Obi wins Nigeria’s Most Trustworthy Gov Award
31 January, 2010 04:47:00 ODOGWU EMEKA ODOGWU, Awka
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Gov. Peter Obi of Anambra State
“I think the governor is right on the mark. We have to thank God that eventually the long period of the struggle in terms of uncertainties of governance has come to an end. The governor is committed, focused and determined and he also carries a large segment of the entire population with him. He has a plan, he has the will to see it through, and, God willing, he will be able to do so”.
That vintage Prof Chukwuma Soludo, former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and now governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Anambra state February 6, 2010 governorship election giving his candid opinion on Governor Peter Obi’s administration in Anambra state before he joined the fray.
This simply signifies why after a painstaking search and assessment of the public perception of the Governors in the 36 states of the Federation over the period of one year, Governor Obi stood head higher than other governors to attract the award of the Most Trustworthy Governor in Nigeria in 2009 from Champion Newspapers Limited.
For the period between January and December 2009, the Board of Editors of Champion Newspapers painstakingly and thoroughly screened for the Most Trustworthy Governor.
Their criteria, according to the Managing Director/Editor in Chief of Champion Newspapers , Mr Ugo Onuoha, were but not limited to assessment of the public perception of the Governors of the 36 states of the Federation during the period under review.
The approach included collation, distillation and evaluation of reports in newspapers, magazines , radio and television stations as well as wire services over the period; analysis of public statements/comments of high networth individuals/ institutions concerning the various governors and governance ; observed prudence in the handling of public funds and the public temperament of the governors; the noticeable disposition of governors to interact and mix freely with the people they are governing and break down of the walls of isolation.
Champion Newspapers criteria also read that the commitment to transform their areas of jurisdiction and improve the lives of the people and openness, transparency and willingness to account to the people in the conduct of public or government affairs were considered.
Onuoha said in their wisdom during the judgment, the Board of Editors considered Obi to have excelled in these criteria in 2009. The Board also admitted that Obi, the Anambra state Governor is head and shoulders above his peers.
Apart from the Champion Award, Gov. Obi had last week also garnered outstanding awards including the Best Governor in Integrated Development 2009 by the Sun Newspapers which also gave him the Man of the Year award in 2007. ThisDay Newspapers, on its own bestowed him with the Best Governor in Fiscal Management in Nigeria 2008 award. Awards have been coming and coming but because Obi is not a man interested in appellations and appendages, he did not accept all the awards that came his way. He believes in action hence the former Finance Minister and now World Bank Managing Director, Dr (Mrs.) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, had described Obi as the most financial prudent governor in Nigeria.
Okonjo-Iweala, who was Nigeria’s finance minister had said: “Obi is the most fiscally responsible governor in Nigeria. I discovered him when I was the finance minister. Then, my policy is that those who are fiscally responsible I would work with them’’.
Even the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Anambra state chapter led by Comrade Tochukwu Udoji has chosen Governor Obi as the NUJ Man of the Year 2009. Its criteria were tough but Obi scaled through and would be bestowed with the award tomorrow.
Obi has surmounted many odds to remain as number one citizen in Anambra state. He has demonstrated true service to his people of not only Anambra state but Igbo nation as the Chairman of Governors Forum in the South East.
Obi’s aggressive development of the state has compelled the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Board of Trustees Chairman and Leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, to appeal to the people of Anambra state to vote for Governor Obi. He said a vote for Governor Obi for a second term in office is a vote to consolidate his achievements.
Obi had distributed over 150 units of 30 KVA generators to Anambra state secondary schools and 50 Internet ready laptops each to over 110 schools, which is the first of its kind in any state in Nigeria.
It was noted that Obi has built over 420 kilometres of roads in the state including building bridges in the state that collapsed during the civil war.
For that, the National Chairman of APGA, Sir Victor Umeh re-echoed the need for Anambra people to shun politics of desperation by people who have destroyed the collective heritage of Anambra people by voting for Governor Peter Obi on Saturday, February 6, 2010, to enable the party consolidate its development strides. He said Obi, their candidate has done well for the people of Anambra state. He expressed optimism that Obi would win a free and fair poll and break the jinx of re-election by becoming the first Anambra state governor to be elected for a second term.
At the launch of Internet connectivity for the 110 secondary schools for a start by the Galaxy Backbone at the Government Lodge, Awka, the Managing Director of Galaxy Backbone Plc, Mr. Gerald Ilukwe had said he was happy to be associated with the giant strides of Gov. Obi in all sectors, particularly in his attention to the development of education.
He said that the gesture meant that Obi understood the place of education in development. He also said what the governor was doing is in line with the global requirements of building human infrastructure.
The Managing Director, who noted that the schools involved are 110 for the first phase, said that they would also provide facilities for video conferencing.
