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ANAMBRA IS NOT IMO:

THIS COULD BE ONE OF THE REASONS.

Anambra State parades best brains both in the corporate world and within the political circle.

Ndi Anambra went for the best; the most prepared and qualified candidate for the job in the person of Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo , not after pecuniary gains. In my beloved Imo State, people seem to place their individual interest above the collective interest of the State, I think since the return of modern democracy in 1999.

To the chagrin of many keen observers of Anambara politics, the candidate of the People's Democratic Party, PDP, Mr. Valentine Ozigbo, conceded defeat , sent out a goodwill message and called the winner of the November 6th, 2021 Anambra Governrship Election, Prof. Charles Soludo , to congratulate him. Is it not heartwarming? Such show of sportsmanship !

Watch video:

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=6358052327600927&id=100001886697102


Nigerian Minister of Labour and Productivity, a former governor of Anambra State and APC Chieftain under President Muhammadu Buhari 's led Federal Government, Dr. Chris Ngige has also done the needful to congratulate Charles Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA.

Senator Uche Ekwunife representing Anambra Central Senatorial District under the opposition party, PDP, had also congratulated his brother, Charles Soludo.

Sen Ifeanyi Ubah , the Young Progressive Party (YPP)'s governorship candidate and Senator representing Anambra South Senatorial District had also done the needful. Many prominent sons and daughters of Anambra State across party lines have identified with Prof. Charles Soludo on his landslide victory in the just concluded Anambra State Governorship Elections. Many thanks to President Muhammadu Buhari who also demonstrated leadership by allowing the people votes and choices to count thereby, restoring the almost lost confidence many Nigerians have in our electoral umpire, the INEC.

Ironically, I have been reading some posts and comments why Anambra is not Imo . With the events of the recent past, Anambra seems not to be Imo for a number of reasons. Their politicians and state actors seem to be broadminded when it comes to the affairs of the Light of the Nation.

I see a people who delight more in the development and growth of Anambra State than their individual interest. To them, Anambra counts first, and should be placed above personal or party interest.

Just like in commerce and industry , Anambra politicians are more progressive in nature than their neighbouring sister state ; Imo politicians.

Anambra politicians and businessmen think first of what they will do for the progress of their state unlike in Imo State; where a number of the politicians both elected, appointed , political jobbers cluster around the Government House for the meagre monthly allocation from the Federation Account.

The plethoral and avalanche of goodwill messages that greeted Charles Soludo's emergence as governor -elect of Amambra State would have been a direct opposite if it were in my beloved State, Imo.

By now, those who lost out would have started compiling their documents and assembling team of lawyers to head to court for sustained legal fireworks.

If it were in Imo State, the losers would fight you from the Tribunal to Supreme Court. A case in point was the one between Sen. Hope Uzodimma of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and Chief Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party.

Rt. Hon. Jones Onyereri of the PDP and Owelle Rochas Anayo Okorocha of the APC during the 2019 National Assembly Elections for Imo West Senatorial District.

You can see why Imo State produced 'Supreme Court Governor' and 'Supreme Court Senator'

The above name 'Supreme Court..' always gets me laughing. May the Almighty God forgive whoever that coined our governor this name. I learnt the guy is now in the APC.

Anyways, I am not against anyone who wishes to go to court for a redress over what they may interpret as electoral flaws or manipulations by their opponents during the elections. But Anambra has set the pace for a paradigm shift in leadership, a kind of brand new orientation and political ideology in governance. Anambra State above party politics. And to the close observers, this is highly commendable and a good leadership template for the state actors in the South East if we truly mean well to develop our region.

Beyond and above all this , in Valentine C Ozigbo , I saw a future for professionals in politics, not professional politicians .

Let's trust God that in the nearest future, our beloved Imo State shall begin to follow the political trajectory, sustainable policy, programs and projects transition from one government to another .

Anambra State has joined the league of States in the world that have administrative direction.
Economic stability through sustainability of good governance is the key.

I am proud to have married from Anambara State.

Congratulations, ndi Ogom -Anambra inlaws.

+ Njoku Macdonald Obinna

Pub❗isher,

4th Estate Reporters.

Anambra Poll & the Women of Ebenebe.

James Eze

The women of Ebenebe are the true heroines of the Anambra election which took place last Saturday. They turned down a princely N5000 bribe money, brazenly given by APC agents at a polling station. They were emphatic in their rejection of the bribe. They left no room for negotiations. They were firm and final in their approach. They are poor rural women, ravaged by wants like all rural women, but they put up extraordinary courage in the face of inducement and took the moral high ground. And that’s why I celebrate them today!

These women are remarkable. They could have taken the bribe and still voted according to their conscience. But they didn’t want a stain on their conscience. The motto of The Guardian newspaper describes conscience as an open wound which only truth can heal. The women of Ebenebe held onto truth...their healing truth.

Ebenebe is a sleepy town in Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State. The town is not Nnewi or Ihiala or Orafite or Osumenyi where most of Anambra’s billionaires come from. But what they lack in money billionaires they obviously have in moral ones. “One of the truest tests of integrity is its blunt refusal to be compromised,” says Chinua Achebe. The women of Ebenebe have bluntly refused to be compromised. That singular act, little as it seems; gives a lot of hope to Nigeria.

