The Nation Newspaper

Tag: underdevelopment

  • Let’s unchain Benue from underdevelopment, APC tells voters

    The Benue State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged the electorate to use their votes for the election of those concerned about the development of the state.

    The party hailed its leaders, officials, members and teeming supporters for trooping out last Saturday to cast their ballots in the presidential and National Assembly elections.

    In a statement yesterday in Makurdi, the state capital, by its Acting State Publicity Secretary, James Ornguga, APC said it was “impressed that resilient members and supporters came out in high spirits and voted genuinely with burgeoning enthusiasm while our opponents had resorted to primitive acts of rigging via massive thumb-printing without the use of Smart Card Readers and deliberate intimidation of our supporters across the state”.

    It added: “The party delights in the fact that despite the atrocious showing of the PDP, where our party agents were physically barred from accessing electoral materials and polling units, scoring zero votes for the APC, our supporters were keen on voting; the reason APC was able to lead in areas where genuine voting was done.

    “The party congratulates President Muhammadu Buhari, who clearly won Benue with a clear margin but was short-changed through mass rigging in Guma, Logo, Buruku, Gwer West and other local government areas.

    “Benue APC urges Mr. President to sustain the core mandate of his administration, which is anchored on economic development, security and aggressive fight against corruption.

    “We reiterate with full confidence that given a level-playing field, no political party can defeat APC in Benue State.

    “The party posits that it would study results of the shoddy electoral exercise of last Saturday and take appropriate actions as the process was marred by massive thumb-printing of ballot papers, deliberate refusal to use the Smart Card Reader and intimidation of APC supporters.

    “APC calls on members not to be demoralised nor deterred by glaring acts of injustice done to them in the just-concluded elections, with the full connivance and supervision of officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). We assure that the party would not risk a verisimilitude of that blatant rape, going forward.

    “We call on all our members and silent supporters, who are not interested in putting Benue State on the path of the opposition, to be superintended by an insincere regime to come out en masse and vote for APC governorship candidate, Mr Emmanuel Jime, and the House of Assembly candidates of our party, to end the misery of deliberate non-payment of salaries, pensions and gratuities, non-execution of projects, despite the accrual of over N400 billion to Benue State in less than four years, and the annoying media governance that Benue currently parades.

    “For the APC in Benue State, tough times do not last, but tough people do; this is the time to unshackle Benue from the manacles of docile leadership and deliberate underdevelopment.”

     

  • Experts cite poor leadership as bane of Nigeria’s underdevelopment

    Poor leadership at all levels is responsible for the parlous state of the economy.

    This was the submissions made by a cross section of experts at a public forum organised by CITC Leadership Centre in Lagos.

    Speaking at the forum tagged: ‘Leadership Masterclass’ with the theme ‘Leading with Change: Corporate Leadership Renaissance in Nigeria,’ Dr. Bioudun Adedipe who said there was need for a paradigm shift said poor leadership remains the bane of the country at all spheres.

    Waxing philosophical, Adedipe, a renowned economist, said: “The greatest need of any society is quality leadership. A major problem of our society and globally is leadership failure at all levels whether in the corporate world, family, public among others.”

    Lamentably, he said, Nigeria particularly has not been lucky with good leaders. “As a nation, we do not deliberately groom leaders for the country.”

    While noting that the corporate world have had its fair share of struggles in the area of leadership, Adedipe who reminisced about his working career at the First City Monument Bank (FCMB) had kind words to say about the founding chairman of FCMB, Otunba Subomi Balogun for his exemplary leadership style which he said should be emulated by budding corporate titans.

    Speaking earlier, Mr. Niyi Adesanya, a performance strategist and management consultant also impressed on aspiring corporate leaders the need to play by the rules and not circumvent the rules.

    Justifying the need for the training session, Tayo Orekoya, President, CITC Leadership Centre, said the Centre was desirous of setting stores for the ideals of leadership at all levels, noting that such interface and discussion session can help in no small measure to change the mindset of individuals determined to affect their world.

    The event which drew participants from the organised private including banks, blue chips, among others, also witnessed the formal launch and inauguration of the Governing Council, Advisory Committee and Faculty of CITC Centre.

  • Rainforest in the desert

    Modern advances in neuroscience have provided new insight into creativity and the creative process. Unlike in the past, researchers are discovering that creativity is not just for a few ‘special’ people, but that the potential for creativity lies in each person. Creativity – they say – can be acquired throughout a lifetime at any age and that being creative is mastered through practicing unfamiliar skills.