Also speaking, the Head of Education Development of Galaxy Backbone, Mr. Yusuf Kadiri, said that with the connection of 110 schools to the Internet would make Anambra the state with the largest Internet connectivity in Nigeria. He said the strides in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) were in line with Vision 2020 and the Millennium Development Goals that placed development of human capital as one of the priorities.
Recalling the efforts and successes in the education sector, Gov. Obi said that Anambra came first in the South East in education development and the fourth in the country for which, according to him, it won a prize money of N100 million from Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC). The governor recalled that part of the money is what the government has committed to improving infrastructure in schools.
The governor said in two weeks’ time, all the schools in the state would receive buses.
He also recalled that the state government has started the construction of 4,000 classroom blocks in addition to the supply of 108 units of 30 KVA generators to the schools. He also said that the state had started taking delivery of computers for the Microsoft Centres for 100 schools.
Interestingly, all the people toured the state have always maintained that Obi administration is unrivalled in performance and that his development mantra found in ANIDS-(Anambra State Integrated Development Strategy) is working.
Anambra state under Obi has donated five Armoured Personnel Carriers to the Police, over 100 patrol vehicles and over N15 million monthly subventions. The government has also rehabilitated the Central Police station, Awka, and provided it with borehole.
The state has also built or renovated barracks at Okija, Ojoto, Nnewi (CPS), SARS (Nnewi), Otolo, Abagana, 33 (Onitsha), Rank and File Barracks at Nnewi among others. Other security agencies have also received his attention in one way or the other.
Some international organizations in the country are now doing business with state government just as it has gained their confidence. For instance, the European Union recently rated Anambra best in the implementation of its programmes in Nigeria.
Obi’s vision and mission for the state is to stop all capital flight and create employment for the people as well as to make Onitsha very attractive for investors from all over the world by providing infrastructure needed for good business. Onitsha today has over 30 township roads tarred and reconstructed by Governor Obi among other physical infrastructure. An ICT centre, already in use in the Onitsha, is being expanded to empower more youth.
Work is to commence soon at the site of the N20 billion Anambra state Mixed Development Center in Onitsha which, when completed, would drive the economy of the state. Two South African companies, Shoprite and Protea Hotel, have already bought spaces in the Mixed Development Center located on the over 15 hectares of land in the city centre.
Apostolic Nuncio to Central Africa and the Republic of Chad, Most Reverend Dr. Jude Okolo, had said that Anambra state represented good governance and people oriented leadership. Many others given similar testimonies.
For the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Obi provided equipment needed for monitoring and surveillance, for evacuation and relief delivery to the door steps of emergency victims. He has provided facilities worth several millions of naira to the agency with a state of the art emergency building complex at Awka almost completed.
Governor Obi has reinvented the state’s owned Transport Corporation (TRACAS) with some new range of 40 vehicles. This is in addition to another set of 120 taxi cabs for inter-city routes . It has never happened since the creation of the state in 1991. Thousands of motorcycle helmets have also been distributed free of cost to commercial motorcyclists in the state.
He has chosen to rehabilitate one school in each of the 177 communities, standardize all the General Hospitals and to build five new ones to enable the state attain the Millennium Development Goals (MDSs) by 2015.
Obi must have completed over 600 kilometers of roads before the end of his first term. He became the first governor to do a road project in Anambra West through Umueze-Anam-Mmiata road, where he has to sandfill the land.
The Obi administration has given life to the Anambra state College of Agriculture at Mgbakwu that was almost dead. Today, the college has ten buildings under construction while accreditation is in progress.
Now, a permanent site for the Anambra State University is being developed at Igbariam, while the state College of Education has been transformed, with every department having a feel of due supply of manpower and other resources, including laboratories, books and computers.
More than 150 boreholes have been sunk in communities, schools and other places by the administration while the 165 meter Odor bridge is under construction. Over N100 million faith-based microfinance scheme for rural women and children has also been floated.
Primate, Church of Nigeria , Anglican Communion, Most Reverend Peter Akinola has since endorsed Obi for a second tenure. Akinola described Governor Peter Obi as a special gift from God to the people of Anambra state. He said Obi should be celebrated.
Similarly, the boss of Horizons, the biggest computer training firm in the world, Mr. Tim Akano, has commended the giant strides of Gov. Obi in information and computer technology, noting that Anambra was clearly the number one following the massive deployment of ICT in the schools.
On his own part, an official of Microsoft Computers, Mr. Ken Span, said it was wonderful to see a governor who is concerned about the future of the people of the state. Describing what he is doing in ICT as legendary, he said that Microsoft has offered the state software packages for the computers, including Windows 7, Office 2010 for free.
National Chairman of APGA, Chief Victor Umeh in conclusion said he was happy that the governor had digitalized education and learning. He said that APGA would remain grateful and proud of having given Anambra state a governor that could be described as the best and who understand what development is.



