Do you think Gov.
Alamieyeseigha is being victimised for not
supporting alleged third term
bid?
Is EFCC Not Chasing
Shadows?
By Chiazor Nwakere,
02.06.2006
No matter how anybody look at it, leaders like
Governor Chimaroke Nnamani of Enugu State are very rare especially
in our climes. But this does not seem acknowledged by the officials
of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) do not
know. For some time now, they have subjected officials of the
state government to harassment under the pretext of interrogation.
And like a true leader that he is, Governor Nnamani has asked the
EFCC to leave his officials alone. They should do their
investigation thoroughly and that if they require him to answer any
question, he would waive the immunity from prosecution that he
enjoys. This is Nigeria, and we have seen and read of how
governors who have been accused of corrupt practices run from pillar
to post, trying to use other diversionary tactics to distract the
EFCC. But this is not the case with Governor Nnamani. Hear the
governor as part of his reactions to the harassment: The Enugu State
government welcomes the EFCC investigators and uses this opportunity
to restate its unalloyed commitment and support for the
anti-corruption drive of Mr. President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. We
welcome this healthy development in sanitizing the polity and
society at large." First, let us understand how the EFCC focused
its beam on the state. It is alleged that the suspended chairman of
Udi local government council, Dr. Oscar Egwuonwu who is currently
facing manslaughter charges allegedly petitioned the EFCC
making several claims and accusation. There are so many things
the EFCC does not know. First, is that the opposition in Enugu
is one of the most fertile-minded in the history of opposition in
Nigeria. Secondly, being the preparatory stage to an election
year, there is a frenetic desperation by the opposition to muckrake,
mudsling and tar-brush a government that is adjudged to be at the
vanguard of democratic performance. Otherwise, how on earth can
any reasonable person claim that the state government has
misappropriated N52 billion when in truth, the government has only
collected about N58 billion from May 1999 to December 2005)? It
must be taken into cognisance, and verifiable too, that the state
governemnt spends about 60 percent of its monthly revenue on payment
of salaries and emoluments to its civil service. The desperation
of the Enugu opposition is actually borne out of frustration about a
government that would have for eight years, (by 2007), severed every
linkage with the rapacity of godfathers and their minions. The
government also retains the high likelihood of cloning, at its
departure, a government that shares its ideals and philosophy for a
probable eight years again, thereby sealing the godfather's fate
permanently in the governance of the state. By the time the
tenure of the governor ends on May 29, 2007 there will be so many
things to remember the governor for. He not only brought
intellectualism to governance in Nigeria, but also brought prudence,
transparency, frugality and accountability to bear in the state.
Here is a governor who has never been accused of frivolous overseas
trip or operating a foreign account. As a matter of fact, since he
was sworn into office on May 29, 1999, the governor has not
travelled outside the shores of this country more than four times.
Despite the fact that he lived in the United States for years
before coming back home to contribute his quota to the development
of the country and his Enugu State, the urge to travel outside the
country has never been a priority. Even when his fellow governors
travel almost every fortnight, some for vacation, some for medical
check-ups and others to "attract foreign investors", Governor
Nnamani does not see this as a thing of pleasure. There is hardly
an association of the name of Nnamani with corruption even in the
critical domain of the Nigerian media. Instead, he would receive
praises and encomiums for what he is doing in his
state. Recently, the National Planning Commission and some
foreign-based international agencies such as the National Planning
Commission (NPC) and international donor and development agencies
such as the World Bank, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP),
Department of Foreign and International Development (DFID), United
States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Canadian
International Development Agency (CIDA), after accessing
state governments across the country, rated Enugu State as the best.
So many criteria were used and these include: policy formulation,
budget and fiscal management, service delivery, communication and
transparency. One interesting thing about these agencies is that
they are reputable international agencies that have been involved in
project financing and poverty eradication in developing countries
nay Nigeria. They do not only give countries and states money, they
monitor to ensure that the exact amount is actually spent on what it
is supposed to be meant for. Otherwise they will stop
disbursing. These agencies have been to so many parts of states
in Nigeria but because of corruption, and diversion of funds they
have withdrawn their assistance to a lot of these states. Enugu
is one state where they have found safe haven. A state where
transparency and accountability is a watch-word. And since Chimaroke
Nnamani is at the helm of affairs, these agencies have found it very
convenient to release funds to execute projects that will assist the
people. Last August, the 13 European Union Ambassadors who
visited the state showered praises on Governor Nnamani, The visit
and praises were not only historic, but like 13 heads of state
endorsing what the governor is doing in Enugu. This is because by
all standards, these ambassadors are their countries' heads of
government in Nigeria. What they simply did, was to confirm for
themselves what they had heard were strides of development in the
state. They confessed not to have seen the type of development
they had seen in Enugu in any part of Nigeria. For sure,
Governor Nnamani walks towards greatness as he works seriously to
create a lasting impression of his sojourn in Enugu Government
Lodge. Anybody who visits the Coal City today, will see what the
governor is doing there. Apart from the outstanding projects
he executed during his first term tenure - the network of roads
linking LG headquarters, health institutions, water projects and
rural electrification, his second tenure's focus is unprecedented
bearing in mind the paucity of funds in the state; it ranks about
the third or fourth from the bottom of the Federation Accounts
table. It is only a man who has courage that can embark on such
massive projects such as the International Conference Centre, ESUT
Medical School complex, the permanent site of the state university,
almost ready for occupation, Loma Linda Housing project, the state
judicial complex and link road tunnel, etc. These project, at a
conservative estimate, are in excess of N30 billion; Independent
assessors, both local and foreign, development partners, the
benchmarking exercise, the presidency and the party hierarchy, have
at various times visited these projects and have adjudged them
fantastic offshoots from a lean purse. Little wonder the
National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Ahmadu
Ali, at the commissioning of the Enugu House in Abuja had this to
say about the governor: "This young man (Governor Nnamani) of talent
and intellect has put all his intellect and talents into the
resources and development of Enugu State. His performance is really
unrivaled because when you look at him, his state is the third
lowest revenue earner from the bottom in achievements in his state
and what you can see here show that he is an expert in the
management of man and resources". At that same occasion,
Chairman, Board of Trustees of the PDP, Chief Tony Anenih. Anenih,
who has apparently been following the governor's giant strides said:
"With the money the state governor gets every month, we did not
expect him to put this (edifice). When I passed through here
yesterday to know where today's function would take place, I was
pleasantly surprised, looking at the building the quality of
materials used, it shows clearly that whatever he gets is meant and
used for people it Enugu State". Even when President
Olusegun Obasanjo was on a state visit to Enugu last year, he could
not but help express what he saw in the Coal City thus: "...What I
saw in Enugu today; the way things are developing, Enugu State and
particularly Enugu city will soon be the envy of most other states
who will want to come and see how it has been done in Enugu, because
of the infrastructure, the changes you are making on the landscape
of Enugu are bound to attract a lot of activities to Enugu,
activities that will have multiple effects in terms of job and
employment generation poverty eradication and development." What
other confirmation does anybody want to assess Governor Nnamani? Is
it the same man that was described with these very impression words
that scrupulous people are writing petition to the EFCC
about? Truth must be told, when a man is doing well he should be
encouraged to do more, and even extend it. The governor of Enugu
State is doing well. He has proven to be a trusted, prudent,
committed, focused manager of men and resources. He needs to be
encouraged by all. • Nwakere writes
from Abuja