    I have been fascinated with creativity – unleashing the potential of the mind to conceive new ideas – for years now. As a student of history and political economy, I often wonder why a part of the world will be more developed than others and why some countries remain perpetually underdeveloped even though they have what it takes to be developed.

    For instance, why is a country like Nigeria – with all its human and material resources –revolving in a vicious cycle of underdevelopment and retrogression? The answer to this simple question can take volumes of books to explain, yet it is on record that Nigerians are some of the most creative and enterprising people in the world. Countries’ where Nigerians are contributing immensely toward their development often wonder why the motherland is in a perpetual parlous state.

    I was intrigued by a story which is going to form our subject matter today. A Dubai, United Arab Emirates based property development company, Damac Properties, put its machinery in motion two years ago to work with Amazon rainforest experts to recreate the jungle within a dome at its Akoya Oxygen development project. Yes you read right, a rainforest in the desert!

    This will add to a collection of spectacles that include an indoor ski slope. Visitors will be able to “fly through the treetops on a zip wire,” according to the company which also stated that “The Dubai rainforest will recreate the natural environment experienced in the heart of the deepest rainforests. It will be a tropical wonderland, which tourists, residents and school groups can immerse themselves in.”

    The project is expected to be completed ahead of the World Expo 2020 exhibition taking place in the Emirate, and will become a key attraction within Dubai’s integrated tourism plans. It will join attractions such as the varied theme parks in addition to the world’s tallest fountain, the Palm Jumeirah, the Dubai Eye and the Dubai Aquarium as Dubai looks to welcome at least 20 million tourists a year by 2020.

    If you read in between the lines you’ll realise that the country has a deliberate plan in place to continuously grow its economy using a tourism master plan. It is an open fact that Dubai is now the playground of some Nigerians who now hold their weddings, birthday and other celebrations in the city. But most fail to realise that twenty years ago, Dubai was a desert wasteland. But due to creativity and ingenuity, their leaders were able to turn thing around after ploughing their oil wealth to develop the city into a world class city with a global aviation hub to match.

    As a result of their creativity and foresight, Dubai is known around the world for attracting the biggest and best with the Dubai rainforest joining the list of unique attractions which will support the growth of the city as it provide a new space for education and cultural events which will raise awareness of this exciting ecosystem.

    The proposed rainforest will sit adjacent to the Trump World Golf Clubhouse, Dubai – an 18-hole Championship-standard golf course, which is under design by world-famous golfer,Tiger Woods. There will also be an open-air walkway of high-end retail and entertainment offering for residents and visitors.

    The question to ask here is this; why would Tiger Woods leave the United States of America or Europe to establish a golf course in the desert? The answer is simple; Dubai provides a conducive and peaceful environment for international investments. While other parts of the Middle East are boiling, Dubai and other emirates within the UAE remain peaceful. Those who have visited the city can attest to this. You hardly come across policemen or security agents on the streets.

    The rainforest will recreate the natural environment experienced in the heart of the deepest rainforests and visitors will be taken on a journey through the jungle, starting out on the ground level, before climbing into the canopy, learning about the flora and fauna throughout the habitat. Those with a thrill for heights will be able to fly through the treetops on a “zip wire” offering stunning bird’s eye views of the environment. Those with a more serene temperament will be able to laze back within the peaceful surrounds of the rainforest spa, offering hydrothermal treatments among the rock pools and steam baths.

    It will also incorporate all of the latest outdoor and exploration equipment with a natural-looking rock face climbing wall set within the abundant nature. It will also be opened to the true romantics, looking for a very unique wedding environment. Couples will be able to exchange vows in a beautiful rainforest clearing, followed by a sumptuous feast with the wedding party. Did I hear you shout aloud “welcome Nigerians?”

    When you read stories of this nature you’re bound to reflect about Nigeria and wonder why we remain static while the world has moved on. If nothing else makes you cry, our current descent into a state of anomie should. Last Sunday’s senseless church killings in Anambra State, for instance, have left many totally perplexed in search of meaning.

    Any nation devoid of visionary leadership and integrity can hardly experience stability and peace. This appears to be the story of Nigeria in recent years. Leaders with vision are known to inspire citizens and mobilise them for nation building. Leaders with crystal motives employ wisdom, foresight, sense of purpose and commitment, to galvanise a people towards self-actualisation and propel the nationalist spirit in them.

