Open letter to the Anambra state Governor

Dear Obiano.

I remember that sunny afternoon when I was among the many Anambrarians that stood under the sun at Alex Ekwueme square to witness your swearing in/ hand over. I noticed your demeanor almost immediately I elbowed my way to a place I could stand and stare you in the eyes.

I was quite young at the time and almost naive in matters concerning politics but that didn’t stop me from nudging my friend that stood next to me as I said: “This man looks afraid of this office o”

I remember my friend saying that he doesn’t care about your fear. All he cared about was your delivery.

After that day, I traveled to Lagos and forgot about you. Weeks later, I would see your boys on social media saying that you have eradicated all the armed robbers in Anambra. They said Anambra was safe like never before. I was happy. I was glad that you proved me wrong.

I came back to Onitsha one midnight and upper iweka was like New York city. The lights and the life I saw there was impressive. People walked around without the consciousness of time chocking them.

That was the few months of your being in power. You turned Anambra people to rappers that will easily drop this punch line: ‘Willy is willingly working’. It was fine and good.

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Do you know what happens to a DJ who starts the night with the trendy songs and mid way into the party he starts playing ‘boring’ songs?

The dancers will not remember that he had thrilled them earlier. All they’ll remember is how they felt when they left.

That was what you did. You came in, designed Awka with bright lights that are brighter than the future of the state, chased the armed robbers, kidnapper’s and all.

Months later, your intensity reduced. You couldn’t maintain the tempo at which you started.

That was when people started to complain (Except Civil servants who you took it upon yourself to treat well).

I am not writing this to praise you.

I am writing this to tell you that I saw the picture where you stopped by to carry an accident victim.

I have the picture on my phone and anytime I feel sad, I look at that picture and laugh at the face you made while you carried the victim. You were posing for the camera.

We know these things. When a Nigerian politician needs your vote, he can come to your house to wash your plate.

You need our votes soon and that’s why you behaved like a WHO employee that day.

Let us be sincere; if the election was two years from now, there is no way you will carry yourself down from the car talk more of carrying accident victim.

Woe to those that still fall for such theatrics.

On Saturday, I came down from Abuja to attend Okey Ndibe’s book event in Awka. I came to engage in intellectual gymnastics because I know the stuff Okey is made off.

Everything made sense until the APGA gang came into the hall with their noise and overbearing behavior.

They disrupted the flow of wisdom and intellectualism and infiltrated the room with lies, more lies and some more lies.

The security aide to your deputy governor who looked like a walking stick came to me and carried my chair without a please or excuse me.

He felt that owning a gun meant liberty to intimidate anybody he saw. I raised my voice a bit, gathered more attention of people who were already bored and took my seat from the gun-wielding-tout.

He looked at me wishing he could shoot me dead right there so you will come and sack him and carry me like you did to the other woman. But, no, he wouldn’t dare.

Sir, we have grown, the times when politicians deceive us with bags of rice and other miserable gifts are gone!

All of you should stop it starting from you!

Your government called Flavour the musician months ago and he was paid millions for singing about breast and nyash.

Professor Okey Ndibe came to the state capital to do his book tour and all the entire APGA party could raise for donation was four hundred and fifty thousand.

As if Okey Ndibe was begging for transport fare back to the US?

Wow!

That shows your priority sir. It goes a long way to see where education and creativity is in the map of your priorities

I saw it as insulting to his person. A professor in an American university with a wit to fear. That was who your entire crew raised such amount of money for? This could pass as the eight wonder of the world.

But, what do I know? Nothing!

The human race is a relay race. We pass batons of love, hate, care help and others to people on a daily basis.

Do not run this race like it is a 100 metre race.

Warm regards sir.

Written by Mark Anthony Osuchukwu.

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Mark Anthony Osuchukwu is a writer that doesn’t respect himself. He can be reached via [email protected]