“Leadership means suffering. He who chooses to ride in a Mercedes Benz to lead a contingent that goes on foot-wagon has already lost bearing.”
—Tai Solarin
By Daniel Kanu
There is no gainsaying the fact that Anambra State governor, Willie Obiano is a sad man.
The reason is simple: Anambra State is under siege. This is even more worrisome when the malady is coming at the twilight of his administration when he may not have enough time and opportunity to change the probability of action to the satisfaction of the majority of Ndi-Anambra.
To say that the state is under siege is perhaps, an understatement.
The large-scale violence resulting in senseless attacks witnessed in the state in the last few days under the watch of Obiano is a sad commentary.
The state proudly adorned as the “Light of the Nation” is now a state in darkness with monsters in human form unleashing mayhem with reckless abandon.
The violence in Anambra State since the upper weekend had witnessed some armed persons letting loose terror on innocent Anambrarians, killing at will. No part of the state has been spared.
Incidences abound where offices of some political parties and branded campaign vehicles were set on fire, individuals occupying them fatally attacked, some kidnapped, and many killed.
Expectedly, as the violence spread like wildfire, many road users became targets of the nuisance with some also losing their lives and belongings.
The madness in the state has left not less than 10 persons dead, according to Governor Obiano, including an illustrious and accomplished son of the state, Dr Chike Akunyili, husband of the late Prof Dora Akunyili (former Information Minister), who was gunned down with his driver and police orderly last Tuesday.
At the time of writing this piece, there are reports that a three-term member of the National Assembly and gubernatorial aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Chris Azubogu’s convoy was attacked and his pilot driver killed.
Although Obiano in his address gave the death toll, conservatively as 10, Sunday Sun checks showed that over 30 lives have been wasted, so far.
At the moment, anarchy has been unleashed on the state and no place or individual is safe.
Part of the ugly reports received was that even the Nigerian Coat of Arms and flags have been removed from all public and government buildings.
Little wonder over 40 Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC) have taken over major security flashpoints with all sectors of security agents at full alert.
Founder, Igbo Youth Movement (IYM), Evangelist Ugochukwu Elliot Ukoh, told Sunday Sun that what is happening in Anambra State is but a symptom rather than the root cause, which is the total neglect of the youths of Ndigbo over the years by various leaderships.
Elliot Ukoh said: “The incompetence of leadership over the years and their absolute lack of capacity to manage the country’s diversities made it worse.
“They have neglected the Igbo youths without any dialogue with them, killing them, making their lives miserable, militarizing them with hardship, now they are taking their pound of flesh back on innocent citizens. There is an urgent need for dialogue as what is happening is an ill-wind that will not stop in Anambra unless properly addressed ”.
Most South Easterners are of the opinion that the Southeast region has had a rough patch in Nigeria since the end of the civil war, 51 years now, resulting in the neglect of not only the youths, but development in the region.
The youths have come to the dangerous realization that Nigeria is not working and not concerned about their well-being.
And for them, it is sacrilegious that they are relegated to become second-class citizens in their own country.
But be that as it may, some critics of Obiano say he is not on top of the leadership challenge in the state, as they insisted that he is merely playing Nero without a firm grip on the festering issues destroying the state.
Obiano has been accused of playing so much crude politics rather than governance as he is rounding off his tenure. This is not a good testimonial of an accomplished technocrat.
Also, the majority consensus is that he should not try to force any candidate on Ndi-Anambra.
Rather, he should be conscious that the state parades a sophisticated political class and electorate, countless billionaires, some richer than the state and above all, a people with republican nature.
There are some who believe, including Obiano, that those wreaking havoc in Anambra are agents of the Nigerian state who want Igbo land to be in ruins.
These are some of the allegations that Obiano and his Southeast counterparts must seek to unravel. It is a blanket claim that must be anchored on evidence, and Obiano should know that time is of the essence, as he settles to write his handover note.
Some analysts say that the action going on in Anambra is tantamount to cutting off one’s nose to spite the face.
This is because making the state ungovernable and by extension, the Southeast under any excuse or in the name of self-determination is a self-defeating gambit.
It is unfortunate that Governor Obiano who has worked so hard to bequeath a lasting legacy as could be seen in his international airport project may be leaving behind a ragged legacy as many Anambrarians are dying in the hands of unknown gunmen.
Governor Obiano was born at Aguleri in Anambra State.
He received a bachelor’s degree in Accountancy from the University of Lagos in 1979 and a Master of Business Administration from the same university.
Obiano began his banking career in 1981 at the First Bank of Nigeria before he left to join the services of Chevron Oil Nigeria Plc.
He left the banking system to join Nigerian politics and in 2013 contested the November 16, 17, and 30 gubernatorial elections and won on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA. He was sworn in on March 17, 2014, and was re-elected on November 18, 2017.