    Our lives have in recent times been dominated by a worsening security situation, manifested in kidnappings, ritual killings,, armed robbery, arson, politically motivated crises, massive youth unemployment and acrimonious poverty. Ours remains a country where millions are under-nourished, where economic, education, health and social infrastructures have practically collapsed or are tottering. In contradistinction to this national scenario is a political leadership class that wallows in financial and economic constipation and social self-adulation.

    It is quite painful to note that Dubai is enacting its miracle with the same crude oil we have. They’ve known years back that fossil fuel may become obsolete in the near future hence their diversification toward tourism and the provision of level playing fields for investors.

    After years of being an “incurable optimist”, I’ve started wondering if our situation is irredeemable. Are we a different breed of human beings different from citizens elsewhere such as in Singapore or Malaysia, South Africa or Ghana? Why is it so “difficult” to organise and lead Nigeria toward peaceful co-existence, political stability and economic prosperity? How can we achieve a paradigm shift from a reactive to a pro-active leadership with a positive culture of governance?

    From my little corner, I believe what we need is a different definition and perception of politics, where the paths to public service are not as smooth and attractive as they are now for rogues, thieves and brigands. We need a place where the gains of office are not as rewarding as they are currently fashioned out to be. We need a shift in leadership with focus sustained by transparency and accountability where civil society will engage the political leadership in balancing policy objectives against concrete acts of governance.

    I make bold to say where public figures exemplify the sterling qualities of leadership, they rub off on the society at large and invest citizens with patriotic fervour. But where a country or society is plagued by rogue leadership, treasury looting, election rigging, political brigandage and assassination – in such circumstances creativity takes flight and the citizens cannot envision a project like the Dubai rainforest.

  • Corruption and Underdevelopment

    In his book: How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, Walter Rodney, Guyanese scholar and activist, logically linked Africa’s underdevelopment to the exploitation suffered in the hands of capitalist Europe and North America. But perhaps what is sustaining Africa’s underdevelopment more than any other cause is corruption. This is particularly so in Nigeria. So, as Rodney argued with regards to solving Africa’s underdevelopment, unless the cankerworm of corruption is bucked in Nigeria, not much progress can be made.

    As independent Nigeria gets older, the tragedy seemsmore compounded. For it is the public officials, particularly the political elites, which is in control ofrelevant state agencies that is also the biggest culprit in the business of corruption. So, for a real change to take place, it is either the politicalelites willingly commit to change or it is forcedto change, before our country can make any form of genuineprogress for the sorely needed development.

    Of note, our challenge is unlike in the capitalist Europe and North America, where their political leaders are not the major culprits in the business of corruption, and so can choose to fight it, if they wish. Here, the major culprits are the public officials, who use their privileged positions to steal from the common till. Perhaps the avowed determination of President Muhammadu Buhari’s government ‘to kill corruption’, even when that effort and failings elsewhere are making his government increasingly vulnerable and less popular, is a manifestation of this great dilemma.

    The checklist of allegations of massive corruption within the ruling political class dates back to the first republic. It also permeated the military ruling class that forcefully overthrew the corrupt civilian government. If we are to believe those who sacked the second republic, corruption was the reason for their intervention, but soon enough, the new military overlords also overran the civilians in corrupt practices. Our recent political leaders have fared even worse, and the direct effect on our country is debilitating poverty everywhere.

    Reading through Rodney’s book, it is such a huge tragedy that more than 40 years after he wrote his thesis, his analysis of the challenges facing the underdeveloped countries remain quite similar. Way back in 1972, Rodney wrote: “Much of the national income which remains within the country goes to pay individuals who are not directly involved in producing wealth but only in rendering auxiliary services –civil servants, merchants, soldiers, entertainers, etc….”

    Rodney thus propounded: “It has been noted with irony that the principal ‘industry’ of many underdeveloped countries is administration”. Nigeria is a principal culprit of this averment. Take our bloated civil service, whether at the centre or in the states; that ‘unproductive industry’ is so massive, and despite attempts, no government has been able to bring the number close to what is merely needed for efficiency. In recent times, the entire energy of many state executive governors are now concentrated on how to meet the financial obligations of this ‘unproductive industry’.

    Even the largely ‘unproductive 36 state executives’ across the country, is a further manifestation of this challenge. Many have correctly argued that with the 774 local governments and 36 states, Nigeria is more poorly governed than in the first republic, with much less administrative organs.Again, with recent re-indictment of about 31 former chief executives of states who served between 1999 and 2011 by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation, it is clear that what we suffer is a double whammy, with an ‘over-bloated unproductive’ bureaucracy plus massive corruption.

