Soludo’s ‘if it is not broken…’ statement: In whose interest?

Anambra State, from the start of the beginning of the fourth republic, has been sailing smoothly on the sea of transformational developments. It started right with the administration of His Excellency Dr Chinweoke Mbadinuju who made frantic efforts amidst meagre funds to build structures for dear state. After him came HE Dr Chris Ngige who made serious attempts with available paucity of funds to construct roads for dear “home for all”.

Later entered HE Mr Peter Obi who made both frantic efforts and serious attempts with all available resources to deliver all indices of good governance for “the light of the nation”. After him emerged HE Chief Willie Obiano who made good strides with huge funds left in the state treasury to constantly pay workers salaries.

From Dr Mbadinuju to Mr Obi, Anambra was scaling up the ladder of transformative developments. And Chief Obianọ happened! All the way from America, he came. His first tenure upgraded security in dear state. Other areas of governance were left abandoned and covered up with “Willie is Working” propaganda all over the places. But was Willie TRULY working?

For certain, he worked to squander over #27 billion naira of Local Investments that Mr. Obi’s administration left in the state coffers. He worked to loot $156 million United States dollars of Foreign Currency Investment that the Agulu-born former governor painstakingly saved for the future of Anambra.

The ever willing governor worked to waste over #28 billion naira of Certified State/MDAs (Ministries Departments and Agencies) Balances that Mr Peter Obi’s fiscal frugality sustained.

Our working Willie emptied the money to fund his extravagant lifestyle: from exorbitant drinks to expensive wears; from moving around in unnecessarily long convoys to traveling across the ocean on board first class aircraft.

The governor worked very hard to sell off state assets to fuel his propaganda machinery and other frivolities: from the propaganda of exporting vegetables to the one of producing Anambra Rice; from the propaganda of attracting foreign investors to the one of signing Memorandum of Understanding, MoU.

The Aguleri-born governor truly worked to send investors out of the state; worked to discontinue all infrastructure projects handed over to him; worked to provide falsehood and or lies in covering his administrative failures and more.

No genuine attempts were made at improving the transformative developments built by his immediate past three administrations. Existing roads were not maintained; they were abandoned to decay. New roads were not constructed; they were neglected to dilapidate. Investors were not attracted into the state; they were invited to sign audio MoUs. Economic policies were not implemented; touts and louts were allowed free hand to operate in the state.

It was completely broken, yet, our first-class Professor of Economics, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo when delivering a lecture titled, “Anambra: An Emerging Start-Up State And Our Collective Challenge” to mark governor Obianọ’s third anniversary in 2017 challenged, “So, why mend it if it is not broken?”

In whose interest did the former Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN governor made such statement? In the interest of ndi Anambra or his own personal interest? Our conscience will reveal the answer as we attempt to read further.

The year 2017 was an election year for Anambra, and the governor –realizing that his glaring failure in governance may not earn him a second term in office– carefully thought of using the former CBN governor to save face. And the Isuofia-born erudite Professor didn’t disappoint one bit.

We may recalled that the governor visited Prof Soludo at his country home in Isuofia sometime in December, 2016 to politically massage the University of Nigeria-trained economic Professor who is nursing an ambition to govern the state. During that visit, the governor promised Prof Soludo that he is going to hand over the governorship seat to Anambra South Senatorial Zone and particularly to the Professor himself.

The offer stimulated the adrenaline hormone of the Professor and for this reason, he carefully skewed his lecture notes in such a way that his own personal ambition were obviously revealing and his manifesto for this 2021 Anambra elections subtly reeled out!

The fruitful outcome of such a mutually hatched job vis-a-vis a mutually achieved goal is what stares us in the face today! First, the plots to foist the Professor as the gubernatorial flag bearer of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA began with the shocking disqualification of most governorship aspirants in the party. Overall, Professor Soludo is being paraded as the ‘authentic’ governorship candidate of the party even as the factional party continues to drag the case in courts.

Knowing the erudite Professor whose stint as the CBN governor between 2004-2009 was echoing “No Sir, No Sir!!” to the selfish requests of the then President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, he couldn’t have accepted to deliver such a lecture if not for his own personal interests, specifically the governorship ambition.

There is no way the world-acclaimed Professor of economics could have contradicted himself in his skillfully crafted speech which he delivered during governor Willie’s third anniversary if not the desire to massage the governor’s ego in anticipation of what was promised him as reward.

There is no way that Prof Soludo who once remarked that “Anambra State deserves a first class governor” could have strongly endorsed governor Willie Obiano for a second term in office when he knew full well that the Aguleri-born squander mania is not a first class material, but he has to do so because of what he eyes to get in return–the seat of a state governor!

If not for his own personal ambition, the University of Nigeria-trained Economist that I know could never have mounted the podium four years ago to question, “So, why mend it if it is not broken?”!

As government is a continuum, governor Obiano never tarred kilometers of roads to surpass the records of his predecessors. The three flyover bridges he built in the state capital, Ọka [Awka] at an estimated cost of N5 billion naira is certified by accredited engineers as dangerous ones. Infact, the flyover is broken!

What percentage of job opportunities did governor Obianọ establish for the benefit of unemployed ndi Anambra when he practically forced Distell, the manufacturer of Amarula Cream and sundry spirits out of Anambra?

Since generating huge foreign exchange by exporting vegetables to Europe is an economic boost for dear state as Obianọ’s administration claimed, why did they stop exporting? Doesn’t Anambra deserve good foreign earnings in pounds and euros exporting onugbu leaves? Ọ gịnị me ziri?

Today, Anambra is highly indebted to the tune of over N100.732 billion naira yet the APGA candidate in this forthcoming November 6th gubernatorial election opined that it is not broken!

Pray! If it is not broken, why is Anambra turning to a refuse dump ‘headquarters’ today? If it is not broken, why is the roads built by the past administration not maintained to last? If it is not broken, why is the state security situation returning us to the days of Derico Nwamama?

A visit to the state capital today will make a lover of good governance shed ceaseless tears and at the same time triggers his/her brain to wonder if we have government presence in Anambra at all. Heaven can only help a visitor who is coming to see the Prof in his hometown of Isuofia as the main road leading to his community has very badly damaged.

For a man that sees, hears and knows the naked truth of governor Obianọ’s glaring failure and looks the other way because of his own ambition, are we sure that this same man will implement policies that will better the living standards of ndi Anambra?

For a man that planned to build a memorial hospital for his late mother and billions of naira were donated for its completion yet he failed to complete the edifice 13 good years after, are we sure that this same man will take our health-care institutions serious if elected governor?

For a man that didn’t provide jobs for his own people when he reigned in financial power, are we sure that this same man will provide an enabling environment for investors to berth in Anambra for massive job creation that will see most of our unemployed people productively engaged?

Ndi Anambra, for a man that didn’t bring developments to his own community when he headed the apex bank, and turns blind eyes to the bad state of roads leading to his very community, how sure are we that this same man will bring his much hyped “African Dubai, Taiwan & Silicone Valley” vision to light in dear state?

As we go to the polls in the next 20 days to elect a governor, let’s vote wisely.

Remember, Igwe bụ ike!