History is both the account of events and the role of prominent actors in these dispensations. Every nation or state will always have its defining moments. At such critical junctures, we may encounter a protagonist whose fortunes interweave with those of the larger society. Inevitably, the mention of certain states evokes the names of certain leaders because of the role played by these figures in the founding or restructuring of their societies. What is important is that the leaderships gave expression to the dreams and aspirations of the people.

In Anambra State, Governor Peter Obi's perseverance in nurturing to fruition the vision behind the creation of Anambra State on August 27, 1991, has rallied the discerning citizenry behind him.

With a concentration of human capital, inhabitants of the area around the Anambra River had for long been hungry for development. Relatively early exposure to western civilisation gave the people a head start in education, public service and entrepreneurship. But an artificial dichotomy had been created between the northern and southern halves of the old Anambra state. This environment was restrictive of the zeal to excel. The new Anambra State was thus envisioned to harness the potentials of the state and the individual to bloom.

Created during General Ibrahim Babangida's tenure, the first two governments of the state were military regimes. As officers on military posting, the governors were probably not aware of the people's vision for the state and even if they were, would not have considered it binding on them. Successive civilian administrations before the Peter Obi government had contributed their quota to the building of the state according to their capacity and the circumstances. The Chukwuemeka Ezeife administration made feeble gains in its two year span before it was truncated by the Abacha coup of November 1993. Chinwoke Mbadinuju's government and Chris Ngige's regime were engaged in survivalist battles for the most part of their duration. While Mbadinuju's reign was marred by frolicking and clientele politics, Ngige's government was burdened with legitimacy syndrome. Ngige had not set out to be a Governor in 2003 and so not much would realistically have been expected from him. It is not in doubt though that he performed better than Mbadinuju.

The popularity of Obi's mandate ushered in a refreshing era in Anambra's history. His reign indeed proved the key to peace in the state. Obi's acceptance cut across the socio-political landscape, a fact buttressed by his re-election in 2010. It was also clear that Obi came prepared for the job he was to do. His systematic approach to rehabilitation of institutions and infrastructural development was evident of rigorous thought and planning. But perhaps, over and beyond these factors, what endeared Obi to civil society was the demonstration that he placed service and governance before politics. Whatever reservations one may have about Obi, no objective assessor would doubt the governor's selfless commitment to the cause of the state.

Obi's passion for the development of Anambra State evident in his well-thought out infrastructural projects; high sense of fiscal discipline; and values-suffused policies, has continued to unite progressive minds in the State. There is a new sense of the commonwealth that seeks to uphold the common good as the highest law. Obi's leadership not only ushered in the era of peace but perhaps even more significantly, eroded the barriers of political differences that hitherto held down the state.

This solidarity was demonstrated recently in two significant ways. The commemoration of the state's twentieth anniversary on August 27, 2011, rallied the elite and civil society as had never been witnessed since the creation of the state. And it was not just a massive response and identification with the governor's untiring efforts; the feeling of camaraderie was unmistakable. The resolution from the distinguished assembly was simple but profound: Thank you dear governor for bringing us this far. If we had started this way two decades ago, we would have gone places. Now, nobody can doubt that united, we can do it.

The second instance of how the new Anambra is working was revealed in the mediation of the dispute between the state government and organized labour over the implementation of the March 2011 Minimum Wage Act. On Wednesday, October 12, 2011, the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress succumbed to public pressure and suspended the three week old strike by junior public servants in the state. Five days earlier, the Trade Union Congress, the umbrella body of senior officers, had taken the same line of action to the commendation of the citizenry. The industrial action had pitched the labour unions against the rest of the State.

Whereas the state government on giving effect to the law had made a graduated increase of ten thousand naira to grade levels on the senior cadre, the workers' Unions demanded an over hundred percent increase and went on strike on that score. After listening to the representations of the two sides, the Anambra State Elders Council upheld a key point of the State Government in the dispute. It held that while workers were entitled to agitate for higher wages, it was unacceptable to devote 'most of the resources of the State for the payment of salaries while leaving very little for capital development and public services.' It was on the imperative of this point that the strike was suspended for negotiation on a realistic pay rise. This was a victory for Anambra State

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