigeria, after enumerating his shortcomings, and then giant strides or successes in governance of Anambra State, he announced to the audience that his government had saved about N75billion in cash and investment. A thunderous applause overtook the hall. The audience which included the now Gov. Willie Obiano rose to a standing ovation to cheer and celebrate Obi.

The hallmark of Obi's claim of saving monies and bonding some to investments that would reward Anambra State was that he went ahead to make mention of the banks where those monies were saved and calling out the amounts that were saved in all the accounts. No Nigerian leader, past or present, dead or alive has neared such sterling hallmark in governance. Obi was the man who saw tomorrow and who understood quite clearly the reason for saving for the rainy days. Anambra's economy as handed down to Chief. Willie Obiano by Mr. Peter Obi was intimidating and unshaken. It was very promising.


Mr. Peter Obi as a matter of fact has a guiding principle, be it in business or governance, his style and attitude towards money remains practically - prudence and discipline in management. It doesn't matter what anyone says or does, be it his private money or taxpayers money, Obi is too economical and had proven to be an awesome manager. While he was saving so much for Anambra, many labeled him as stingy, "aka aradite or aka gum"; what was his offense? Let's save money for the future of our children and generations after them.

In black and white, from very reliable sources and through verifiable records even made available to the public, while Mr. Peter Obi was leaving office on the 17th day of March, 2014, he left a total of N25 billion in cash and another N23,600,000,000 set aside to execute some projects already identified or to finish critical projects that has already been started. Also, it was part of the two-year salary for the last set of civil servants his government recruited. Obi resorted to saving much and setting aside funds so as not to stagnate the progress of the then incoming Gov. Obiano.

There are then ongoing projects which included the malls been built at various locations in Anambra: Onitsha, Awka and Nnewi. The last two has not had anything done since after Obi left office, even as the first was already nearing completion before he left. There was the hotel project for the state, the Agulu lakeside hotel and the Onitsha hotel. The dramatic outing that has taken place by the Agulu lake-side hotel, all in political gimmicks to assure that the hotel will be completed has become a ridiculous shameful outing. Oh yeah, politicians in Nigeria are very shameless!


In Umuawulu, just along the major road leading to Awgbu was another project began by Mr. Peter Obi's administration which the funds for its completion was set aside too, the project has long been abandoned and nothing close to improvement has come anywhere close. There were other critical projects which Obi had set monies aside for its completion, including road projects which sadly, one or two that the Obiano administration has completed had shameless called out as their sole project. Again, you know politicians are shameless and they lie with reckless abandon.

To now lay to a permanent rest the debate if, or of what Obi left behind for his successor, Obiano, let's face this fact: Obi's administration left in naira for his predecessor's Government, the whooping sum of N48,600,000,000. There are breakdowns too.

In hard currencies, the US dollars precisely, Obiano's predecessor, Mr. Peter Obi also left $156 million saved for Anambra's future. The monies were saved cash: $56 million in Fidelity Bank, $50 million in Access Bank and $50 million in Diamond Bank. To this day, following the rate for naira and dollar exchange, the current value and many more of them all, should be summing up to about N200 billion. Obi is a small god; case closed!


It's ridiculously shameless of anybody, no matter how highly placed or how pitiably lowly they may be, to assert that Obi didn't leave monies for Obiano. And with Obi's handover note which was even leaked to the public, its even more disheartening that even those who should know better, because of political gains choose to stand against honesty, and claim that Obi left only N8billion. Even so, how many past Nigerian Governors had left a dime for their predecessors? How many? Name them, Fashola of Lagos, Amaechi of Rivers, Fayemi of Ekiti and Oshiomole Edo all left their States in huge debts, Obi stuffed the Anambra account with huge monetary savings!

In what has become a trademark on the social media, the APC Gubernatorial candidate, Dr. Tony Nwoye of the Federal House of Representative made a very shocking public outcry on National broadcast and a political convoco, he called out on the Anambra first family, Gov. Willie Obiano and his wife as "ndi ohi". As disciplined people, we all condemn those loud allegations and call out on our Governor, while as sane people, we are worried and this allegations should be watched closely. And yes, only a court of competent jurisdiction can determine if one is guilty of a crime or not.