    The recent $15 billion Dasukigate scandal trailing the Goodluck Jonathan’s presidential era, the current allegations of fraudulent insertionsin the 2016 budget and the allegation of N17 billion fraud against the tainted whistle-blower of the so-called padding in the 2016 budget, AbdulmuminJibrin, are all further concrete manifestationsthat our political leaders are akin to plagues embedded in massive corruption. With public officials helping themselves with billions of dollars and naira which should have been channelled to development,it is clear why our nation and its infrastructure are in complete mess.

    For a good number of Nigerians, PMB even with his best efforts can only make a dent in the fight against corruption. To these group, many of those serving in Buhari’s government are as corrupt as those in the previous era, and so for them the change mantra is a fluke. As Rodney argued, African must first become self-conscious of the debilitating challenges of their past, before they can make any genuine progress. Also, Nigerians must consciously realise the impact of corruption on its festering underdevelopment, before they can rouse themselves to confront the monster.

    Arguing on the dependency of Africa on the developed countries, Rodney wrote: “African economies are integrated into the very structure of the developed capitalist economies… Indeed, structural dependence is one of the characteristics of underdevelopment”. In the same manner, corruption and its consequent underdevelopment has created a structural dependency of the critical middle class on the political elites. Now, for their survival, the middle hasopted to accommodate and evenmassage the bloated egos of the corrupt public officials holding the key to the commonwealth.

    As things stand, corruption and underdevelopment has become a conundrum in Nigeria. This perhaps explains why instead of hope rising from the efforts of the present government to fight corruption, it appears that the people are getting more despondent, because the government’s best efforts are not yielding the desired results, as quickly as expected. And how can it, when those mostly affected by corruption have become so dependent on the lucre from corruption that some are evenready to lay down their lives to protect the very corrupt public officials, whose corruption further their underdevelopment.

    So, regardless of the introduction of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, to bring greater efficiency into our criminal justice system, frustration is still the name of the game. In reality, when a procedure that has worked well in developed countries is introduced into our underdeveloped system, the twin challenges of corruption and underdevelopment connive to render it otiose, just as it has connived to castrate the change agents in any society – the middle class.

    For now,while corruption wrecks our commonwealth, underdevelopment wrecks our self-worth and our capacity to hold the corrupt to account.That is the twin tragedy of our nation and the result is a cycle of underdevelopment. From its effort so far, the government of PMB believes that the answer lies in fighting corruption head-on, and regardless of any misgiving the regime is confronting the monster. While the expected result is slow in coming, at least there is widespread exposure of corruption, which is a huge achievement in itself.

    But quite a number of Nigerians believe that the answer to the incipient corruption and the consequent underdevelopmentlies in re-structuring the country or sub-dividing it, so that the new entities can make the needed effort to hold its own leaders accountable. Others argue stringently that our present structure is good enough, and what is lacking is patience. While the argument goes forth and back, corruption and underdevelopment continuous to surge, and by itself,may bring an end to our country.

     

  • ‘How to tackle underdevelopment’

    The need to fight corruption and materialism by Africans has been emphasised as the only solution to tackle the under-development being encountered by many African countries.

    A political scientist, Dr. Olufemi Badru of the department of Politics and International Relations of Lead City University, Ibadan spoke at a discussion programme tagged “Rhythm of the Black Race,” held at the Arts Theatre of the University of Ibadan.

    While presenting a paper titled:”Africa and the Burden of Underdevelopment: Philosophical Diagnosis and Prognosis,” Dr. Badru stated that Africans must collectively and conscientiously determine to fight the systemic corruption that has eaten deep into the system of many Africans.

    He added that Africans must eschew bad values, such as high- level of materialism, exploitative interaction, social irresponsibility, among other things, adding that they must embrace desirable values such as altruism, fellow-feeling, social responsibility, which, he said, were largely lost in Africa.

    “Intellectuals in Africa must be more committed to Intellectual Social Responsibility, that is, the duty of intellectuals to consign and confine their intellectual resources to the resolution of socio-political problems that beset their societies. Western thinkers did these and succeeded in transforming Europe during the Renaissance and the enlightenment periods,” he said.

  • Scholar lists reasons for rural underdevelopment

    Scholar lists reasons for rural underdevelopment

    Successive governments’ ineptitude, massive corruption, neglect of community participation and poor funding are responsible for the failure of past rural development programmes in Nigeria.

