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Joe Eto
I am Joe Nze Eto, a 3-term ex-Chairman of World Igbo Congress (WIC), an umbrella Igbo organisation based in the U.S. As a very concerned Nigerian with deep convictions on the dire consequences of a wrong choice of leadership on February 16, I am willingly sharing my thoughts on the imperatives of choosing the Atiku/Obi team to redirect Nigeria effective May, 2019. I do this voluntarily, and not on behalf of any political or socio-cultural entity.
Mr. Peter Obi has significantly offered unsolicited leadership lessons to Nigerian youths. He provided these opportunities by his exemplary life, demonstrated by action and not talks. I hope that I was not the only Nigerian paying attention as Peter Obi navigated debilitating challenges during his two-term tenure as governor of Anambra State. Just follow me for a brief citation of Obi’s erudite lessons on how best to reconstruct failing institutions of government, civil societies, and even socio-cultural organisations. He utilised the instruments of morality, faith, justice and equity, and strategic planning for personal preparedness to distinguish self for tasks in community as well as national development impacts.
Lesson 1: Respect for Judicial Systems: Peter Obi won the 2003 state election on the platform of APGA in Anambra, but the wielding power custodians at the time handed the victory to someone else. He neither threatened wind and rain nor will ‘blood flow.’ He just followed his conviction that the court system will eventually deliver justice for him. He followed the system, ignoring distractions. It took three years for his mandate to be restored. In Igbo, we have a proverb that ‘if you raise a child’s belonging out of his reach, you must bring down your hand when you are tired.” In other words, Peter Obi taught us in practical terms that justice can be delayed but never denied. He had to return to court again to fight for his full term of four years. In all of these, he remained calm and focused. This lesson is extremely exemplary in the face of rampant flagrant abuse and disobedience of court orders by the present administration led by Buhari, hence the dire and urgent need for an overhaul, if Nigeria should regain its future.
Lesson 2: Principled stand against corruption: Prior to Obi’s administration in Anambra State, the state was arguably the worst run state in Nigeria. Education completely collapsed. Schools were shut down for over one year, and for the first time in the history of education management in the South East, no school qualified to present students for WAEC. This was largely due to run away corruption index in the state. Obi reviewed the governance practice in the state and saw gaping economic holes and had to plug them to make headway with rehabilitation of the failing institutions. The popular sentiments among the government staff as well as the legislature were wrapped on selfish interests. These threatened prevailing interests rallied and successfully removed Obi from office by impeachment procedures. Again, Obi returned to court, and by court ruling his office as the governor of Anambra State was handed back to him. It is public knowledge that Obi succeeded in chasing off the agents of pervading poverty and barriers to infrastructure development and educational stability in Anambra State. We learned that you fight corruption by weeding corrupt harbingers around the government, not by watering their roots.
Lesson 3: Economic Prowess in National Planning: Obi made a conscious decision to leave economic fortune for the state as his landmark achievement in Anambra State. He gave up personal pleasures, shut down robust government social entertainment perks, off state government lodges, luxury land as well as air travel equipment; all in effort to accumulate funds to invest in state economic stability. And he succeeded! It is now public knowledge that he secured for Anambra State 30 percent of a thriving brewery, and more than N35 billion fixed deposits in each of two stable Nigerian banks. While on this, the road network in Anambra was revamped at quality construction with a minimum of 25-year performance guarantee. He returned schools to founding owners and assisted these owners with funds to renovate and rehabilitate them to their original intent and standards. Today, Anambra schools and school systems rank first in Nigeria and the students’ excellent performance in public exams tells a better story of Obi’s decision mechanisms for public institutions. How best to demonstrate what Obi brings to ailing Nigeria at this time of monumental structural sag in our national institutions.
Lesson 4: Humility and Tenacity in public Service: At World Igbo Congress (WIC) elections at the 2008 WIC Convention in Tampa Florida, USA, I was declared Chairman of WIC having clearly worn the elections. But my opponent refused to accept the verdict. Following Peter Obi’s example, we wound up in US Courts, to a painful realisation of Igbo leaders in Nigeria and elsewhere. In late 2010, I was at the Stone Mountain Park with guests from out of town when my phone rang. I picked up, announced my name, and asked who my caller was. He said ‘I am Peter Obi.’ It took me a few moments to ask ‘which Peter Obi?’ I had never personally met him and had never spoken to him before. When he confirmed that he was the governor of Anambra State, I was both surprised, and of course, taken unawares. He called to express his personal sadness over the dispute in WIC that was now progressing to irreparable crisis. He asked me if I would allow him to intervene/mediate between my opponent and me. Of course, I obliged. He convened a meeting in Houston, Texas at his costs, all to ensure that WIC mends and heals quickly. Sadly, his efforts failed to produce desired outcome. He was also insulted during that meeting, but surprisingly, it was remarkable to note that he didn’t show any signs of anger due to the calculated insults. The humility Obi displayed at the all-night meeting earned him instant respect and admiration by most people in the meeting. A few years later, Anambra State Association (ASA) U.S.A suffered similar fate and Mr. Obi, then governor of Anambra State was at it again, working relentlessly to ensure peace and longevity of that Igbo supposed instrument of social development. Again, he was frustrated, but never gave up. Peter Obi is a diehard community hawk, always hoping to plug any cracks and holes to ensure seamless joints within communities, trade unions, ethnic groups, churches, and even professional units. He sees strength and far-reaching socio-economic advancement in human collective endeavours. This module has worked in Anambra State with visible evidence on the road network, education, and easily pliable governance tools that have produced the highest employment opportunities for both state indigenes and resident Nigerians. Obi will bring the same lightening economic initiatives to all corners of Nigeria. While applauding Atiku for fishing him out, it is our prayer that Obi would be given the opportunity by Nigerians to help Atiku re-orient and rebuild Nigeria.
Atiku is a huge employer of labour, known to have provided qualifying Nigerians means of livelihood, irrespective of their ethnicity, religion, or place of birth. Atiku is a Northern Muslim who does not understand the emergence of Boko Haram or AK-47 totting herdsmen, and who understands that Nigeria will be better off with federating units where each region of Nigeria will work to develop at their own affordable pace, with minimal burden on the central government. Peter Obi is a consummate economist with identifiable evidence of practical experience.
