USAfrica Exclusive: Obiano on “the secret to my successful 100 days in office”

USAfrica Exclusive: Obiano on “the secret to my successful 100 days in office”
By Chido Nwangwu

Special to USAfricaonline.com, CLASSmagazine,  and USAfrica multimedia networks, Houston. Follow USAfrica at Facebook.com/USAfricaChido , Facebook.com/USAfrica247 and Twitter.com/Chido247 

The technocrat-banker, Willie Maduabuchi Obiano who was sworn-in on March 17, 2014 as the executive Governor of Anambra State of Nigeria is, steadily, leaving bold and impressive footprints on the landscape of the homeland of the great Nnamdi Azikiwe, the father of modern African novels Chinua Achebe, Biafra’s leader Odumegwu Ojukwu, former VP of Nigeria Alex Ekwueme, the king of highlife music Osita Osadebe, music stars P-Square, and many others.

In an exclusive chat I had with the holder of the title ‘Akpokuedike Aguleri’ on July 1, 2014, he revealed to USAfricaonline.com that “the secret to my successful 100 days in office is preparation. During the campaign in 2013, regardless of whether we win the elections or not, I was preparing with my think-tank on how to effectively govern the good people of Anambra State.” He added “some of the policies and actions we are executing today especially in the area of security were developed during and after the elections. I believe in preparation. Good planning is vital.”

He was quick to remind me what he said 2 years ago (fresh from his retirement as Executive Director of Fidelity Bank, Nigeria)during our first interview (in the company of his wife Osodieme Ebelechukwu Obiano), at his home near Houston, Texas, specifically: “I told you I take every task, every assignment very seriously. Especially where you’re the Governor of Anambra. Preparation is very important.”

I believe he draws that emphasis from his professional background and upbringing.

My brief inquiry to his history and upbringing show a family value of spartan discipline and resourcefulness —instilled by his late father, Sir Philip Onuorah Obiano, a well-known headmaster in their hometown of Aguleri. Those two uncommon attributes are needed for leadership roles, particularly as Governor of a State with scarce resources and fiercely competing priorities.

Evidently, Obiano’s governorship is bringing some results especially as regards security and public safety. Seriously, the man promises to usher in the dawn of a new era where I think policy lucidity meets relevant experience. Plus, his style towards governance is markedly different from those of his predecessors, including immediate former Governor Peter Obi.

Elected under the banner of the markedly Igbo-interest APGA party, Chief Obiano is a banker of international repute, a philanthropist and cultural custodian, a devout Catholic, a friend with a versatile sense for humor and a good son of modest background. Almost 110 days ago, I was in Awka to witness and report his swearing-in that fateful afternoon of March 17, 2014 — as the Governor of Anambra State.
To be sure, to govern Anambra is not easy, yet Obiano is on course and so far popular.
Anambra is homeland to some of the formidable financial heavyweights in Nigeria and holds an impressive mix of talented leaders.
Also, truth must be told that Anambra has more than its fair share of spoilers and
squads of acid-tongue, elbow-throwing politicos who thrive in crises and malice. Lest I forget, there’s the motley of pint-size political god-fathers and buccaneers for whom business gets its highest returns from politics.

Over the past 20 years, Anambra has witnessed, except for two or three, an unimpressive confetti of political charlatanry and, in some cases, murderous events which turned away many well-meaning citizens of the State from competitive public service. Many refused to be involved in the partisan swindle for which the recent political business of the great State had become synonymous….

Second, in the big picture of geo-politics, especially ahead of Nigeria’s 2015 potentially explosive presidential election, the Obiano-APGA votes fulfilled and secured the broad sentiments around the Igbo interest for a symbolically autonomous political community. Therein lies the importance of Obiano as, potentially, a key leader of the Igbo eastern states, at this crucial period as Nigeria bifurcates along the geo-ethnic lines of the ruling, incompetent PDP and the disorganized opposition APC.

Third, all politics are local, as the political maxim states.
Chief Obiano told me recently, during an exclusive USAfricaonline.com interview, that APGA and the Igbo voters “will get more mileage” by supporting Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan (of the PDP) for the 2015 elections.

