In this piece, NGWU NWEZE writes on the governorship ambition of the prominent banker and businessman, Chief Willie Obiano, and what it portends for Anambra State.
As the political rain-clouds gather in Anambra State, ahead of the November governorship elections, the already heated race recently witnessed a rupture, with the grand entry of Chief WilliemObiano, the colourful banker and oil industry chieftain, whose emergence has totally altered the political equation in the state.
The reason is not fare fetched. ChiefObiano carries a spark that lights up any arena he enters like a burst of fireflies in a dark, moonless night. The Aguleri High Chief who is also famously known as Akpokuedike Aguleri comes almost fully made with a rare combination of solid intellect and a common touch that makes many leaders wince with envy. His sartorial style and regal elegance easily stand him out in any crowd. His infectious humour and kindred spirit strikes instant connectivity with anyone that comes his way regardless of age or class. Obiano is nuanced, passionate and full of zest. In a nutshell, the Aguleri high chief has managed to squeeze into one personality, as much complexity as simplicity.
True, no one is born a king; but Chief Obiano’s leadership inclinations and abilities seem rather inherent. He radiates magnetic warmth that does not only draw people to him, but makes them willing to go the extra mile for him. It was perhaps this rare quality more than anything else that made his Aguleri people to bestow on him the title of Akpokuedike, which can be loosely translated as “the buzz of the warrior.” Obiano has the natural proclivity of an astute administrator and a man with an infinite business savvy.
Until recently, Chief Obiano was the number two man at Fidelity Bank Plc, as the Executive Director in charge of Business Banking after a glittering banking career that saw him rise through the ranks. Before his retirement, he headed virtually every important segment of the bank including corporate banking, non-bank financial institutions, treasury, foreign operations, oil and gas financing, telecommunications, aviation and several other businesses where he showed tremendous leadership skills and a rare people’s touch. Before he joined Fidelity Bank, Obiano had had an auspicious beginning at First Bank Nigeria and Texaco Nigeria Plc where he distinguished himself as the Chief Internal Auditor for years, driving change and initiating programmes that earned him the accolade of the top management of the global conglomerate.
At Fidelity, what mostly stood Chief Obiano out was his rare human touch; a deep connection with the people which resonated throughout the bank and a large reservoir of knowledge of the subtleties of banking and a keen sense of the present and how it connects to the future, which most bankers who have fallen by the way side never seemed to have. Obiano knew banking well enough to know that the banker’s reputation is like a house of straws; one bad move and all the years of struggle would go up in a plume of smoke. But Obiano left Fidelity on a high. Not one shred of scandal trailed his years as a top-flight banker. He was well loved by the ordinary staff and respected by the management and the board. At the bank’s annual dinners and social events, Akpokue Aguleri, as he was fondly called by friends and colleagues always stood out. Being a man of style, his remarkable haircut and aristocratic fashion taste always marked him out in the crowd. Smiling comes easy to Chief Obiano as does his hearty gentleman laughter that draws instant fellow feelings from the people around him.
AkpokudikeAguleri’s entry into the muddy waters of Anambraguber race did not come to many people who know him as a surprise. Close friends and interested observers always knew that his extra-ordinary people skill and leadership acumen would find him out. A close friend once told this writer that ChiefObiano had confided in him that the only way he would contest a political office was if his people invited him to represent them. It is evident therefore, that Obiano’s momentous entry into the race under the APGA platform was not spurred by any vaunting ambition, but one that is borne out of a desire to serve his people of Anambra North, who have never had a shot at the state house in Awka. Indeed there has been a legitimate clamour for fairness and equity in the political governance of Anambra State which has tended to preclude the people of Anambra North from the office of the number one citizen of the state since Anambra came into existence. This glaring injustice has grown in its lingering gravity in the acclaimed tradition of all injustices that do not lend themselves to peaceful burial. It is perhaps in realization of the grotesque obviousness of this imbalance in power that the ebullient governor Peter Obi of Anambra State is rumoured to have declared his intention to deploy his enormous goodwill with the people and ensure that a candidate from the neglected Anambra North succeeds him in office. That way, the genuine cries and supplications of the people would be pointedly assuaged.
Against this backdrop therefore, Willie Obiano’s candidacy is a bold answer to the clamor among his people for their best and brightest sons and daughters to file out for the highest office in the state. But people who should know are fully aware that Obiano is not just in the race to multiply the options of the electorates. AkpokuedikeAguleri never goes into any venture without adequate risk assessment and strenuous preparation. Indeed Obiano is fully prepared for the battle. What most friends and associates always marvel at is his astonishing brilliance for someone with his exceptional social skills.
Obiano holds a Second Class Upper Division in Accounting from the University of Lagos and an MBA in Marketing from the same school. He is a class member of the Harvard Business School and Stanford University, both in the USA. He is also both Fellow and patron of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN). In the course of his career, Obiano attended numerous courses including Credit and Trade Services at Citi Bank, New York, Treasury and Money Market at Northwest London, Emerging Markets at FIM Bank, Malta and Managing Integration Process at Houston Texas, USA in 2006.
Obiano is a bridge builder of sorts. His extensive contacts are almost infinite; spreading from an eclectic number of serving and retired top military brass, para-military and royal fathers to professionals like doctors, lawyers, fellow bankers and brilliant architects and engineers, among others. Obiano has immense goodwill among donor agencies and portfolio investors in the USA and Europe which he put to enormous use in the service of Fidelity Bank when the bank had successive public offers to rustle up fresh funds. It is believed that these same contacts will be useful when he assumes office as governor. Not surprising, Chief Obiano has been a recipient of many awards and honours in recognition of his eternal warmth, public spirit, candour and generous contributions to society. In May 2012, Obiano received the honour of the 1stUSAfrica’s Distinguished Banker of the Year award in Houston, Texas, USA. In addition to being honoured by the people of Aguleri as the Akpokuedike of Aguleri Kingdom, Chief Obiano also holds the revered title of Otunba Atayase of Ilemeso-Ekiti in Ekiti State. This later recognition from Oba David Adegboyega Oyewunmi (Fasemi II) of Ilemeso-Ekiti underscores his bridge-building capacity and a natural inclination to bond with people from diverse cultures. It is partly for this reason and everything else that the Board of Governors and Trustees of Wisconsin International University, USA, also conferred on him the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Leadership, honoriscausa, late last year. It was a richly deserved honour for someone who has made his mark as a thoroughbred professional and as a man of means.
AkpokueAguleri is also deeply connected with the clergy and the church. Obiano is a devout Catholic whose commitment to the church is deep. It is perhaps ironic that a man with his high social skills and a profound love for tradition is also deeply involved with the church. It is all part of the high art of personality code-mixing which Obiano has perfected in his simple but complex personality.
Obiano’s involvement with the church began rather early. Following his early education in mission schools, Chief Obiano has never really strayed too far from the church. His keen interest in the church of Jesus Christ has led him into accepting different roles in the service of God including but not restricted to being the patron of Catholic Women Association, Missionary of St. Paul’s Society, Catholic Women’s Organisation, Catholic Laity Council of Nigeria and the Grand Pillar of St. Gerald Catholic Church, among others.