Gov. Obiano, a titled Chief of his community might have done well at his immediate locality in Aguleri. Ofcourse, that's highly commended for as the saying goes, "charity begins at home", but also, that same saying never concluded with, "charity ends at home". It doesn't! Actually, dividends of democracy should circulate right round. Obi told his people of Agulu pointblank that he is not the Governor of Agulu, but of Anambra State. However, in Obiano, we have seen a Governor of Aguleri, not clearly Anambra.

In my entire life as an individual, I have never met a propagandist Government in Nigeria as we are having under Chief. Obaino's Government. Infact, the level of propaganda has equated or maybe, have surpassed what the APC led Federal Government used as a selling point while they gunned for the office of the Presidency.

Obi has suffered many backlash, insult and abuses from a Government he near-solely instituted. This is certainly not the right way to reward goodness. Obi honestly deserves better.


Lately, in furtherance of the name-calling and a hold no barrel in shaming Obi, they have claimed that he is Mr. Oseloka Obaze, the PDP Gubernatorial candidate's political godfather. If that stands, then it should be agreed also and kept on record that he was Obiano's godfather some nearly four years ago.

If Obiano had succeeded in governance, then we should be thankful of the "so-called" godfather, Mr. Obi and pray for him to institute another godson. As Nigerians and particularly Anambrarians, we all know how political gladiators and heavyweights, those who are often referred to as godfathers act. None of those acts of godfatherism witnessed back then in 2003 has happened again. Therefore, Obi's style of godfatherism is worthy of emulation and we want more of his godsons.

This quest to shame Obi; this moves to humiliate Obi; this choice to ridicule Obi has never sold, and obviously won't. They claimed his wife was seeking for a divorce, even while they were happily journeying to London as the rumor was been circulated. They claimed he was fighting Obiano silly, while forgetting that he laid a solid ground for him. Those lies didn't work, and now in a desperate move to put him out and down, they resorted to claiming that he is demanding of his successor, the sum of N7billion even when the world knows he saved monies amounting to over a triple-fold over of same amount.

Persons like myself have continued to ignore busy-body's who have been making the allegations, but to be informed that lately, Gov. Obiano himself who it was said had formerly refuted that claim as unfounded before a Bishop and at other foras, for him to suddenly join in claiming Obi made the demand for a refund of N7billion, let him do us the sevice of providing an evidence to that, and the rest should be left for ndi-Anambra. Obviously, a lie has no serious evidence to be used in buttressing it as true.


All these dusts, unnecessary tantrums and hateful campaign of calumny being thrown Obi's way, now nearly like a daily ritual or routine, and may have become competitive if not a pay as you write billing, all those remains hitted up because he chose to keep to his words  as a gentleman; he decided to keep his promise to himself and to ndi-Anambra. "If Gov. Willie Obiano underperforms, just as I have led the way in asking for votes in his favour, I would lead in asking for his sack from the Government House". Is this a crime?

Anambra cannot boost of an intelligentsia such as Osita Chidoka, or a successful entrepreneur in the mold of Godwin Ezeemo or a diplomat of international repute in the person of Oseloka Obaze and yet governance has been reduced pitifully to sham. Anambra can't be limited to good, neither should we stop in better, we honestly deserve the best. Let who the cap fits, wear it.

A Latin adage reads thus, "Nemo dat, non quod habet", which when loosely translated reads: "no one gives what he has not". As regards governance, my surname namesake clearly doesn't have it.

Anyone who is saying Chief. Willie Obiano should be allowed to complete his second term is ridiculously ignorant and insensitive. What we voted some about four years ago was a single term of four years, after which he can still contest for another term of four years. Let him remain in the contest and win, it's not his right to get or be gifted a second term on a platter. It's a damn contest.

Again, what is Obi's crime? The choice of making of him, Obiano, what he was never prepared to be, a Governor!