To understand the realities and dynamics of Obiano’s emerging governorship, we must situate him in the recent political ecology of Anambra. It has seen the best plans and initial achievements drowned in the fire and thunder of the boisterous politics of Anambra (and parts of Nigeria). The man who goes by the courage-filled traditional title of ‘Akpokuedike’ has moved expeditiously to bring the stakeholders and captains of business together for the interest of Anambra….                                                                                                                                                                          •Dr. Chido Nwangwu, moderator of the Achebe Colloquium (Governance, Security, and Peace in Africa) December 7-8, 2012 at Brown University in Rhode Island and former adviser on Africa business/issues to the Mayor of Houston, is the Founder & Publisher of Houston-based USAfrica multimedia networks since 1992, first African-owned, U.S-based newspaper published on the internet USAfricaonline.com; CLASSmagazine, AchebeBooks.com, the USAfrica-powered e-groups of AfricanChristians, Nigeria360, IgboEvents, UNNalumni, and the pictorials site PhotoWorks.TV . He is completing a book titled Nelson Mandela and Chinua Achebe: Footprints of Greatness. He has been profiled by the CNN International for his pioneering works on multimedia/news/public policy projects for Africans and Americans. http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/international/2010/07/29/mpa.african.media.bk.a.cnn

#Achebe USAfrica Founder Dr. Chido Nwangwu gets award for his works on#ThingsFallApart author Chinua Achebe from ASA-USA Dallas. Chido is completing the book on Mandela & Achebe: Footprints of Greatness. by Chido Nwangwu ISBN 978-0-9893970-0-1. www.MandelaAchebeChido.com

VIDEO of the CNN International broadcast/profile of USAfrica and CLASSmagazine Publisher Chido Nwangwu.   http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/international/2010/07/29/mpa.african.media.bk.a.cnn  

 and friendship hold lessons for humanity and Africans, USAfrica Founder Chido Nwangwu takes a measure of their works and consequence to write that Mandela and Achebe have left “footprints of greatness.”

He chronicles, movingly, his 1998 reporting from the Robben Island jail room in South Africa where Mandela was held for decades through his 20 years of being close to Achebe. He moderated the 2012 Achebe Colloquium at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.“I’ll forever remember having walked inside and peeped through that historic Mandela jail cell (where he was held for most of his 27 years in unjust imprisonment) at the dreaded Robben Island, on March 27, 1998, alongside then Editor-in-chief of TIME magazine and later news chief executive of the CNN, Walter Isaacson (and others) when President Bill Clinton made his first official trip to South Africa and came to Robben Island. Come to this island of scourge and you will understand, in part, the simple greatness and towering grace of Nelson Mandela”, notes  Chido Nwangwu, award-winning writer, multimedia 
specialist and founder of USAfricaonline.com, the first African-owned U.S-based newspaper published on the internet, in his first book; he writes movingly from his 1998 reporting from South Africa on Mandela. http://www.mandelaachebechido.com/

IF any of the Nigerian President’s 100 advisers has the polite courage for the extraordinary task of reminding His Excellency of his foremost, sworn, constitutional obligation to the national interest about security and safety of Nigerians and all who sojourn in Nigeria, please whisper clearly to Mr. President that I said, respectfully: Nigerians, at home and abroad, are still concerned and afraid for living in what I call Nigeria’s Federal Republic of Insecurity. FULL text of commentary, exclusively, at USAfricaonline.com https://usafricaonline.com/2011/12/17/nigeria-federal-republic-of-insecurity-by-chido-nwangwu/

USAfrica: BOKO HARAM’s latest killings sharpen divide for security team at Nigeria’s presidency. By Chido Nwangwu
https://usafricaonline.com/2013/10/21/usafrica-boko-harams-latest-killings-sharpen-divide-for-security-team-at-nigerias-presidency-by-chido-nwangwu/

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Dancing with “ghosts” of BOKO HARAM, President Jonathan, Sultan Abubakar and Nigeria’s national security. By Dr. Chido Nwangwu
https://usafricaonline.com/2013/04/05/dancing-with-ghosts-of-boko-haram-president-jonathan-sultan-abubakar-and-nigerias-national-security-by-chido-nwangwu/

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