ANAMBRA: A STATE’S CHEQUERED JOURNEY

What is today known as Anambra State used to co-exist with Enugu State as one state, with Enugu as its capital. But as the agitation for the creation of more states intensified in Nigeria, Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, created more states on August 27, 1991. The old Anambra State was split in two, with one becoming Enugu State; and the other, Anambra. The new Anambra State, with capital at Awka, is a state endowed with highly gifted people. What Anambra State lacks in landmass, it makes up for with its possession of internationally renowned people. They are/were international personages, who achieved distinctions in their diverse areas of specialization. And not a few of them blazed the trails in those areas. A few examples will suffice. Anambra State is the home state of the Rt. Hon. Nnamdi Azikiwe, a Pan-Africanist and freedom fighter; the late Chinua Achebe, Africa’s greatest raconteur and novelist; Chief Emeka Anyaoku, a former secretary general of the Commonwealth; Mary Onyali-Omagbemi, a former African sprints queen of the tracks; and Prof. Laz Ekwueme, a great music teacher and composer. But it is not only the state’s possession of highly educated and skilled people that makes it thick. Anambra has the singular honour of being the state that has the largest market in the entire West African sub-region. Besides the Onitsha main market, the largest in West Africa, there are many other big markets in towns that make up the state. Those markets are central to the economic growth and survival of the state as huge revenues are generated from them. While Onitsha, in addition to towns, which are contiguous to it, is the commercial hub of the state, Nnewi is the industrial centre. It has industries, including motor spare parts industries that produce goods, which serve the needs of the people. If given the needed support, it will become the Japan-China-Dubai of Africa. But Anambra State, which is a sub-national political entity, is afflicted with the same problems, which have hobbled Nigeria. Nigeria’s problems, which are hydra-headed, are traceable to bad, clueless, profligate, and corrupt political leadership. A country that has not got its politics cum political leadership right cannot achieve economic prosperity, political stability, and technological advancement. Anambra State had experienced bad political leadership. Dr. Chinweoke Mbadinuju, who led the state between 1999 and 2003, performed abysmally in office. He ran the state aground. Not only were schools shut down and other public institutions paralyzed, but, also, civil servants and retirees were owed arrears of salaries and backlog of unpaid pension and gratuity entitlements. Expectedly, Dr. Mbadinuju didn’t win a re-election bid. And, Dr. Chris Nwabueze Ngige came on board as the state governor. Ngige was helped to power by his political godfather and benefactor, Chris Uba, who bankrolled his campaign expenses. But they parted ways owing to their inability to agree on the formula for sharing the state’s financial wealth. Consequently, their bitter fight furnished Mr. Peter Obi with the ammunition which he used to oust Dr. Ngige from office via electoral litigation. Obi’s recovery of his purloined political mandate restored people’s confidence and trust in our judiciary, and strengthened our democracy. In this fourth republic, Chinweoke Mbadinuju, Chris Ngige, Peter Obi, and Willie Obiano, who took turns to govern Anambra state, contributed their quotas for the development of the state. While Mbadinuju’s use of the Bakassi boys to tackle rising insecurity in the state, then, prevented it from descending into an anarchic situation, Ngige’s praxis in road repair and construction has remained unmatched. Peter Obi revamped the economic, health, and education sectors in the state. And it was Chief Obiano, who built an airport and pedestrian bridges, and gave the practice of agriculture in the state a huge boost. Happy thirty-five anniversary, Anambra people. Chiedu Uche Okoye, Uruowulu-Obosi, Anambra State