[OPINION] Anambra November 18th: Discipline in Financial Management is Integral, By Tobenna Obiano

As an individual, I want to use myself to make a description. It's the importance of debt, of loan servicing, it's clearing and an avoidance of the futuristic deeming reality.


As a young mind, I pushed into different things at thesame time in a quest to excel and rise to overcome. The saying that if you want to plan for a few years, channel your energy on plants, but if it's for ages, plant seedlings that will germinate into trees and bear fruits. This very thought often resonates in my mind and thought. I carries me on.

As a student, yes student. For the records, the word student comes from the Latin word "studeo" which means to study. Therefore, it's a continual process, once you keep studying, you are a student.

I'm a student, a writer and an entrepreneur. I have huge dreams, if you care to know, it often even scares me. I have responsibilities coupled with vision and limitless ambition. In pursing all those, huge financial burden may be needed and to push along, I may need to run into debt, but I don't plan to remain down and defeated for a lifetime.


Smart people in business go borrowing to sustain, and channel what they borrowed into making gains, and quickly clearing their debt, but the ignorant and fools borrow to make merry, party, marrying more wives and celebrate other quite avoidable frivolities. I plan to clear mine as soon as I can, I expect no one else to do that for me. (Don't be carried away, I don't owe any person directly, not one person you may ever think of atleast, not even my politician friends)

In the Nigerian public service, our Nigerian public office holders, our politicians, majorly the State Governors and the Presidency who are stockpiling huge debt burdens on this nation, what the heck are they thinking? What's their master plan? In what way or ways do they plan to service and in the long run repay it?

They want to borrow whatsoever amount they wish and bequeath same unto their successors and unto generations unborn. Many Nigerian public officials and politicians need to journey down to Anambra, sort for advice from an expert and a guru in disciplined financial management, they need to consult with Mr. Peter Obi. He knows it all. He understands it all. He practicalized it, and it worked for Anambra State. It can be replicated anywhere else. It takes only the humility to approach the master.

Today, a new sherif is in town, Chief. Willie Obiano is the Boss and the executive Governor of Anambra State. I learnt that Anambra is in huge financial debt. I am aware that his Predecessor, Mr. Obi put in writing and said before the whole world, including representatives from the International community, the Federal Government, ndi-Anambra, Financial institutions or banks and the incumbent Governor, Mr. Obiano himself that he, Mr. Obi left not debt, but huge savings in billions of naira and millions of dollar in excess. Obi saw the future and saved for the rainy days.

I am terribly saddened to hear that even with our plenty and huge savings from Obi's time, Anambra has be drawn into huge financial debt. It can only be true if there has become recklessness in finance management. As an individual, if I say that I am not worried, then I must be a shameless liar.

Well, the debate of if it's not broken, why mend it to me, holds no water. We must get down to our drawing table and for heaven's sake, for integrity sake, for our future's sake, for the sake of our children and the generations yet unborn speak truth to power, damning he consequences (if there is one) and shaming the devil.


Elections are by the corner and everyone, the contenders and the incumbent are all claiming to be Saints and the long awaited messiah, where even vultures and goats that will eat from the ban are all suddenly overnight good men.

They may buy all the groundnuts on the streets of Awka and jump into keke napep for all I care. They may join traders in Onitsha or buy banana in Agulu for all I care, they may help knot the shoe lace of a kid or eat with secondary school students for all o care, they may frequent our churches and prostrate on the floor for our ndi-Igwes for all I care, they may call themselves names including allegation of thieves, onye-ohi, or cultists for all I care.

All those nonsense doesn't show seriousness, neither does it make anyone humble or a Saint overnight, infact, they are all pitiable and ancient political gimmicks. In this 21st century political sphere, things has got to change, let them bring on more serious style, not these outdated nonsense. The bulk of the job lies on my decision as an individual and other eligible voters, and only our conscience and soul, not my stomach should guide and direct my stand.

I say again, if they bring bags of rice collect it, it they bring beans collect as well, even if yam follows also take it, it they bring abada collect it, if they bring handfans collect it, if they bring whatsoever at all collect it. Now, on the Election Day too, if they bring monies, don't be foolish, it's your right, collect it and go to the ballot box, pick your ballot paper, ink your thumb and vote them out. They are all criminals, and they have successfully succeeded stupidly in returning a little percentage of what they have been stealing from you unintelligently.

Politics in Nigeria is a huge joke and politicians are same, but we must take our time and search for the lesser devil. Do the bidding of your conscience. Whosoever that convinces you, and you believe in him or her, vote the person.

We may be poor and lowly, but we are neither ignorant, stupid or foolish. They are!