I am Pleased with Progress made in Anambra – Pat Ebube Utomi In a recent close up in Lagos, Pat Okedinachi Utomi, Professor of political economy takes a probing look at Governor Willie Obiano’s great efforts in Anambra State and concludes that the fundamentals are quite promising. Excerpts - “I am pleased to see the progress that has been made in Anambra. I am one who has been very critical of the Governors of the South East for a very long time. I think development needs to move out of Lagos, he said. "Lagos is now responsible for more than 70% of Nigeria’s economy and a good part of those who make that happen come from the South East and if the Governors won’t create an enabling environment for them to create back home what they are building elsewhere, something is wrong. So, I was lifted up to see progress in Anambra and to see the efforts being made to collaborate across the Niger to see if that will happen. "I think, this needs to be continued, it needs to be strengthened so that the appropriate levels of investment flow will go in there because that region, which I like to call the Niger Basin, should become the Rhine Valley of Africa. "In Lagos here, we are very proud of the bridge that links Ikoyi to Lekki. "But the last time I visited Anambra, I said, look o! Willie is Working wants to bring our bridge to Anambra!  "So, interesting things are happening and I am proud of what is going on and I am hopeful that more will happen.” Source: Anambra State Online |
Yourskills:
for real Yeah, for real. In the past two years, Nigeria has passed through one of its worst periods in its history. Oil prices have plummeted to the lowest possible point and the value of the naira has crashed. Allocations from the Federation Account have nosedived and left huge gaps in the revenues of states. The consequences are severe and unpleasant. Many states now find it difficult to pay salaries and meet other obligations.
But, the story is different in Anambra State. Like the Biblical Joseph, Governor Willie Obiano and his team foresaw the impending storm and made adequate preparations for the ‘rainy day.’ When he assumed the leadership of Anambra State, his first move as a financial expert was to organise a strategic retreat for the state executive council members to prepare them for the tasks ahead.
It was at that retreat that they brain-stormed on the economy and detected the impending fall in oil prices. This prepared them for the tough times that now stare us in the face. The result is that while other states are grappling with this new reality, Anambra is not only increasing salaries but also embarking on developmental projects.
But, how did Governor Obiano achieve this feat? At the outset, he pointed out that the strategic thrust of his administration was anchored on what he termed the “four pillars of development” namely, agriculture, industrialization, trade & commerce and oil and gas. According him, these four pillars were to be firmly supported by what he called the 12 enablers without which every effort to develop the pillars would have been in vain. The enablers, he explained, include fundamentals such as security, education, healthcare, power generation, the environment, finance, social & civil infrastructure, housing and urban development, hospitality & tourism, transportation, water & sanitation as well as youth and sports. In achieving these he vowed that the overriding vision was for Anambra to be the first choice investment destination and most preferred location to site new industries.
In this regard, the mission is to create a socially stable, business-friendly environment that will attract both indigenes and foreigners to seek wealth creating opportunities in the state. Two years on, Governor Obiano has not only kept to his promises but also opened up a new era that demonstrates a robust and dynamic leadership. He has clearly and remarkably shown his ability to lead and a very deep understanding of governance.
Indeed, the Governor has sustained his agenda of transforming the state and today, it is no surprise that Chief Willie Obiano has in just two years given the people a new lease of life. One can only imagine what the future holds with him still on the saddle. The former banker had signaled his intention to turn things around in his somewhat prophetic inaugural address entitled “expanding the frontiers of excellence”.
For more than four decades, Onitsha, the economic engine-room of the South East witnessed some violent crimes and unimaginable absurdities. These periods in history gave Onitsha a wrong picture of violent crimes, depriving it of the promise it once held as the capital of literary publishing in West Africa which it firmly established with the era of the famous Onitsha market literature. For close to four decades Onitsha was given the wrong posture. But Governor Obiano’s security initiatives today have changed that narrative in just few months. This is perhaps one of the most glaring achievements that one observes in the state today. For the first time in living memory, the state has attained a crime-free status.
The governor figured out that there could be no meaningful progress in the state without a successful attack against crime. He knew that no investor would go to a crime-ridden environment. So, he launched an all-out war against kidnappers, armed robbers, drug-dealers and child-traffickers. He smashed crime syndicates and pulled down the warehouses used for keeping kidnap victims.
He donated smart cars to the police, a gunboat to the navy and launched police helicopters to watch over the skies. And so, for the first time since the creation of the state, he ensured that Anambra was effectively covered on the land, in the waters and in the sky! With that effort, he achieved 360 degrees security coverage of the state. It is no longer in doubt that the state is today the safest in the country. And for the second time since the creation of the state the people celebrated Christmas last year without a single incident.
Indeed, his frontal approach to kidnapping with an attendant punishment that ensures that the assets and properties of anyone found to be involved in the crime is razed to the ground is a testament that we can actually stop crime in our society if we muster the political will and moral courage.
Governor Obiano’s vision started to manifest early in the life of his administration. One of the achievements under the Governor is the massive investment inflow that the state has witnessed in the last two years.The Anambra State Investment Promotion and Protection Agency, ANSIPPA came into being immediately the bill proposing it was signed into law by the State House of Assembly. In a very short time, the agency has justified the Governor’s background as an investment banker with remarkable statistics.
The administration has set an impressive record in internally generated revenue (IGR) with a remarkable increase from the N500m monthly that it inherited to N1.3bn per month. Knowing how averse the people are to the payment of taxes and levies, the marginal increase in IGR in the period under review is quite significant and commendable.
These investments cut across agriculture, trade & commerce, manufacturing, hospitality, housing, electricity generation, waste management, health and oil and gas. With the quality of investments the government has attracted so far, the unemployment problem in the state has been drastically reduced and more jobs are expected to be created. In agriculture, 27,000 direct jobs and 100,000 indirect jobs are expected; in industry, trade & commerce – 12,000 direct jobs and 45,000 indirect jobs are coming up; 11,000 direct jobs and 39,500 indirect jobs are being worked on in real estate & hospitality; 2,000 direct jobs and 8,200 indirect jobs for power & transportation and 500 direct jobs and 1,900 indirect jobs in the health sector. In all, a total number of 52,500 direct jobs and 200,000 indirect jobs are expected. The administration has trained 500 youths in diverse skills and crafts at the technology incubation centre in Nnewi while 500 other youths have been trained at the agricultural training institute in Mgbakwu.
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