Anambra State embodies all the good virtues the Igbo race is known for. Ndi Anambra are motivated, ambitious, industrious, achievers, hospitable and generous. In many areas, especially in the economic sector and education, these qualities are a great advantage to the state and that is why the state parades almost the highest number of billionaires and professionals in Nigeria and Igbo land.
However, like everything that has a good side, these good qualities can well constitute a big disadvantage particularly in the area of politics because effective leadership is usually very difficult to come by where there are too many ambitious, rich and wise individuals. The outcome usually is what scholars have come to call politics of convenience where every leader that emerges after a protracted wrangling tries to settle his supporters, opponents and their cronies through mediocre appointments, contracts and allocations of slots.
Since the dawn of the current democratic dispensation in 1999, this politics of convenience has played out again and again gulping billions of Naira from the state’s coffer and rarely giving back anything in return. It started with the government of Governor Chinwoke Mbadinuju who in an effort to pacify his supporters and opponents, recruited lots of workers and appointees the state has no need for and gave out billions of Naira worth of contracts most of which were neither started nor completed by the contractors. Governor Ngige continued with the same trend. In fact, Ngige recruited so many workers and appointees so much so that at a point, the state became unable to pay those who work for it.
The good natured Governor Obi saw the problem even before assuming office. In other to tackle it headlong, many appointees and employees of Governor Ngige were laid off. What Obi did not realize was that the politics of convenience has  become like a norm in Anambra state that it was no longer easy to deal with. Like the enemy that lives within, it sits with you and goes with you wherever you go. You can’t run away from it without getting yourself bruised and not many politicians like getting themselves bruised. In a matter of time, Obi had to learn to live with these bogus employees and appointees since he realized that dismissing them has the capacity of destabilizing his government.
Governor Willie Obiano is a very intelligent person, in fact one of the most intelligent among all the governors that have ruled Anambra state. However, intelligence and diligence are two different things and it takes a very diligent person to see the havoc politics of convenience has wrecked on Anambra state. Obiano seems to never have noticed the problem (many people believe he is always high), if he did notice it, he never did anything to solve the problem. In fact, Obiano expanded the scope of the politics of convenience in the state. Never before in the history of Anambra state are taxpayers’ hard earned money used to service the avarice of politicians than in Obiano’s time.
WHY SOLUDO WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Many governors of Anambra state have tried to tackle the problem of wasting state resources on employees and appointees of government who have nothing to contribute to the development of the state. Particularly, Governor Obi tried it but did not have the will and courage to carry the reform through; especially when he saw that there were a lot of vested interest.
However with recent moves made by the Governor elect, Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo, there are indications that he is not only prepared to wrestle with the problem but is also going to make doing that a key policy of his administration.
Two days ago, a friend of mine who is an ardent supporter of APGA and who spent the past one year working around the clock to ensure that Soludo becomes governor called me to say that they have been asked to submit proposals of what they have the qualifications and skills to offer to the incoming administration. My friend did not know what to write because he was not sure of exactly what he can offer to Ndi Anambra.
He asked me to help him put down something which he would send to the committee. I have not been able to write down anything because; honestly I don’t know what exactly to write.
Nevertheless, no matter whatever eventually happens, whether I am able to think out anything to write or not, the truth is that governance in Anambra state has started changing for good. Gone are the days when belonging to a political party is the only ticket for political appointment. Now you have to prove that you have the prerequisite qualifications and skills to handle efficiently the position you are aspiring for. But will the incoming governor have the courage and political will to push this reform through or will he like Governor Peter Obi abandon it halfway when the pressures start mounting? We shall soon find out in the coming months. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