http://www.champion.com.ng/index.php?news=27060

Obi's problem is that hes got a small mentality. Thats why he cannot achieve anything meaningful.
He spends money and time trying to create this illusionary image.

My question is what has he done (in pictures), what legacies has he introduced.
Anyways he'll be history in a few mnths.

Nigerian politician, trustworthy?

Is it the most trustworthy in an array of liars or what?. I didn't know we can successfully rate criminals from 1-10, 10 being the most trustworthy while 1 is the opposite. Ibori 's score must be 12 or something.

adigun101:

Obi's problem is that hes got a small mentali[b][/b]ty. Thats why he cannot achieve anything meaningful.
He spends money and time trying to create this illusionary image.

My question is what has he done (in pictures), what legacies has he introduced.
Anyways he'll be history in a few mnths.

At least with the above imbecillic ranting, you have showed the world that Obi has small mentality while you have a BIG mentality. What a dunce!
Whether you like it or not, Peter Obi remains the best Governor Anambra state had seen. He is doing the work Anambrarians elected him to do and he doesnt need to advertise it on the pages of newspaper for your type to see.
If you want to know the reason why he is the darling of the press and why he has been accruing different leadership awards, then go down to Anambra state and ask the common men and women.
Peter Obi's only crime is the delivery of good governance to Anambrarians and the insulation of the greedy elites out of Anamra treasury.

Champion newspaper award,i thought the award is coming from a more recognised source, lwkmd

All for February 6th.

metal-gong:

At least with the above imbecillic ranting, you have showed the world that Obi has small mentality while you have a BIG mentality. What a dunce!
Whether you like it or not, Peter Obi remains the best Governor Anambra state had seen. He is doing the work Anambrarians elected him to do and he doesnt need to advertise it on the pages of newspaper for your type to see.
If you want to know the reason why he is the darling of the press and why he has been accruing different leadership awards, then go down to Anambra state and ask the common men and women.
Peter Obi's only crime is the delivery of good governance to Anambrarians and the insulation of the greedy elites out of Anamra treasury.

Before you start throwing punches,answer the question : what has he done (in pictures), what legacies has he introduced.

Case closed.

I like Obi but I think his campaign manager (if any) should be whacked. At first it was Ojukwu's pics, now it is Champion Award, the next time Anambrarians may have to vote him cos he's gotta gap tooth.

It is obvious we can't have a righteous politician in Naija, but at least we can judge them by comparing what they did wrong to what they did right. As long their 'wrongs' do not exceed their 'rights', we can still give a pass mark. Anybody that witnessed when Anambrarians used to be under self-imposed curfew, as early as 6pm, will surely know the difference. Gaskiya!!!

slap1:

I like Obi but I think his campaign manager (if any) should be whacked. At first it was Ojukwu's pics, now it is Champion Award, the next time Anambrarians may have to vote him cos he's gotta gap tooth.

You are right. He is so much concerned with endorsements.

[color=#990000][/color]

metal-gong:

At least with the above imbecillic ranting, you have showed the world that Obi has small mentality while you have a BIG mentality. What a dunce!
Whether you like it or not, Peter Obi remains the best Governor Anambra state had seen. He is doing the work Anambrarians elected him to do and he doesnt need to advertise it on the pages of newspaper for your type to see.
If you want to know the reason why he is the darling of the press and why he has been accruing different leadership awards, then go down to Anambra state and ask the common men and women.
Peter Obi's only crime is the delivery of good governance to Anambrarians and the insulation of the greedy elites out of Anamra treasury.

All these foolish media houses given awards. The Anambra elecrion is so close and it is now they want to give him award for most trustworthy Governor. Very Good campaign strategy.

That local Champions Newspaper must have pocketed a huge chunk of money from Obi and his team.

You Excellency,
Physical achievement is what we need not purchased awards fom one local media house.

