Nze Akachukwu Nwankpo recently joined the Anambra state 2021 governorship election under the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA). In this interview with OKECHUKWU ONUEGBU, the former Special Advisor on Technical Matters to former President Goodluck Jonathan, assured that if voted to power, his administration would invest more on education with a view to building homes.
What do you consider as challenge facing Anambra state?
Anambra is a very gifted state in all dimensions. We have a lot of people with first class leadership skills who have proven themselves in various walks of life- religious, academic, business, military, medicine, etc. The state is blessed with a bunch of stars. So that whole array of talent spread across, both the leaders and the led, it will not be right therefore to discuss where the state is without also spreading the analysis across the spectrum of the population. For me, Anambra state requires an interactive setting where leaders work with the population to create the kind of state that we want. We actually have deficiency on both sides. Some may say that what most leaders believe work. So the question then is what is it that works in Anambra state? Have we been doing that? If not, what has the population done about that? Else they must have been feeding back a wrong stuff to the people we had the opportunity to lead. My opinion will be that a new dialogue is required in the state where the leaders become more responsive to a population that is also more engaged on the critical issues that affect their lives.
What do you think should be done to tackle the infrastructural deficit and other challenges confronting the state?
We need boldness in dealing with infrastructure of the state; the kind of boldness that Gov Willie Obiano has shown in building the international airport. He has shown unique boldness in building roads. The kind of boldness we require in dealing with our electricity. The kind of boldness required in opening up our water ways. The kind of boldness required in bringing gas to Anambra state. So I think that boldness is what is needed. When you appraise the people that have governed the state, you see they had dwelt on building tiny tiny stuff and things like that, instead of creating a highway, they only end up maintaining just the community roads which continue to reduce the stage to a little village. But Obiano came and saw things very differently. He apparently saw the need for an international airport. If you go there and see what the man is presently doing. It’s huge! It’s bold. He’s building facility that can take the maintenance of aircrafts, global landing platforms with limitless export potentials. He’s opening up Anambra to the world in a bold massive way. That’s the kind of psychology needed to be transferred to other aspects of our infrastructure deficit.
What would your administration do differently?
I am in the race because I think that what is missing in the state is a leader that is able to bring the entire Anambra people to play roles in the development of the state. That’s why I call myself “a facilitator”. You need to be smaller in the space, for the space to get bigger. Our state needs a leader who is not afraid of the successes of other people in Anambrs state. One who is not intimidated by the massive array of talents that we have. But one who is actually inspired by it. And is willing to reduce himself to present himself for scrutiny. Because they are not going to come along with you if they don’t think that you are serious, or failed to present yourself for scrutiny. So Anambra needs a leader who is willing to stand under the bright light where they will see his skin, skeleton and everything. Such that even as he stands under the light, he won’t be scared or buckled by the rich, the brilliant professors we have all over the place, the well-established traders or those our young talents that are breaking out all over the world. But instead he’s drawn to them like a magnet. You know that magnet doesn’t transform the objects it attracts to itself. It not like acid that corrodes whatever it comes in contact with. He rather lets people come together to blend to evolve a massive successful environment. That is what is attracting me. That is what I think is, or has been missing in the state. The person that sees the state as an interactive platform where -talents, gifts, potentials -come together to create a home.
Of all the vibrant parties on display right now, why APGA?
Specifically, APGA offers the first fundamental of development. If you want to develop a people, there has to be some harmony in their overall environment. So APGA offers the state one harmonious political party under one God. Remember we are predominantly a Christian community. We have one party, one language, one God. We have a cultural dynamics that enable you work development. And globally, that is a standard that when a group of people grabs it, they make waves. With APGA, we are under one party, one God and one culture.
APGA is advocating for zoning. Are you in the race because of it?
