By Odumodu Gbulagu
“Ladies and gentlemen, it is no exaggeration to say that Anambra State is the best place to locate an industry in Nigeria at the moment. We have one of the highest literacy rates in the country, we offer access to the largest retail market in West Africa and we have the largest crop of experienced middlemen and suppliers with enough expertise to move goods across Africa. We also have easy access to industrial land which we have mapped out in our Land-Bank and a speedy company registration and issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy in record time.”
The above quote is from the speech Governor Willie Obiano read in the U.S., where he took 87 aides among others to sign sister cooperation with one Orange town in the U.S., a town of slightly over 30,000 people.
The speech represents what Anambra should aim at, but under Obiano, the reverse is the case.
Could Gov. Willie Obiano or his numerous erats: the James Ezes, the Ifeanyi Afubas, the Ejike Anyadubas, the Obigwes, the Odionus, Mmadukwes, Harrison, etc show us one industry Obiano has attracted to Anambra State? None!
The same man talking about industry prevented International Breweries from building the biggest refinery in Africa in Anambra State.
Under Mr. Peter Obi, land was already allocated to them at Anam (Bank of Omabala River), when they met Obiano preparatory to the start of construction work, he demanded shares in the complex. The people pulled out and went to Shagamu.
What of Distel?
Ground-breaking ceremony had already been performed at Ozubulu and they were ready to take off. Through demand for shares the people left. To show you how remorseless Obiano is, he immediately re-allocated the lands to his business partner and front Stanel Oil.
What of Niemeth Pharmaceuticals company, Would Obiano tell us why they abandoned the facilities they started at Amawbia?
Read Also: Governor Obiano, wife, aides arrive in U.S. for business
Which investment is the Governor going to attract from that County, when he has signed countless MOUs but none has been implemented?
Is this one of those MOUs that ends up on the billboards scattered all over the state?
When you look at the Governor’s trip to the United States from a pragmatic point of view, you would immediately realise it is nothing short of a huge waste of resources – time, and tax payers money. It is not only laughable but very pitiable for Ndi Anambra that the Chief Executive of the state spends more time holidaying in the United States with close to a quarter of his over 1000 aides interchangeably more than he spends in Anambra.
Perhaps our dear state would have been functioning properly if the Governor would at least spend more time in the state and dedicate his efforts towards the betterment of the people instead of wasting money and time running to the United States for vacation under the guise of establishing business relationship with an American county.
After some checks, which include the following: first class and business class flight tickets of the 87 people the Governor went to Orange County with, the hotel and accommodations, special escort, feeding and other logistics, it is pertinent to state that over $500,000(USD), which is about 200 million naira of Anambra’s money had been spent for a visit that would definitely not yield any result to Anambra state.