Peter obi has ruled for 4 years and he is still desparately paying people to endorse him.
Ngige was there for just three years but people are campaigning for him.

Chris Ngige is more prefered than obi. But I pray that the coming of Soludo who has lived abroad and knows what is right for our people will bring great transformation on Anambra state.

Well, as for me, i wish i cud see d future but since i cant, i will make ma candid opinion. yea Obi might b slow but i think he has done credibly well. Ngige did some gud job although most of them wer not of high quality but at least he did something. Its possible he did them so as to win d hearts of the ppl.His party is a gud party too
As for Soludo, yes he might have all d qualification and all sorts but ma question remains this.Is he a politician?Will he b pushed arround just like Mbadinuju was?Can he stand the test of time and the People decieving People party? can break a way like Ngige had to do at a time or he will be loyal like mbadinuju?Send our funds to Abuja, and watch dem share it all in d name of PDP contribution? Dats ma only fear for a PDP governor. As for me , i have no personal issue with the gentle man.

May the best win,

@Bike
you made a point there but lets just pray that Soludo will keep and fulfill his promise of transforming Anambra to look like Dubai. If he fails then he is not patriotic. He has lived and worked abroad for years now. At least let him have empathy on the deplorable nature of anambra. This is his opportunity to show his love for Nigeria and Anambra. I learnt he had two jobs waiting for him in USA and UK but he droped them and went for a call on leadership and politics. Pls God let him be the choosen one. I also heard the election will be a transperent one, cheeers

bike1:

Well, as for me, i wish i cud see d future but since i cant, i will make ma candid opinion. yea Obi might b slow but i think he has done credibly well. Ngige did some gud job although most of them wer not of high quality but at least he did something. Its possible he did them so as to win d hearts of the ppl.His party is a gud party too
As for Soludo, yes he might have all d qualification and all sorts but ma question remains this.Is he a politician?Will he b pushed arround just like Mbadinuju was?Can he stand the test of time and the People decieving People party? can break a way like Ngige had to do at a time or he will be loyal like mbadinuju?Send our funds to Abuja, and watch dem share it all in d name of PDP contribution? Dats ma only fear for a PDP governor. As for me , i have no personal issue with the gentle man.

May the best win,

Let me first state that the bolded is a huge lie. Infact its just the opposite.

Quality of executed projects is what differentiates Ngige's projects from Obi's.

Ask yourself why Peter Obis sent RCC parking and invited his friend Pachuks and other faceless contractors to be working for him.

Who are the organizer? Are they trustworthy? Obi was caught with big buck sometime last year at MM AIRPORT,LAGOS. is that a trustworthy Governor? I have not seen any Governor that is worthy but some can be less corrupt. A thief na thief regardless of what is stolen.

smallboy2:

@Bike
you made a point there but lets just pray that Soludo will keep and fulfill his promise of transforming Anambra to look like Dubai. If he fails then he is not patriotic. He has lived and worked abroad for years now. At least let him have empathy on the deplorable nature of anambra. This is his opportunity to show his love for Nigeria and Anambra. I learnt he had two jobs waiting for him in USA and UK but he dropped them and went for a call on leadership and politics. Pls God let him be the chosen one. I also heard the election will be a transparent one, cheers

Making someone a governor of a state should not be based on the hope that he keeps his promise. What are Soludo's concrete, well-thought out policy plans on how to effect the "Anambara-to-Dubai" transformation in 4 years? Does he have any blue prints (and resources of course) to bring that to fruition. We shouldn't be carried away by rhetoric. Dubai was not built in 4 years and it wasn't built with Abuja monthly allocations - but with real heavy money investments over decades - that money, Anambara doesn't have.

Living abroad or having lived abroad does not guarantee that a particular candidate would perform. The Nigerian political space is littered with carcasses of governors who lived abroad, yet performed woefully - Just ask Chimaroke Nnamani, Gbenga Daniel and their irks. Fashola and Chime, to the best of my knowledge, lived and worked in Nigeria before assuming the mantle of leadership, yet they are above board in bringing ideas into tangible projects that can better the lots of their states.

@smallboy2. Did having lived abroad prevent Soludo from wrecking havoc on the banks? He has lived abroad, so wat?!

Does Anambra need the most trustworthy Governor or the best performing Governor ?

adigun101:

Obi's problem is that hes got a small mentality. Thats why he cannot achieve anything meaningful.
He spends money and time trying to create this illusionary image.

My question is what has he done (in pictures), what legacies has he introduced.
Anyways he'll be history in a few mnths.