    Others are ineffective policy framework and lack of continuity in policy making due to changes in administration.

    Professor of Geography at the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), Raphael Olawepo, gave these reasons while delivering the institution’s 157th inaugural lecture in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital.

    In the lecture entitled: “Learning from the people: A geographer’s mandate for sustainable rural development,” Olawepo said appropriate rural development could be achieved through collaborative planning, appropriate policies and structures, empowerment, continuity and sustainability.

    “In the 21st Century, a rural development programme that would be sustainable would put the people first and would not be the sole responsibility of government planning from top to down, but would be guided bottom up approaches which we find only in the use of participatory methodologies,” he said.

    The geographer canvassed for a national development plan that would be people-oriented.

    He said: “I am waiting for a blueprint of our national development plan that will have the bedrock of rural development and other development programmes entrenched in our constitution; a national development plan that will be devoid of politics, no matter which political party wins in an election.

    “When the blueprint remains a national development plan that would be strictly implemented continuously, then there will be no need for each party’s agenda, but the people’s national plan, and it is then that we can have continuity in regional development plans.”

    He recommended community development programmes that would be initiated by the people, and partly funded by them with the backing of the government and other agencies.

    “It has been acknowledged that one of the main sources of the crises in the rural sector is the absence of effective partnership and funding. I, therefore, suggest the backing of the World Bank assisted rural development programmes in all states. While the rural communities would choose programmes for themselves, contribute their 10 per cent funding, the remaining 90 per cent would be borne by the state and federal governments as counterpart funding,” he said.

  • PDP driving Nigeria into underdevelopment, says Buhari

    PDP driving Nigeria into underdevelopment, says Buhari

    •13 political parties to team up with APC

    THE All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, said yesterday that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had succeeded in driving the nation several decades into severe underdevelopment.

    Speaking when he received members of a coalition of 13 political parties in Abuja, the APC flagbearer said it was an irony that despite the huge money accruing to the PDP government since 1999, it had nothing to show for it.

    According to him, the money that accrued to the country in the last 16 years of PDP administration could not be compared to what the country earned since the 1914 amalgamation of the Northern and Southern protectorates by the British colonial masters.

    Asking well-meaning Nigerians to rescue the country by voting out the PDP at the polls, Buhari said the funds generated by the country under the PDP-led administration were filtered away due to corrupt practices and wastefulness.

    He added that the inability of the government to provide basic amenities as roads, functional railway,  shipping line, hospital, schools and the free fall in the exchange rate of the Naira were clear indicators of the inability of the PDP-led government to make effective use of the nation’s earnings over the years.

    He praised members of the progressive parties for their concern about  the fate of the country, saying: “I honestly appreciate how you arrived at this decision to co-operate with us in this election. This decision is very patriotic. We have to appreciate the stage we are in. We have to realise that we can save the system and our country, if we come together.

    “We challenge the PDP. Let them account for their stay in power for 16 years, in terms of the fundamental objectives we have been talking about, in the three most important aspects we have been talking about –  security, economy and corruption.

    “We have been very consistent about these issues. But people who are sitting on the periphery have kept on making noise and wasting our time. Let them come and defend themselves in what they have done in the last 16 years; with the incredible resources they made within this period, the incredible resources this country realised within this period, which is much more than what the country made since the amalgamation in 1914. You can get this record from the Central Bank.

    “The type of money we made in the last 16 years and yet we have never made it before. We used to have Nigeria Airways, Nigeria Shipping Line, Nigeria Railways etc. But what do we have now? Look at the state of our Naira. Now, you have to get N220 for a dollar. How can we develop under this system?

    “We appreciate the stage we are in our political development. We have been sentenced to underdevelopment by the PDP. So, we do appreciate the role you are playing right now.

    “Our survival as a nation depends on our coming together and I insist that there must be free, fair and credible elections. Anybody who will interfere with this, Nigeria will survive, in spite of what they are doing now.”

    Speaking on behalf of the parties, the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Movement, Alhaji Yusuf Bashir Ibrahim, said they were ready to collaborate with the APC towards ensuring the conduct of free and fair elections.

    Ibrahim, who noted the unsuccessful bid to halt the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from postponing the February 14 election, assured that the group would not leave any stone unturned in rallying Nigerians to exert pressure on INEC not to compromise the integrity of the general election.

