Obiano The Security Conscious Governor In Nigeria

By Owelle Mbaso

Since the creation of Anambra State in 1991, the state has not enjoyed adequate security of lives and properties. Successive administrations in the state had tried to put in place adequate security but could not record appreciable successes. Though the past governors of the state did their best but there was much to be desired.

Security of lives and properties remained the most important desire of the citizens in every clime and any leader who regards security as a game of jamboree would fail woefully. And the consequences of a failed security system will culminate to spilling of human blood, molestation, kidnapping, stealing, raping, intense fear, militancy, destruction of hard earned properties, restiveness etcetera.

In many state of the federation where the criminals operate in open glare and thereafter hold celebration galore is an indication that the apparatus of government in those states are weak and porous. The people therein would flee and seek refuge in neighboring states. Investors would be scared away, development would be stunted, political instability could have a strong hold, dastard and heinous activities will freely reign. And the governors will be seen by their people as failed leaders.

When Chief Wille Obiano came on board as the executive governor of Anambra State in 2014 and having studied the security in the state, he resolved and determined to form a government that was professionally and intellectually balanced to be role model in Nigeria on the area of security of lives and properties of the citizenry. Today, Anambra has become a state other states governors copy the security policy direction of the astute and security conscious governor (Obiano).

Governor Willie Obiano is a team player and a rare leader who is always ready to sacrifice many things in the interest of Ndi Anambra who are his subjects. He is a governor who has defined himself over the years through sheer dint of hard work and a tenacity of purpose and his intimidating antecedents speak great volume for him.

Visibly perturbed by the activities of hoodlums and the high level of crime in the state, the governor in a swift reaction and in matching words with serious action proved many people who had resigned to fate wrong as he audaciously swung into serious action by stifling the sources of the kidnappers assistance and suffocating the sources of the criminals who had given Anambra State a bad name as well as going after them by smoking them out from their various hide out.

Many of them fell to the superior fire power of the security agents while scores of them have been cooling off in jail. He deployed strong tactical measures to tackle the rise in kidnapping which reared its ugly head in the state. The perpetrators and their sponsors thought the governor was a stooge and a weakling but he rose to the occasion and crushed them by nabbing them and bringing down houses where the kidnapped victims were discovered to be hidden to rubble. And they shouted, “Ogbugo anyi o” meaning he has killed us o.

His response was prompt, his good steps were practical and his strenuous efforts came into fruition. The precious lives and hard earned properties of Ndi Anambra are at present adequately protected. The notorious crime infected upper Iweka Onitsha is now crime free. The people in the state can now sleep with their two eyes closed. People now go to their normal businesses without fear of being molested. This wonderful achievement has endeared the governor the love and strong support of all sundry.

The strong will and tenacity with which he strenuously pursued the plan to rescue Ndi Anambra from the clutch of the kidnappers and criminals demonstrated a clear variation between a leader who has the interest of his people at heart and a non concerned leader who wallows in selfishness and self centeredness. This is a visible mark of a responsive and responsible administration.

Recognizing the importance of the security agents in the state, the governor provided enormous and unflinching support to the security personnel. He provided series of patrol vans, communication gadgets, Armoured personnel carriers, 25 units of U.S style patrol smart cars, ammunitions among scores of security enhancing materials. At present governor Willie Obiano enjoys the collective goodwill of Ndi Anambra both at home and diaspora. He also enjoys the co-operation of the security agents in the state because he had allayed the terrible fear of kidnappers and criminals and had also given them a hot chase from Anambra State. Where did they ran to? It is best known to them. He has seriously motivated the security agents and had given serious attention to their welfare.

He installed closed-circuit cameras (CCTV) in main market Onitsha which has decreased pilfering, burglary and pick pocketing in the commercial nerve center in west Africa. The governor of Delta State Senator Ifeanyi Okowa has recently adopted the style of governor Willie Obiano in clamping down on kidnappers by razing down houses where the kidnapped victims are found to be harbored. Thump up for the Anambra State governor.

The sensitive method and coordinated reaction of governor Willie Obiano to fighting crime was successful. This is as a result of the understandable relationship he has with the security forces including the community vigilante group. Chief Willie Obiano is a security conscious governor. Security of lives and properties has remained one of the biggest attainment of governor Obiano’s administration. His administration has hoodlums and bandits in proper check now.

No one in the state is amazed that the security conscious governor got the overwhelming co-operation of the security forces because he had at the beginning did the needful for them to prove their mettle in crime fighting. And the police, army, navy and the community vigilante group have fought crime and kidnapping to a halt. The security agents have demonstrated their gallantry, competence, focus, intelligence, professionalism, seriousness, tactfulness and sacrifice in the course of discharging their duties. I thank them.

