EFCC’s Inelegant Drama Over Anambra Governor’; A Must Watch — By Amakor Bernard

Anambra’s Commissioner for Information & Public Enlightenment, C. Don Adinuba understands that the cosmos is controlled by powers in high places, he knows that our destinies are subject to the design of the metaphysical realm, our decisions are often influenced by the metaphysical world that decides every man’s fate. The existence of the metaphysical gives man some sort of room for shenanigans with the believe that the misdemeanor of man can be excused because it is his destiny, something out of his control, hence; rape, misappropriation of funds, kidnapping, banditry, terrorism and other forms of crime should be blamed on phenomenona such as poverty, bad governance, religion, marginalization, ‘village people’ aka ‘ndi oso chi egbu’ or anything that can justify such crime. When nothing seems to be handy in the defence of a misdemeanor, then the Devil can take the blame and not the perpetrators of such crimes.

”The whole nation knows those behind all the present histrionics about Obiano. They are those who didn’t want the November 6 election to hold. They are those in high places who unsuccessfully canvassed for emergency rule in Anambra supposedly on security ground.”

The above is an excerpt from C. Don Adinuba’s position on the ‘inelegant drama’ featuring His Excellency, Chief Willie Obiano, the Governor of Anambra state who is under the radar of Nigeria’s dreaded anti- graft agency, the EFCC, blaming Obiano’s ordeal on “those in high places”. I agree with Mr. Adinuba that “Nobody in Nigeria can circumscribe his constitutionally conferred immunity which shields him from both criminal and civil persecution”. But Adinuba needs to know that placing a governor on an anti-graft’s watch list does not in any way hinder him from enjoying the immunity conferred on him by the nation’s supreme document. Like Adinuba, as characteristic of Nigerians, some Anambrarians have allowed sectarian affiliation dictate how they react to this ‘inelegant’ news; some have blamed it on the inability of the ruling APC to take over Anambra state either through the ballot or Malami’s proposed emergency rule; some blamed it on Buhari (the same Buhari who oversaw two credible elections that produced Obiano as the winner) others as expected blamed it on the entire Hausa-Fulani race-a race they strongly believe is responsible for any calamity that befalls an Igbo nay ‘a Biafran’. What is my take on this?

As an Anambrarian, I think Obiano should give account of his stewardship for eight years, since he assumed office, Akpokuodike global has refused to conduct gocal government elections, Nnamdi Azikiwe’s state has no single elected Local Government Chairman under Obiano’s watch, ndi Anambra deserves to know how LG funds were spent or misappropriated. In 2018, the National Coordinator of Corruption Watch, Mr. Chuks Ogbuka called on President Muhammadu Buhari to suspend L.G allocations to Anambra state pending when the governor would conduct L.G elections.

In August 2020, Billionaire businessman Arthur Eze said that Obiano would repay every kobo received as allocation belonging to the local government areas in Anambra state in his words; “I want him (Obiano) to know that since he refused to hold …elections since he took over power, he must be ready to vomit all the allocations and revenues of the councils at the end of his tenure.” “He will not go free” In 2019, the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) threatened to sue Obiano over his refusal to conduct council elections. ALGON described the caretaker committees set up by Obiano as a corruption nest. But the Aguleri born governor remained adamant because Adinuba must have reminded him that; “Nobody in Nigeria can circumscribe his constitutionally conferred immunity which shields him from both criminal and civil persecution”. Perhaps, ‘those in high’ places stopped him from conducting L.G polls.

Apart from the ‘nke anyi bu nke anyi’ local government caretaker committees he installed with defiant disregard to the constitution and wishes of ndi Anambra, Obiano need to explain how the state managed to incur the amount of debt attributed to it (about sixty billion) without corresponding infrastructural and human development on ground, as at March 2021, the domestic debt for Anambra state stood at 59,710,637,126.27 Naira. Obiano might also need to address issues of substandard roads and bridges done under his watchful eyes, notable among them is the Arroma junction flyover which had cracks due to poor construction and was a source of concern for motorist. Anambra’s Commissioner for works, Engr. Marcel Ifejiofor, after a visit to the flyover, blamed the cracks on what he calls “Engineering technicality which was put in place to accommodate the concrete”, ndi Anambra needs to know why “engineering technicality” has refused to cause super flyovers constructed in Kano, Rivers and elsewhere to crack. Perhaps, ‘those …issuing criminal summons to Professor Soludo’, are responsible.

For sure, Obiano got a few things right, reports has it that his ‘Aku luo uno’ call has seen indigenous businesses spring up in the state, his community choose your project has received accolades, he has done a number of roads and bridges, his unverifiable exploit in the export of onugbu, he hosted the police games, he bought cars for traditional rulers, let us not forget the Airport and the conference center. Unfortunately, the EFCC was not established to commend governors for airports and roads or for exporting onugbu, it was established to check embezzlement and misappropriation of funds. Personally, I think Obiano has performed not too badly as a governor, but there are questions begging for answers, he should take solace in the fact that he is not the first serving governor to find himself in the web of the EFCC.

Ndi Anambra should not buy into Adinuba’s position that it is “those who masterminded the Birnin Kudu High Court charade” that are responsible- we must not see this as a witch hunt from perceived enemies of the state. A clean conscience they say fears no accusation, if Akpokuodike has nothing to hide, then he has nothing to fear. Should he be invited, he should obey their invitation, God will judge them, he should go with his ‘prestigious award from the United Nations Development Programme for transparency’. If Willie has nothing to hide, then the words of Adinuba that those behind this drama “…will fail badly, as they have done in recent past” will come to fruition, but until then, the ‘EFCC’s Inelegant Drama Over Anambra Governor ‘ is A Must Watch.

Amakor Bernard writes from Aguluzigbo, Anambra State.
bernardamakor@gmail.com