  • Obi’s moves against underdevelopment

    Obi’s moves against underdevelopment

    Governor Peter Obi is a man in a hurry. He has barely one year to bow out of the stage in Anambra State. His budget just presented to the state House of Assembly is meant to illustrate his bid to ensure that anambra joins the league of relatively developed states of the country.

    Therefore, the administration of Anambra State Governor Peter Obi could be said to be footing the bills of those who elected him, through his Anambra State Integrated Development Strategy (ANIDS).

    Besides, his land mark trade in fighting crimes in the state is enormous. This explains the number of vehicles his administration has given out to the state Police Command, the Military, Civil Defence and other security outfits.

    In the area of Health, Education, Agriculture, Commerce and Industry, Obi has really excelled in Anambra State not to talk of infrastructure.

    Not only that, there is a new lease of life in Anmabra State schools since he gave back over 1,000 schools to the churches in the state.

    The governor has spent over ten billion naira on schools in recent times, with each school getting between 10 to 20 million naira in all the 21 local government areas in the state.

    The only area where people believe Obi has not fared well is the non-conduct of local government election in the state, which according to investigation, has been prolonged following the court case instituted by former chairman of Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC), Prof. Titus Ezeh.

    Obi has used his ANIDS programme to tackle frontally, all development projects in the state and thus, meeting the challenges of democratic development in the state.

    In his opinion, the member representing Anaocha 1 constituency in the Anambra House of Assembly, Hon Ebele Ejiofor, who spoke to The Nation a few days ago, Anambra State had never had it so good before now.

    The lawmaker is of the view that Obi is a kind of Messiah sent by God to deliver Anambra State from infrastructural decay and take it to the next level.

    Ejiofor said Obi had weathered the storm in the state and if it were possible for him to continue another term, the people of Anambra would love it.

    According to him, “ANIDS accomplishments in road construction are truly heartwarming, over 500 kilometer of roads have been constructed and these roads are there for people to see’’

    “The successful completion of the first ever electronic stock exchange building, completion of business parks in the state, the building of five star hotel in Onitsha which is on going and the steps being taken to revolutionalize commerce in the state.

    “Also, the jinx of portable water has been broken with the completion of major water schemes, which had before now defied all solutions. For example, the commissioning of Amawobia water scheme by Obi, the Obizi water scheme in Uga Aguata, which unfortunately was taken over by flood recently, and numerous water bore holes being provided.

    “ There has been a very big leap in the Agricultural sector with over 200 new tractors with full complements have been purchased, loans that have been given to farmers amounted to over two billion naira, while the State Collage of Agriculture in Mgbakwu has taken off longtime ago with many buildings.

    “My brother, what else can we discuss about Peter Obi’s administration, is it the Teaching Hospital in Awka, which has since been completed, is it youth and sports, though our athletes did not perform well in Lagos recently in Eko 2012.

    “So, Governor Obi has left an indelible mark that will be difficult for anybody to match in this state. What we are praying for him is that God should intervene in 2014 election to send somebody from APGA that can fit into Obi’s big shoes’,’ Ejiofor said.

    Furthermore, Obi has equally worked harmoniously with the legislative arm in the state, making tongues to wag that the assembly members are rubber stamps to the executive.

    His administration’s cordial relationship with the legislature which was lacking in Anambra State before now, has been the moving force in the developmental strides in the state.

    Ejiofor said,’’ Some people in the state have designed all sorts of names for the state lawmakers because of our relationship with Obi, but we can not go against the man who has turned around Anambra State.

    “Members of the House of Assembly and majority of the people in the state including our Speaker, Chinwe Nwebili, are happy with the governor, if we fight him without any cause, what people are witnessing today in this state will not be there.

    “When the lawmakers fought in the past against the governors, where did it lead us to, nowhere, rather, it dragged the state backwards, so, we do not regret working harmoniously with our governor, and he has done well for those who elected him’’

    “On industrialization, Obi has moved mountains by establishing SAB miller and the likes and thereby putting the state in the committee of industrial nations, which was lacking since the creation of the state”

    Recently, Obi drags the president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan to Anambra to commission the Orient Oil Refinery, where he has invested the state’s billions of naira and very soon the state will start reaping the dividends of the oil sector as the state has become oil producing.

    As his tenure ends shortly, Obi has continued to commission new roads especially in virtually all the 177 communities in the state, a feat which other out-going governors can not do.

    “Anybody, who has any negative thing to say against Governor Obi is either a member of opposition or an enemy of progress; we have never had it so good in this state,’’ Ejiofor said.