At present Anambra is the most safest and secured state in Nigeria. The governor has put in place crime preventive measures by beefing up security in all the nooks and crannies of the state. I urge Ndi Anambra to continue to support his administration as he is still poised and well positioned to take the state to a higher level.

Governor Willie Obiano is willingly working for the entire people of Anambra State. May Almighty God continue to keep him for Ndi Anambra and humanity Amen.

John Ikeli
Deputy Editor Pilot Newspaper
Member Correspondent Chapel NUJ Anambra State Chapter

National Secretary Igbo Youth Progressive Forum
07030937713
2: I Recommend Anambra as a Model for Northern Nigeria – Labaran Maku

Former Minister of Information, Labran Maku bares his mind on the state of insecurity in Nigeria and what the governors must do to attract development to their respective domains. Maku recommends the Obiano Formula to the governors of the Northern parts of Nigeria and other states that are facing security challenges. Read all this in the excerpts of an interview he granted at the ceremony marking the 2015 Zik Prize for Leadership in Lagos at the weekend. Excerpts -

“We know that Governor Obiano has been one of the most impactful governors in this dispensation. He is a very serious man and since his assumption of leadership in Anambra State, we have seen changes in the direction of governance, we have seen seriousness and focus in the development of infrastructure, we have seen prudence in the management of scarce resources of Anambra State to the extent that in spite of the current economic challenges across the nation he remains one of the very few governors that have been able to carry on the project of modernization of Anambra State, industrialization, without hampering the welfare of his workforce.

Today Anambra remains very regular in the payment of salaries which cannot be taken for granted anymore in Nigeria if you consider the fact that 27 states have declared that they can no longer pay salaries. He has continued to pay salaries. And we are also aware that since assuming office, he has not taken a single kobo from the bank. Not a dime, in loan! This is really exemplary. It shows prudence, it shows discipline in the management of men and resources. But over and above that, Awka is wearing a new look. We are beginning to see flyovers that we used to see only in Lagos and Abuja and Akwa Ibom.

It is now creeping into Anambra State. And Awka which was sleepy and provincial is now assuming the position of the commercial headquarters of not only Anambra State but the South East. We are very happy with the performance of Governor Obiano. But there is something that I want to mention. I am personally impressed by his programme on peace and security. We know that before this dispensation, Anambra used to be a place where people were afraid to visit. But presently I am happy to say that suddenly, Anambra State has become the center of peace and tranquility.

Today, Onitsha that used to be very tough for visitors now has a 24 hour life. Kidnapping is gone. Robbery is gone. Peace has returned to the extent that Anambra is now the highest receiver of foreign direct investment in the south East and maybe one of the highest in Nigeria. So if he continues like this, and he maintains his programme on peace and security, infrastructure, focused governance, transformation of rural areas through focus on agriculture and his new programme of partnering with communities on development, setting up special funds and partnering with communities to identify projects that will impact on their lives, I believe that he is going to leave a testimony, not only for Anambra but for Nigeria.

Presently, his programme on security is the best in the country. I have not seen any state that has transformed from such difficulties to such glory in terms of peace and without peace you can’t develop. And I recommend Anambra as a model for Northern Nigeria. Because you know I come from that part of the country and as a Minister of Information before now, I used to say that governors are the only people that can maintain peace and security in their states. When I was saying that, people thought it was politics.

Today, the governor of Anambra State has shown that any governor that is serious about security can have it. Nigeria is a federation. States have the capacity to maintain their own security. You have the police available to you, you have the army, the Airforce, all the security apparatchik is available. But a governor must mix them and take personal leadership to ensure that all these agencies perform and give their states security.

So, I am proud of Anambra State. And I am ashamed to say that in many parts of the states in the North today, we have insecurity and there is no development, because nobody is going to take money and invest in a state where people are running, where you have internally displaced people and they are running.

Nobody is going to invest there. And so, they must come to Anambra State; each of the states in the north and other parts of the country that have security challenges, they need to come and study the Obiano formula; a leader that is serious and will not tolerate malfeasance - will not tolerate indiscipline and insecurity in his state because he knows that once that creeps in, you can say bye bye to development. So, I am very happy with governor Obiano.”

Owelle Onyeka Mbaso
SSA Political to Gov. Obiano
Support Gov. Obiano's Administration and APGA
Willie is Working, QED.

Disclaimer: "The views expressed on this site are those of the contributors or columnists, and do not necessarily reflect TheNigerianVoice’s position. TheNigerianVoice will not be responsible or liable for any inaccurate or incorrect statements in the contributions or columns here."