A Case For Lancelot Anyanya 2015

Source: pointblanknews.com

            Lost in the Rotimi Amaechi, Nyesom Wike, Commissioner of Police Mbu Rivers state political crisis is the future of Rivers state and the destiny of the people of Rivers state. The people of Rivers state are the unintended but also the devastated victims of the political dispute rocking the state as strategic, futuristic vision and development have been traded for political fist fights / in-fighting, purposeless insults, grand standing and violent intolerance. Though the people of Rivers state never signed up for the political upheaval in their state, they are caught in between the carnage of its combatants. However, that may all be laid to rest with the electorate scheduled to determine the next act in their future come February, 2015.

            In the process of the continuing political theatre in Rivers state, appropriation of the common wealth of the state for the benefit of the people is divorced from the leadership's agenda. Rivers state has no world standard hospital, university, college, or infrastructure worthy of mention. The only issue that appears to matter to the old political establishment is who rules next? What senatorial zone is the next governor going to emerge from? There appears to be nothing in the pipeline for the people of the state that these professional politicians are hell bent on governing by any means deployable.

            Here is an alternative; Major Lancelot  Anyanya (retired). He is a People's Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the 2015 Rivers state governorship contest.           Major. Anyanya voluntarily retired from the Nigerian army as a Major in the Military Intelligence Corps. He has since served in various capacities as a security expert and is the immediate past chairman of the board for the Nigerian Oil Spill Regulatory Agency (NOSRA).

 A difference of a meaningful distinction between Major Anyanya and the rest of the herd is not only his cerebral master plan for the renaissance of rivers state; he voluntarily retired from the military. Most politicians in Nigeria depart office either by death, disgrace, and other forms of resounding public or institutional rejection. Thereafter, they commit the rest of their lives to returning to government or midwifing their sorry surrogates into public office against the collective will of the electorate.

            Major Anyanya has publicly stated that he joined the governorship race with his vision to establish Rivers state as respectable business, commercial, manufacturing, hospitality, education and employment destination which it should be, based on its strategic location and resources (natural, human and otherwise). Major Anyanya intends to establish Rivers state as an unavoidable investor / investment destination, not just by advertising the potential of Rivers state for exploration and exploitation, but rather by building and establishing infrastructure, developing and prosecuting friendly government policies and nurturing a business climate that is simply a self-perpetuating revenue base for the benefit and betterment of the Rivers people.

            I was inspired to write this unsolicited and altruistic piece in favour of Major Anyanya's governorship aspiration because River's state should be significantly more developed and advanced, not in its current state of disrepair and despair. The residents of Rivers state are anguished over the failed potential of their beloved state and the resulting negative consequence they continue to endure unabated. Rivers state can serve as a model for a Nigerian Dubai if properly administered and purposefully directed. The fact is that the Dubai project and reality is the singular vision of one of its leaders. Major Anyanya can definitely lay that foundation for Rivers state if given the kind mandate and confidence of his fellow Rivers people.

            Politicians in Nigeria tend to seek public office only for personal, parochial reasons bothering on everything else but public service, the benefit of the people and the best interest of future generations. This is evident in the transient attitude of Nigerian politicians switching political parties at the drop of a hat. The phrase “do or die” is synonymous with Nigerian politics. Major Anyanya is a pleasant deviation from this self-enveloped model. He is emphatic that power belongs to the people and he will be a temporary servant trustee of the Rivers people if given the humbling privilege to represent them. He has a very specific plan and political ideology which is grounded in public accountability, public welfare and empowerment, nation building and the creation of lasting public service delivery systems which will not be personality driven, but rather based on a fair and logically enduring philosophy.

Major Anyanya wants to create a functional Rivers state government system based on the promotion of merit, protection and encouragement of the weak and the down trodden and a system of equal access to government benefits for all Rivers state residents. Major Anyanya's interest in power is strictly driven by the potential privilege to serve his people, not a hell or high water approach of self-ambition. Unlike many, Mr. Anyanya has built private businesses, is a private employer of Nigerians and has a profitable profession outside politics, power and government.

            Major Anyanya's vision and methodically reasoned plan for Rivers state is admirable. He just doesn't want the roads fixed to fulfil campaign promises; he wants the roads for the convenience of his people, to serve as a gateway to communities and commodities, for the development and encouragement of intra state and interstate commerce, among others. Mr. Anyanya believes that his people must acquire the skills and be offered opportunities for gainful engagement. To this end he has come up with an industrialization and commercialization plan to promote and modernize the local industries and trade in the state. Industrialization, commercialization and a high skilled employment rate will translate into revenues for the state to be reinvested in the rivers people. This is also part of his planned systemic exit from the huge dependence on oil revenues in a world economy bent on the development of alternative energy.

Tourism is not out of Major Anyanya's orbit, as he believes that tourism will provide employment and income, expose the benefits of investing in Rivers state and its people to tourists. As a former intelligence officer, and alumni of the office of the National Security Adviser to the Nigerian President, Major Anyanya has also developed a unique community security initiative, specifically workable and achievable for the safety of the Rivers people, industry and guests. Major Anyanya's plans are unending and exciting as they will most certainly lay the foundation to propel Rivers state into the realm of foreign locations Nigerians frequent for educational enrichment, tourism, medical care and shopping.

            The difference in Major  Anyanya's candidacy is that he is holding himself publicly accountable for his plans and promises and will publicly provide measurable performance timelines and benchmarks the Rivers people will hold him responsible for.

            In the interest of the future of the people of Rivers state, and for an immediate termination of the absurd, detrimental, political, public charade we have witnessed in recent times, observers worldwide anticipate the good people of Rivers state will terminate their current theatre of insanity and replace same with a purposeful, visionary, and development oriented driven leadership. The next occupant of the Rivers state government house must not be a product of zoning, political vendetta, incompetence or ignorance. The next governor of Rivers state must be one to lay the foundation for a modern state and a protected population. In Major Anyayanya, the expectations of the people will become a reality and a departure from the current circle of failure, excuses, disappointment and defeat.

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