The
leaderships of International Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of
Law (Intersociety) and Anambra State Branch of the Civil Liberties Organization
(CLO) have resolved to call on the Government of Anambra State under His
Excellency, Mr. Willie Obiano to concentrate on governance of the State and pay
warm and friendly attention henceforth to the good private and public affairs
and conducts of his predecessor, His Excellency, Mr. Gregory Peter Obi. Former
Governor Peter Obi and his towering legacy in the State should be celebrated at
all times and not vitriolic attacks and vilification he undergoes presently in
the hands of those he labored so much to establish for the purpose of moving
the State further to enviable heights. The Obiano administration must also
restrain itself from sinking the State into serial indebtedness and resist
returning same to the dark era of fiscal enslavement and governance without
clear and development oriented policy direction. The Governor is further
advised to relief any of his aides, including media aides; attracting negative
image to his Government or directly or indirectly making his administration to
lose focus of governing the State; of their duties.
We had in recent past made similar
calls and further advised the Governor to trim down the number of aides working
for him; because too many cooks, they say; spoil potential
good soup. Our speaking out followed the recent unhealthy development
or rivalry between the camp of the Governor and his predecessor. Such rivalries
are not only unnecessary but also have the capacity of derailing the governance
of the State and launching the State back to the path of backwardness and
infamy. We wish to state further that measurable governance successes
are not achievable through media propaganda or media noise making, but
by governance realities on the ground. Names are also not written in gold by
engaging in obvious legacy destruction, but by embarking on
positive governance activities that can stand the test of time.
Making steady negative reference or
unfavourable public comments against the man that worked so hard to put smiles
on the faces of the Anambra People, who Governor Willie Obiano himself, has
severally acknowledged publicly; is totally counterproductive and self-hurting.
It is important to remind the Governor that the governance records of his
predecessor are like gold that can never be stained or destroyed by
anybody or a race. The records are also like a newspaper that can easily be picked
up at any street corner, read and digested.
We have also long realized that
Nigeria is like land of the blind; where the achievements of one-eyed
leader are mostly seen among the blind as an anathema
particularly in the corridors of power. That is to say that because most of the
public office holders in Nigeria are failures, they can go to any length or do
anything to sustain the legacy or culture of failure including by engaging in
legacy destruction of few who are great achievers of modern times.
Our keeping quiet in the public
affairs of the State for some time is not out of fear or cowardice, but to
watch and see the governance direction of the Obiano administration and its
expected consolidated development plan for the State and its people. Our advocacy
campaign styles are steadily anchored on constructive criticism.
That is to say that we criticize and condemn government and its actions where
and when necessary and commend same with proffered solutions where and when
necessary.
Obi’s Cash
& Investments for Anambra People: Putting the Records Straight: We have watched with total dismay the steady
politicization of the cash and investments secured and left for
the people of Anambra State by Mr. Peter Obi and his former administration. It
is also shocking and worrying that rather than consolidating on the towering
legacy left for the State by former Governor Peter Obi, a culture of
intractable parasitism has steadily been hung around the neck of the legacy by
the present Government of Anambra State, as if the State is destined to sink or
cannot proceed and progress without the Obi’s cash and investments.
Elsewhere in Lagos State, former
Governor Babatunde Fashola left a huge public debt of N311Billion for his
successor; Governor Akinwunmi Ambode. The huge public debt excludes over
N200Billion inherited from former Governor Ahmed Bola Tinubu in 2007; yet
governance has not collapsed in the State under the Ambode administration.
Former Governor Fashola was even rewarded recently by the Buhari Presidency
with headship of three key federal ministries of Power, Works and Housing. In
Delta State, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa recently disclosed publicly that he
inherited contractual liabilities of N535Billion from his predecessor, former
Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan. Till date, former Governor Uduaghan has not
statistically refuted or denied the gubernatorial disclosure of dishonored huge
contractual obligations. The DMO’s official records also showed that Delta
State owed over N235Billion in local and foreign debts as at May 2015; yet
governance has not collapsed in the State.
Instances of States where their new
governors inherited hundreds of billions of naira worth of local and foreign
debts as well as multi billion naira contractual liabilities for completed and commissioned
projects are numerous to mention. In a number of States, their federal fiscal
allocations are cut by 30% or more through the Irrevocable Payment
Standing Orders (IPSOs); popularly called “deductions at source”,
for the purpose of compelling the affected States to honor or meet
their repayment terms required for State bond(loan) approvals and
repayments.
But in Anambra State, the reverse
was totally the case under the former Peter Obi administration where the State,
for the first time in many decades, was governed and left in near-zero
debt and huge cash and investments credit or surplus.
As a core stake holder in the State public governance till date, we have done
several thorough and independent investigations in matters of public finances
of the State including public local and foreign loans as well as issue of
honoring or dishonoring of contractual obligations. Most of the investigations
were done during the Obi administration and after his administration’s exit.