The true value of the symbolic courage of the Ebenebe women is that they live in the same state where a serving deputy governor had been lured away with money, a bullet proof car and assurances of meeting the president, to a rival party. They live in the same state where serving and former members of parliament had defected to another party after collecting N100 million inducement. They live in a state where the basic measure of success is how much money one has. But they have written their story in gold and their names ought to make history. They have taught us that you can live poor and still live with dignity.

The relevant NGOs and constituted authorities should seek out these Ebenebe women and make them a shining example of what Nigeria could be if we get our acts right. The symbolism of their courageous act must not be lost on us. We must act and act now!

Some times, providence offers us a beacon of light with which to illuminate the pathway to the future. But it is up to a discerning society to recognize it and use it well. Aba women did a similar thing in 1929. Their courage inspired self-belief in our founding fathers to challenge the colonial masters. Enugu Coal Miners rose against their users on November 18, 1949. Their act of defiance inspired the Zikist Movement which eventually toppled colonial rule. Can we elevate the Ebenebe Women’s act to The joke will be on us if we miss this opportunity to set a new moral tone for our society at a time when the larger population of the youths are involved in get-rich-quick-or-die-trying schemes.

The women of Ebenebe are a gift we cannot turn down!

Ironically, I have been reading some posts and comments why Anambra is not Imo . With the events of the recent past, Anambra seems not to be Imo for a number of reasons. Their politicians and state actors seem to be broadminded when it comes to the affairs of the Light of the Nation.

I see a people who delight more in the development and growth of Anambra State than their individual interest. To them, Anambra counts first, and should be placed above personal or party interest.

Just like in commerce and industry , Anambra politicians are more progressive in nature than their neighbouring sister state ; Imo politicians.

Anambra politicians and businessmen think first of what they will do for the progress of their state unlike in Imo State; where a number of the politicians both elected, appointed , political jobbers cluster around the Government House for the meagre monthly allocation from the Federation Account.

The plethoral and avalanche of goodwill messages that greeted Charles Soludo's emergence as governor -elect of Amambra State would have been a direct opposite if it were in my beloved State, Imo.

By now, those who lost out would have started compiling their documents and assembling team of lawyers to head to court for sustained legal fireworks.

If it were in Imo State, the losers would fight you from the Tribunal to Supreme Court. A case in point was the one between Sen. Hope Uzodimma of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and Chief Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party.

Okay, as an Anambra citizen, I agree with some points here, BUT would re-qualify other points to put them into proper contexts.

The first point I must make, is that Anambra got lucky first before all progress started happening.

Anambra had its dark years from when Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife was the governor (he achieved nothing and was about to prove that education didn't translate to leadership competence), to Dr Mbadinuju who arguably achieved nothing as well, because was running the state like a chattel or "agbata ekee" when he simply turned over the state coffers to the godfathers and hangers-on who fleeced the state dry.

Then APGA happened, and by the grace of Chukwu Okike, Dim Emeka Ojukwu of APGA discovered a man with nine political lives called Peter Obi.

God used Obi to start the Anambra revolution albeit using Dr Ngige who was sitting on Obi's stolen mandate!

Ngige fell out with the thieves who wanted a repeat of Mbadinuju, but Ngige cleverly (and wisely) pivoted his political lots and cast them with the people of the state. Through Ngige, Ndi Anambra came to know for the first time, the humongous amount of money that flowed into the state coffers, and the possibilities they create.

So, when Ngige was finally kicked out, and Obi regained his mandate, Obi had to compete with Ngige's towering achievement (since Ngige was still lurking around to return to Agu Awka governor's lodge), Peter Obi had absolutely no choice than succeed.

After the Uba brothers nearly burnt down state because they were not allowed to repeat an "Mbadinuju" with Ngige, Ndi Anambra came to understand the undercurrents of the evil called political jobbers, and VOWED as citizens of the state to NEVER AGAIN allow those thieves to ever cross near their governor's lodge. The world came to see that resolved a little when the poor women of Ebenebe rejected the N5,000 APC bribes and were shouting "we don't want APC!".

That spirit is what gave birth to governor Willie Obiano (a totally unknown person) winning over well known politicians in Anambra, including Ngige. Anambra people simply saw in APGA a long awaited breath of fresh air, and they are holding onto that party no matter what.

I personally believe that Imo came somewhat close to repeating this feat with they trusted Anayo Okorocha with the APGA mandate.
Imo only got unlucky because Okorocha betrayed them. Had Okorocha stayed in APGA, he who have been forced somehow to tow the same line as APGA in Anambra state.

So, my Imo brother, there is no magic to this except that Imo people need to go back and re-strategize on how to bring APGA back to the governor's lodge. It is doable, and must be done!

The point I agree with in your premises is that Anambra citizens have an unparalleled spirit when it comes to community development efforts by rich individuals in the state.
One man in my village used interlocking pavements to pave nearly three kilometers of road as well as doing the drainage, and nobody even asked him to do it.
Same story is found nearly in every Anambra community.
I pray that such spirit permeate and take over Igboland.

Well elucidated.

Many thanks .

Warm regards .

- MacDonald.