Soludo, a colossal failure – Obi
From DAVID ONWUCHEKWA, Nnewi

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Candidates contesting the 2010 gubernatorial election in Anambra State have been told to emulate Governor Peter Obi who faces issues rather than engages in the politics of name-calling.

Gov Peter Obi, Anambra State




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Chief Press Secretary to Governor Peter Obi, Mr. Mike Udah who offered this advice while speaking to journalists in Government House, Awka said he was saddened that some of the candidates rather than face their campaigns, were calling names. He also reacted to reports in some national newspapers where Prof. Chukwuma Soludo was quoted as having asked Obi to “prepare his hand-over notes” as he (the Professor) has decided to come and redeem Anambra State from him.


Other remarks credited to the former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor included that he forsook four international job offers to come and rescue Anambra just as Jesus Christ abandoned the comfort of Heaven to receive insults from mortal man in order to save humanity.


Udah said it had become necessary for him to make some clarifications.

Part of his release read: It is not true that Anambra State of today needs any salvation. Salvation should go to the States, which are comatose, not a State like Anambra which such international development agencies as the UNDP, UNICEF, EU and DFID, and the Bureau of Public Procurement of the Federal Government of Nigeria, to mention just a few, have certified as one of the fastest developing States.


“Before Governor Obi assumed office, Anambra state did not participate in FADAMA projects (and so, it did not take part in FADAMA 1 and FADAMA 2 programmes of the World Bank when Soludo was CBN Governor and attended meetings of World Bank). However, as soon as Governor Obi emerged the Anambra State’s helmsman, the state not only joined FADAMA 3 but has emerged tops, warranting the World Bank’s representative to the state to shower encomiums on the energetic, well-meaning Obi.


“Similarly, UNICEF was not coming to Anambra State prior to the assumption of office of Governor Peter Obi, but a visionary Governor Obi visited the organization and convinced it to return to the State to the happiness and comfort of Ndi Anambra. On his part, Okwute Ndi Igbo has ensured constant and timely payment of Anambra State’s counterpart funds.”


The CPS said while it is impossible to catalogue the numerous projects executed by Governor Obi in Health, Agriculture, Education, Human Rights, institution of Governance, business, integrity, and transparency it was imperative to advice political gladiators, not to “open their mouths so wide in the name of politicking else they will easily give themselves out as third rate aspirants.”


According to him, “Nigerians are discernible people and cannot be hoodwinked into believing that someone who his successor in office has shown as having woefully failed, will perform a miracle in a State which Governor Obi has lifted from obscurity- from sorcery, arson, lunacy and treachery, to an Olympian height in less than four years. Under him, the State has successfully produced for the first time Structure Plans for Awka, Onitsha and Nnewi, a feat which previous administrations had attempted, but failed to accomplish.”


One can only advise the political ‘Jesus’ to eschew religious as well as political blasphemy and remember that he did not abandon any job whether local or international to come down to Anambra to fight virtually every member of his party over primary election. He did not abandon his apex bank’s job; the job rather abandoned him; and if indeed he was not rejected when he went overseas in search of a job when his successor exposed his incompetence here, he could not have returned so soon to Nigeria where he had already been ridiculed following the discovery of the mess in some banks which mess he either did not notice because of incompetence or he abetted.


It is on record that as the Chief Economic Adviser to the former President Obasanjo, he was quoted in Daily Independent newspaper of 23rd of this month to have said he would become the next governor of Anambra State with or without voting, had superintended over the ban of fruit juice and other items of trade imported by Onitsha traders, who are among Anambra citizens he now seeks to govern. That singular measure had led to the closure of stores and severe losses to Igbo traders.


If not that Peter Obi intervened for the Central Bank to begin operation in Anambra, Soludo could not complete ordinary two storey Central Bank complex he is building in the State. It is a pity that Lamido Sanusi will complete that complex.


Though he gets his statistics wrong in terms of allocations to the Governor, we do not expect him to suffer the poverty of analysis by not also comparing what prices used to be in the past and now.”

“Ndi Anambra and Nigerians are watching and waiting to see how a colossal failure can suddenly become a “miracle worker,” the release added.