On the issue of public debts, for
instance, the total unsettled public debts under the Obi administration, which
were remainder of debts incurred by previous administrations in the State;
stood at N7.9Billion; comprising foreign loan of $30.32 Million or N4.85Billion
and local debt of N3.02Billion (see DMO’s sub national public debts report of
December 31st 2013, which was same in March 2014). The State’s local
debt as at 31st December 2012 stood at N14.2Billion, while its
foreign debt then stood at $26.7Million or N4.1Billion; totaling N18.4Billion.
That is to say that the two debts decreased from N18.4Billion in December 2012
to N7.9Billion in March 2014. The same DMO’s public debts report of December 31st
2014 (for sub national local debts) and 30th June 2015 (for sub
national foreign debts) indicates that while Anambra State local debt has
slightly decreased from N3.02Billion to N2.87Billion, its foreign debt has
increased from $30.32Million in December 2013 up to March 2014; to
$45.15Million in December 2014; bringing the two loans to a total of
N12.07Billion as at date (using official exchange of N200.00 per US$). Former
Governor Peter Obi left office for Governor Willie Obiano on 17th
March 2014.
The two debts overhang under
reference did not include the controversial loan of N10Billion recently secured
or about to be secured by the Obiano administration. The conditions attached to
the publicly and futuristically harmful loan, tagged “CBN
Infrastructure Development Facility (loan) of N10Billion for Anambra State
November 2015”; are shocking and alarming. The loan facility of
N10Billion is to be repaid by installments and paid fully in 20 years or 240
months using Irrevocable Payment Standing Order or deductions at source;
at interest of 9% or N11,909,295.002 (Eleven Billion, Nine
Hundred & Nine Million, Two Hundred & Ninety-Five Thousand, Two Naira).
That is to say that with N10Billion borrowed today, a staggering sum of
N21.9Billion will be repaid including its principal of N10Billion and interests
of 11.9Billion. There is also a report that the Obiano administration has put
machinery in motion to raise another bond (loan) of N50Billion from local
sources. Anambra State may most likely end up incurring between N150Billion to
N200Billion debts by the end of the Obiano’s first tenure in the next two
years.
See the following links to the Debts
Management Office (DMO) of the Federation for more details:
http://www.dmo.gov.ng/oci/subn/docs/Domestic%20Debt%20of%20the%2036%20States%20and%20FCT%20as%20at%20December%2031,%202014.pdf.http://www.dmo.gov.ng/oci/subn/docs/Federal%20and%20State%20Governments%20External%20Debt%20Stock%20as%20at%2031st%20December_%202013.pdf.http://www.dmo.gov.ng/oci/subn/docs/Federal%20and%20State%20Governments%20External%20Debt%20Stock%20as%20at%2031st%20December%202014.pdf
On the issue of contractual
liabilities of N185Billion being credited to former Governor Peter Obi
administration by the Obiano administration, it is a fact built on our several
investigations that a contract liability is not a debt unless such a
contract is started, completed and certified with outstanding certificate or
contract sums not paid fully by the awarding authority after project completion
and certification. It is also a public knowledge that former Governor
Peter Obi administration applied to the letter the policy of pay as
execute and completed.
That is to say that in road
contract, for instance, payment is made on completion of designated kilometers
of road before moving to next phase. Using this methodology, no contractor
under his administration was owed over a contract completed. In the handover
letter the former Governor handed over to his successor, dated 17th
March 2014 and referenced: ANGH/S/HE/INT/1/2599, which we
thoroughly investigated then; a cash payment warrant amounting to
N5Billion comprising salaries, pension and gratuity for the month of
March 2014 and approved payment certificates of already executed and completed
projects; was approved and this was clearly indicated in the fourth
paragraph of the first page of the handover letter. This was also
deducted from the MDAs’ cash balance inherited by Governor
Obiano. The Obiano administration is, therefore, challenged to disclose and
publish publicly unpaid contractual liabilities or debts associated with
contracts awarded, executed and completed under former Governor Peter Obi
administration.
We are also aware that 95% of all
public service arrears in the State were liquidated before the exit of the Obi
administration. One of the few that remained was the arrears owed the State
Water Corporation staffs, owing to protracted legal tussle with the Obi
administration which was later liquidated through a garnishee order of the
Federal High Court leading to seizure of one of the Obi’s savings in the First
Bank PLC.
Above all, government is a
continuum; which is why Governor Obiano in his inaugural speech
unfolded his three CCC program of continuation, completion and
commissioning. When Peter Obi took over from Dr. Chris Ngige in March
2006, he continued and completed all his projects including rebuilding of burnt
Government House and the Judicial Headquarters as well as various road projects
such as Old Awka-Enugu and Umuchu-Amesi-Uga-Ezinifite-Igboukwu Roads. When he
was unlawfully impeached in November 2006, Lady Virginia Etiaba continued his
projects and when he returned from the unlawful impeachment in February 2007,
he inherited, continued and completed all road projects awarded by the Etiaba
acting governorship including those concentrated in Nnewi zone.
