By Ibezim Echee Jk
[dropcap]A[/dropcap]nambra decides on November 18 if Willie Obiano is to continue as their governor or give another a trial entirely. This election has been the talk on every lips, heavily threatened, highly tensed and quite apprehensive.
Before i proceed, need i remind you that the number of candidates jostling to dethrone Willie are more than 36? Some however came to register their political presence whilst some came for some cynical agenda. Some did not even bother to print a campaign poster talk more of campaign jingle even to be hosted by some whatsapp group administrators or Instagram free campaign… “no wahala, all join” ..
Let me make this clear, i’m non partisan and would only say things the way i feel and to the best of my knowledge.
Permit me to say, the notable people contesting for the guber race are Willie Obiano of APGA, Tony Nwoye of APC, Oseloka Obaze of PDP and Godwin Ezemo of PPA. Oh, i almost forgot the supposed youth amongst them, Yul Odochie (his posters are not more than 10 and can only be found at Adam and Eve motor parks).
Let me start with Willie Obiano. The beleaguered governor has been heavily criticised by most of the Anambrarians for his flamboyant lifestyle, poor infrastructural development and low quality projects.
I think Willie is a lucky man. Nnamdi kanu really helped him alot by ignorantly aiding him to a possible win. He disenfranchised his gullible followers by asking them not to vote hence, most of them never registered and have no PVC to vote. They had better sit at home that day and watch Zee world or play Ludo game.
Willie Obiano really started off well, so many wonderful initiatives were enacted and his love for aesthetics was evident with his routine Christmas decorations from Onitsha, the commercial hub of the state to Awka, the state capital.Most of the Streets in Awka are lighted… Wonderfully and beautifully illuminated. He consolidated on Peter Obi’s operation clean Anambra and made Onitsha one of the neatest and safe place to reside. Criminals, kidnappers and thieves were all driven away, thanks to his resolute stance and zero tolerance for charlatans.
What really happened along the way? I really can’t say.
Let me start with his projects. His three almighty fly over bridges he did at Amawbia, Kwata Junction and Aroma junction would go down the records as the the most beautifully annoying fly over ever to be built in Nigeria.
I once wrote extensively on the flaws of that annoying bridge and how to correct it HERE. It was meant to alleviate traffic but only succeeded in aggravating it.
ROADS : I wonder if Willie Obiano sees those dilapidated roads in the state capital? The state of the roads at Awka and Amawbia is nothing to write home at all. The roads at Amawbia bypass is horrible as the road after the Prisons would pass for an eyesore. The express, of course the untouchable Federal road presently ranks as the worst road in West Africa. No thanks to our insensitive federal representatives. Umunya to Awkuzu dungeon is now a death trap (Willie could still do something about it if he wished to help lessen the amount of heavy trucks plying the old road after all, Ngige once repaired a Federal road and applied for a refund).
TRAFFIC IN THE STATE :
When you Google traffic, lagos state would pop up but i’m sure Awka/Amawbia would be competing with lagos for that trophy. Obviously, something is wrong somewhere. Someone is simply not taking keen observations to the dilapidated roads and poor infrastructures in the state capital most especially.
INDISCRIMINATE DUMPING OF REFUSE
I don’t think that “cleanliness is next to Godliness” adage is applicable to some people. It’s only in Awka that people are allowed to dump refuse indiscriminately. They’re officially permitted to dump refuse at the central eye of the road every evening. It would be dumped in queues from Amawbia to Agu Awka in a bid for the trucks to pick them up by morning. Oh my God, who does that? What happened to making use of large refuse Bins where people dump refuse and picked up by the refuse operators by morning? Peter Obi had standard refuse bins kept at strategic places where people dump their refuse and even employed people to monitor it to avoid its abuse.
See what Awka state capital looks like in the evening..
Then, during the day, some would be picked whilst some would definitely be left out and would stay for days.
Personally, i am so irked about these unwarranted menace. Anambra State has grown past such decadence and anything below the pecking order can never be good enough.
However, if Willie is lucky enough to be re-elected, he would have another chance to redeem his image by living up and stepping up. Good luck to him.
Tony Nwoye, his two capital sins of which they asked to crucify him for were his choice of party, APC and his lifestyle as a university undergraduate. They said he was a cultist and might still have some threats of holiganism and cultisim in him. Quite funny and cynical reasons though his flag off at Onitsha was chaotic which led to loss of lives, no thanks to his over zealous security aides. The name APC annoys an average Igbo man aside those currently benefiting and reminds them of the vicious neglect meted to them by Federal Palace. Tony Nwoye, Goodluck to you.
Oseloka Obaze is accused of being Peter Obi’s puppet and might do nothing if he eventually wins but dance to the music of his godfather, Peter Obi. PDP in Anambra state is in shambles and that alone is a big set back to him.
The ever philanthropic Godwin Ezemo seems to be on a low key this time around. Not much money is flowing around in the state. Caution is his best friend as at the moment.
I wish them luck if genuinely they have good intentions.
Congratulations to some of the contenders who came to waste their time contesting. Willie might as well expand his already massive SAs to accommodate them.
November 18,Anambra decides.