NIGERIA MASTERWEB DAILY NEWS

By Masterweb News Desk

The new Anambra Government Secretariat was the third project visited by Masterweb Team during her tour on August 25, 2011 of projects by Governor Peter Obi’s administration. The huge twin structures, additions by Obi to an existing secretariat built by the federal government and handed over to the newly created Anambra State in 1991, visually symbolize ambition and excellence. The project is one of the mirrors of Governor Obi’s dream of what he wants Anambra to be in the comity of states. If one's guess is "making Anambra the best it can be", it is not far from the truth. The identical twin buildings were befitting to a state that cares about its image, workforce and attraction of foreign investments. Masterweb Team took a tour of randomly selected sections of the buildings and found them adequately furnished and equipped to standard. According to our team's investigations, Peter Obi is the only known governor who added a more modern annex to an original state secretariat. The pictures below of the new Anambra Government Secretariat twin buildings speak for themselves. It is befitting of a state that has produced the likes of Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chinua Achebe, Odumegwu Ojukwu and many others.

Masterweb Team during the course of the day visited many road projects by Governor Obi’s administration; these included and not limited to - dualized Awka-Enugu Road (Zik’s Ave); Ora-eri-Obeledu-Akwaeze-Igbo Ukwu Road and Anambra State University, Uli Campus Road. Our team covered approximately 215 kilometers of the total 500-kilometer road network completed by Obi’s government. The roads inspected by our team were well paved (tarred) and maintained as can be see in the pictures. 500-kilometer road network within five years in office, with meager federal government allocation is a feat statistically significant in comparison with all Nigerian governors. Governor Obi's impressive roadwork rate will certainly complete work on ongoing projects such as Nnewi and Lilu road projects, and also deliver service to all bad roads in the state. Several bridges under construction in the state were also inspected by our team who came back with photos as evidence of the level of work at the sites. Completed Odor bridge, linking Awgbu and Amaokpala is an example of what these bridges would look upon completion.

Our team from on-the-spot assessment, rated both the new Anambra Government Secretariat and inspected road and bridge projects above standard, a determination which our statistical comparative analysis supported.

Masterweb received several emails and phone calls congratulating her team on their competent analysis of governance in Anambra. They made it known to us that our team's inspection statistical analysis, was one of the best reports ever conducted in Nigeria. One respondent wrote: "Masterweb team's analytical high score of Governor Peter Obi was non partisan nor arranged, but a professional competent measure rarely used in Nigeria where pay-offs and corruption is the order of the day." Others wrote that every Nigerian was convinced that Governor Obi was one of the best governors in the country from two sources that echoed our team's high score of Obi, namely Nigeria ex-Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (rtd.) and the Senate Committee. It would be recalled that Gowon in a speech delivered in May this year, said Governor Peter Obi was one of the best governors in the country. The Compass Newspaper article of May 22, 2011, titled "Gov. Obi is Worthy to be Emulated - Gowon" reporting the news is republished below.

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" The former Military head of State and an elder statesman, General Yakubu Gowon was full of commendations for Gov. Peter Obi of Anambra, whom he described as one of the best in the country.

Speaking during the prayer session by Nigeria Prays group at Grace of God Mission Church, 33, Onitsha, General Gowon said that Gov. Obi possessed many qualities that made him a role model. He spoke about the Governors simplicity, which he described "as something else" and his sincerity in governance as qualities rare among those that govern States.

Commending his good work in Anambra State, he said that what interested him most was his good Christian life and his love for peace, which he realised was the foundations for progress and development.

Speaking jokingly, he said that Gov. Obi was a common Governor because he had refused to answer those honorific names and titles Nigerians were known for such as Chief this and that. "

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In a major buttress of Masterweb team's positive assessment of Obi's performance, Nigeria Senate Committee declared Anambra and just three other states financially healthy, amidst warning that 27 states were on the verge of bankruptcy and five given ‘tolerable’ tag. Excerpts from Sun Newspaper article of October 28, 2011, titled "27 states face bankruptcy - Abia, A’Ibom, Anambra, Jigawa healthy: Senators urge merger of states" one of the several articles carrying the news, is published below.

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" From the Senate came the gloomy news yesterday that the financial accounts of 27 states are in the red as some of them have been declared either "distressed" or "gloomy." Only Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra and Jigawa states were given a clean bill of health. The six states that are in financial distress are: Kano, Sokoto, Niger, Zamfara, Katsina and Osun. Those deemed critical are: Ekiti, Plateau, Benue, Edo, Borno, Adamawa, Cross River, Enugu, Taraba, Ogun, Kogi, Yobe, Ebonyi, Ondo and Kaduna.

In the unhealthy cadre are: Oyo, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Nasarawa, Gombe and Rivers while Imo, Kwara, Lagos, Kebbi and Delta were given the ‘tolerable’ tag. The data was sourced from the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) Labour Policy Report, 2011 as contained in a motion titled: Looming danger of bankruptcy in states: The need for fiscal evaluation, sponsored by Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi (ACN, Ekiti North).

To forestall the looming catastrophe, the Senate advised the Federal Government to expeditiously review...... Click To Read Full Story. "

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Governor Obi has been able to keep things in equilibrium in Anambra, piloting her on top in the comity of Nigerian states, without external borrowing, mass sack of the workforce nor the sack of non-indigene civil servants. His admirable success is financed by internally generated revenue and meager federal allocation to the state. One should not be surprised that with light, security and infrastructure at the average or best in the country, the Anambra story under Obi would be a tale of a super state and not of local comparison.

Below are the pictures our team took at the new Anambra Government Secretariat, road and bridge project sites:-

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Photo Above: One of new Anambra Government Secretariat identical twin buildings.
Click For Enlarged Photo

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Photo Above: One of new Anambra Government Secretariat identical twin buildings (Snapshot of the same building above minutes later).
Click For Enlarged Photo

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Photo Above: Lilu Road Project. A road project by Obi's government that broke through rocky hills to give Anambrarians direct access to Lilu. Previously Lilu could only be accessed through Eke Ututu in Imo State. Work on Lilu Road Project is still progressively ongoing.
Click For Enlarged Photo

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Photo Above: A section of Ora-eri-Obeledu-Akwaeze-Igbo Ukwu Road, one of the 500 kilometer road network completed by Obi’s government.
Click For Enlarged Photo

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Photo Above: Odor Bridge linking Awgbu and Amaokpala
Click For Enlarged Photo

CLICK FOR MORE PHOTOS

In a few days, we will publish our report on Alex Ekwueme Square, Prof. Kenneth Dike Library & Anambra State Housing Development Corporation projects..

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RELATED ARTICLES

Masterweb Team Scores Governor Obi High
Anambra State Tour - Amaku University Teaching Hospital Report
Anambra Ultra Modern Fire Service & State Emergency Complex Report

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