Sadly, the Obiano administration is
not following such laudable footsteps. We have gone round the State and
shockingly found that many, if not most of the projects Governor Obiano
inherited from his predecessor, which he publicly vowed to continue,
complete and commission are left abandoned and uncompleted. These
include roads, public hotels and malls. Many of the asphalted roads in the
State have failed owing to effects of the last rainy season, soil volatility of
the State landscape and its high vehicular usage as well as unchecked blockage
of gutters and drainages.
These explain why we are deeply
worried and concerned that instead of the Obiano administration working hard to
consolidate the culture of giving Anambra people smiling faces at all times and
creating its own leadership legacy; it is busy distracting itself in the
governance of the State. This is more so when the Anambra 2017 is
around the corner. Till date, Obiano’s violent crime control achievement cannot
easily be dismissed or wished away. Yet instead of consolidating in other key
governance areas, the Obiano administration is steadily distracting itself over
the unstained and unrivalled legacy of his predecessor.
The more the Obiano administration
attempts in futility to demonize and blacken the towering legacy in office of
his predecessor, the more it makes itself unpopular and darkens its chances of
shoring up its popularity among the Anambra electorates. The more it works in
vain to misrepresent facts about the towering legacy of former Governor Peter
Obi, which earned him a prestigious award in socio-economic
governance from the Southeast Human Rights Community in 2014; the more
incontrovertible facts emerge over the actual amount of cash and
investments that he left for the people of the State.
We are also alarmed to observe that
the safety of some of those investments is under a serious threat. Our long
silence over all this despite our enviable roles as a core stakeholder in
Anambra governance; is for the purpose of allowing the accusing camp
or the Obiano administration to furnish the public with counter evidential
facts or pieces of documentary valid evidence so as to rubbish those being
paraded by the accused or the Obi’s camp. We have also waited for
the third parties mentioned in the counter-legacy claims such as
named commercial banks and companies (i.e. Intafact) to publicly disclaim the
existence of those investments, account numbers and their
cash deposits and their linkage with the Government of Anambra State as
at 17th March 2014; but till date, none has taken place.
We had also expected the Obiano
administration to make a formal complaint to the Nigeria Police Force against
former Governor Peter Obi with respect to criminal complaints of fraud
and forgery as they concern his public statistical disclosure about the
existence of the cash and investments together with their deposit
instruments and entities; yet none has taken place; likewise the third party
entities so named; whereby they were expected to have dragged Mr. Peter Obi to
police or court for forgery and fraud; yet nothing of such has
happened; thereby making the entire allegations against him (Obi) fraudulent,
distractive, watery and a campaign of calumny designed to hurt the people of
Anambra State and threaten the towering legacy secured and left for them by
former Governor Peter Obi.
Finally, we humbly and sincerely
wish to inform all and sundry that new incontrovertible facts we discovered
lately in the course of our investigation over the controversy have
additionally indicated that former Governor Peter Obi toweringly left for
Anambra State and its people:
(1)Total
Cash Value of Local Investments of N27.2Billion as at 17th March
2014
(2)Total
Cash Value of Foreign Currency (dollar) Bond Investments of $155.48Million or
N26.5Billion as at 17th March 2014
(3)Total
Cash of N41.48Billion left in the MDAs accounts in the above named commercial
banks as at 17th March 2014
That is to
say that the Grand Total Value of Local Investments in named companies,
Foreign Currency Bond Investments & Cash left in the above named commercial
banks as of 17th March 2014 was N95.18Billion (not N75Billion)
That the Total
Value of Local Investments as at today; November 28th 2015, has
risen to N40, 9Billion from N27.2Billion in March 2014.
That the Total Value of
Foreign Currency (Dollar) Bond Investments (in Diamond, Fidelity & Access
Banks) as at today; November 28th 2015, has risen to N35.36Billion
or $176.8Million (from $155.48Million or N26.5Billion in March 2014);
gaining a surplus of $21.31Million or N8.86Billion.
That
the Total Value of the above named Local Investments in named companies,
MDAs Cash left in the above named Commercial Banks and the Foreign Currency (Dollar)
Bond Investments in Diamond, Fidelity & Access Banks as at today; November
28th 2015, has risen to N117.74Billion (from N95.18Billion in March
2014).
That
the Peter Obi administration left a total cash and investment of N95.037Billion
for Anambra State and its people as at 17th of March 2014, and its
current value has hit N117.74Billion as at date; 28th November
2015, with surplus of N22.7Billion.
The
statistical breakdown of the local investments, bond investments and cash
left in the MDAs as at 17th March 2014 will be graphically
provided in the second and concluding part of this publication.
Signed:
For:
Intersociety & Anambra CLO
Emeka
Umeagbalasi
Board
Chairman
International
Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law
+2348174090052
Obianuju
Igboeli, Esq.
Head,
Civil Liberties & Rule of Law Program of Intersociety
Comrade
Aloysius Attah
Chairman
Anambra State
Branch of the Civil Liberties Organization
+2348035090548
Comrade
Chibueze Nwajiaku
Secretary,
Anambra CLO
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