WILLIAM OBIANO: IMPROVING THE BUSINESS CLIMATE, BUT…

Although William Obiano will be ending his first term in office this year and is seeking re-election in November, the governor has placed emphasis on urban renewal projects, especially with the three flyovers in Awka. Onitsha, the state’s commercial nerve centre, and Nnewi are equally being revamped to attract investors. He has also invested heavily in rural roads in the state, clearing of drainages and waterways.

Obiano has added new units to the Onitsha General Hospital and has built a helipad for air ambulances for emergency cases. He has also built several blocks of houses that will serve as Isolation Units in cases of epidemics. The complex has been designated as the Centre for Tropical Disease Control.

In education, however, Obiano has been lagging. Anambra, which used to come first in SSCE examinations under the Peter Obi administration, now ranks seventh to ninth position under the Obiano administration.

There is little or any known agriculture policy started by his administration that has worked. In fact, some projects like the Coscharis Farms projects and some others started in partnership with some private firms, have collapsed or are on the verge of collapse.

Obiano, however, has done relatively well in trying to change Anambra’s notoriety for being the theatre of crime and criminality in the South-east. He launched an all-out war against kidnappers, armed robbers, drug-dealers and child-traffickers. He has also invested in and donated cars and a helicopter to assist the police keep criminality in check, while a gunboat was provided to the Nigerian Navy.

Anambra under Obiano has managed to keep its debt profile low, however, more work needs to be done to improve internal revenue, given its low allocations from the Federation Account.