Maybe you prefer Mbadinuju?

Peter Obi is the best Governor ever to have ruled Anambra State since the creation of the state. Ngige did well too but Obi has surpassed him.

What pictures are you looking for? Obi has transformed lives, he has constructed so many rural feeder roads, he has constructed so many boreholes in rural communities, he pays salaries and pensions as and when due, he has refurbished so many public schools and hospitals. Visit Anambra state and see for yourself.

Speak to the people and hear first hand what they have to say about him. Obi is currently the best Governor in Nigeria. He does not even need all these local awards. Maybe those newspapers are trying to curry favour from him.

The only fault I find with Obi is that he is too quiet. I pray he wins on Feb 6th.
It is well with Anambra state.

Only a fool would call Peter Obi a non performing Governor. Even Ngige himself has agreed that Obi has construted more roads than his Government and pls people tell me the difference btw 3 and 4 years? We in Anambra, know whom we are going to vote for, so enuff of these funny claims and counter claims.

B4 i 4get, (mark it down somewhere) this election is more or less btw Obi and Soludo.

Wonder why Nigerian politicians use the number of roads constructed/repaired as a baseline for good governorship?

How can that clueless rogue win "most trustworthy governor" when there are far more trustworthy governors around? Uselessness in high places!

@Ritchyblack
Ur father is a clueless rogue, infact u r an inbred son of a retard.

Double N:

Wonder why Nigerian politicians use the number of roads constructed/repaired as a baseline for good governorship?  

Because good roads are critical to the development of the state or nation. Because agriculture, commerce and industry, tourism, education ,health all depend on a good network of roads to run smoothly and profitably. Because the economy will be crippled without good roads.

slimghost:

@Ritchyblack
your father is a clueless rogue, infact u r an inbred son of a retard.

@slimghost,

Thank you, but why did your mother offer herself to be ra.ped by hyenas to conceive you? It doesn't make sense to me. Please explain. A.sswipe!

Anyway, when I traveled to my state, Anambra during the xmas holidays, I tried to sample opinion as to Obi's performance. People in the rural areas and common men all testified as to his projects or rather the impact he made in their various lives, like the solar boreholes in schools & communities, road construction in rural areas, then his unrepentant zeal to develop secondary schools across the state. Although he only recently started working on the road that passed through my town which is a neighboring town to his'.

However, the elite class are rather on the opposite side, but as per myself, my grievances with Obi is his sluggishness. He doesn't have the WILL to do some things or even step on some toes to achieve certain things. He could not completely supervise some projects he has awarded especially when those contractors complain that the funds are insufficient, he will rather keep mum in order not to have estranged relation with those people. I equally blame his ALL POINTS AGENDA ie. Anambra Integrated Development Strategy (ANIDS) that is doing all sectors at the same time. Governorship seat in Anambra is not his father's seat, as such his advisers would have advised him on how to tackle some very pressing sectors while giving lesser attention to less pressing sectors, I think if he had done like that, all these people contesting would have known that there is no vacancy in the govt house. If you want to know, watch and see if Sullivan Chime of Enugu & Fashola of Lagos will not be returned for 2nd missionary journey.

As per Ngige, he is equally very much qualified especially for his courage to battle the Uba family, his political WILL and ability to deliver dividends of democracy within the short period he was in the office. Comparing the quality of road construction done between Obi and Ngige, anybody who usually travels to Anambra knows that Ngige's road construction ARE OF MORE QUALITY than Obis'. I wish him well.

But, I must say that I am in total support of CEE CEE SOLUDO's candidature and I believe as a patriotic citizen of Anambra state and Nigeria, he MUST deliver, but what I want him to know is that he must have the WILL in order to succeed.

In Anambra state, since 1999, Mbadinuju messed up and we pray and will continue to pray that GOD will not give us that time of leader again for he was a curse unto Anambra. But right from Ngige, the people of the state have been enjoying democracy dividends except for the havoc and destruction unleashed on the state by Uba FAMILY AND THEIR COHORTS, which they are suffering now. Peter Obi followed the trend from where Ngige stopped, so we are happy for both of them and we wish them well in their future endeavors while we are very optimistic that SOLUDO will emerge Anambra governor on February 6th.

@ritchyblack
I guess this is all u could do with your sorryass life. Honestly dude, u sound like an orphan.

When people talk about Chime and his perfomances is it based on Enugu the city or Enugu the state?

Campaign! Campaign!! Campaingn!!!. Come rain Come sunshine na Ngige we know and that is final.
Abeg make i go wiwi