On November 6, Anambra people will go to the polls to choose who will become the next governor of the state. Being a state that is adjudged one of the prime states in the country, it is always a hot race with a lot of interests among the political parties and individuals to win the state. Already, politicians are drafted to the state to work out plans on how to win for their respective parties.
Anambra state, also known as the light of the nation is a state many parties are jostling to lead. These two months will see the candidates going from one town to another making a lot of promises and selling their ideas. Given the sentiment driven by the Indigenous People of Biafra group (IPOB), it calls for worry if the voters will be out in their numbers to cast their votes or sit at home in protest or boycott of the election, and regardless of voters apathy often experienced in Anambra state, a good turnout may be expected.
In this election, the leading candidates, who have had their fair share of court cases to get themselves recognized as the respective candidates, are leaving no stone unturned in their campaigns.
This is not a time to hand over the state to people who cannot turn the state positively around. It is a time for people who have been seen making strides to the development of the state to take over. No human is perfect but when it comes to choosing the perfect governor of the state, voters should look forward to people who will work to transform the state. People who are hungry for what they will do for the state and not those who want the state to fund their lifestyle while the people continue to suffer.
What Anambra state needs among so many things are; infrastructural revolution, industrial revolution, technology development, harnessing and channeling peoples’ energy towards development and utilizing the youths at their prime towards development of their skills for the advancement of the state.
Among these needs, bad roads and erosion are important issues at stake. Given the road revolution started by the previous governors, it is noteworthy that many roads in Anambra state have gone bad and they need repair.
What kind of governor does Anambra need?
Today’s Anambra does not need those who will bring backwardness. Anambra needs futuristic thinking people to govern should it retain and live out the name; light of the nation.
Anambra does not need people who have been in government for long only to remember the state during governorship elections.
Anambra does not need those who engage in thuggery, who would engage in ‘cabal’ business rather than lift the state up.
The state should be governed by those who have hunger for what they will bring to the table, who have a reputation to protect and those who have vision.
The issues that need to be addressed by the incoming governor range from; maintaining the pride of Igbo people in Nigeria, fighting to secure the fair share and interests of Igbo people and Anambra state in particular within the country, cultivating friendship that will attract local and foreign investors that will improve the economy of the state, developing and propagating Igbo cultural values, and development of Agriculture sector to ensure food security towards improving public health. Take care of the environment, especially being proactive in tackling the many erosion sites in the state. Fight for the integration of the South-east states, and creating policies that will be people oriented.
There are so many issues that can be considered priority given that the state has lacked bold and visionary leaders in recent times. It takes a person of bold vision which Igbo land has been missing since the time of Michael Okpara to be in Agu Awka. Such selfless people need to get into various government houses of Igbo land.
Do we have such bold visionaries among these candidates? A few of them may be and it is left for the voters to look through each of the candidates and decide. This is not a time to mortgage the people because votes are bought with cash or a plate of rice. It is a time when the people either vote well or we continue to produce mediocre governors who would celebrate payment of salaries rather than building a technology state that sells technology to the world or making the state an industrial hub for West Africa in the least.
It is time to make a good decision from the available candidates.
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