Well, I am an advocate of fairness and inclusiveness. Zoning addresses both. It’s a business of people in leadership at any point in time, if you are not a legislator, governor, traditional ruler or church leader, it means that at that point in time God in His infinite wisdom has not given you a platform. Because it’s God that gives people places to lead. And I found out that at this point in our history, our governor, our legislators, our traditional rulers, our church leaders -those people God has given platforms to lead Anambra state said that we would be better if we allow every zone produce a governor in turns. And it’s not unique to the position of governor. It’s something that appears to be in the culture of the state, because if you go down to the villages, town union leaderships are done in rotation. They basket and balance it, as all the quarters will bring nominees to the executive. Same for the national and state Assembly positions, etc. There’s always some form of zoning or rotating arrangement in everything that is done in the state. When you complete eight years and want to go again, the people will say no; that you have to give way for other people to go. So those saying they don’t understand zoning are just being dishonest. If you go down to even their kindred meeting you will find out that the positions were always zoned. But now sitting in a corner of his compound thinking because they have made some money to buy a few SUVs that they use to run round the state, they then convince themselves that they can now ignore everyone. Come on. That is not the way things are done. Democracy is the rule of the majority and in Anambra state anytime there is an election a greater population appear to be coming from one particular faith. It’s actually democracy, not religious politics. However, if there are people playing obvious religious politics with it, then it’s necessary we address it. Again, because of their higher numerical strengths and voting along the line of the value of their faith, that cannot be construed as religious politics. I think it’s just democratic. However, I think it will be unfair for any religion, in spite of any view that is contrary to the value of the people to insist they must have the position. That’s when it becomes religious politics, hence counter productive. I sincerely think that Anambra state doesn’t necessary fit that picture.
There is a belief that APGA ticket has already been bought by a particular candidate. Do you still see hope in the party primary?
For me, there are different kinds of elections. People adopt different types of strategies. You may come across a candidate who adopts a strategy of intimidating others out of the race by saying that he’s the brightest, too shiny and that anyone who attempts to come closer will go blind. And those who bought the story have had their intelligence played on so woefully they leave ignominiously like a fowl drenched by the rain. But if we are looking at APGA that has ruled the state for the past four tenures of sixteen years, that’s the only party that understands that here is budding with talents. More so there is nothing I have seen in the party either in the conduct of the governor, or the party that shows they have already sworn in another governor. Because those touting that the ticket has been foreclosed means they have already selected a governor. The gimmick will render things boring. I would have asked what they then expect members to be doing in such an election year like now. They would be so bored that it’s doubtful they would be at any voting center on the day of election. So whoever that is selling that stuff is hurting the party so much, and members really need to shout such story tellers down. I think it must be the handiwork of moles in our midst planted by our political opponents.
Given the opportunity, what are the three things that would engage your immediate attention as the governor of Anambra state if you win?
The first and most important thing is education. I’m going to focus on education for living, education for skills. That’s the first priority. That’s why I insist that Anambra families come first. When I talk about education for living, I am looking at that education that gets the population to understand that the family is the most important unit of the state. So we look at how to help parents organize their homes so that they look after their children effectively; and bring them to the school system that we have organized. It involves earning power for the parents. It involves special attention to pregnant mothers, because education begins in the womb. The nutrient with which you feed the child in the womb is fundamental. So we need to deal with provision at home. That’s why you cannot be discussing education in the school where hungry children come. Consequently, when I talk about education, it is integral to family livelihood. Parents are therefore assisted to nurture healthy school children. That’s why if I choose to address the issues affecting education in the state, as the governor, I will begin with what happens in the family. That means that when the father comes home and is able to address the responsibilities of a father, so that the wife and children give him respect. Also, I will look at how the man lives. Therefore I will pace up to family enterprise -supporting and developing micro businesses to support families. I will go to look at assets that you can bank that to families. Anambra streets are littered with buildings that are not bankable. So I’m going to intervene with special instrument, negotiate with the banking world so that parents raise some low interest capital to enable them invest in family enterprise that would guarantee a stable home that is ideal for the raising of children. When this is achieved, I will then go to the next step of standardizing the outer environment -the school, and the space between the school and the home. Because you don’t want when the child leaves home and is heading to school and along the way there were dustbins and all manner of debris littering the road. This is a child being taught hygiene, cleanliness and sanitation at both the school and at home. And he sees debris and wastes as part of his lifestyle. That is very contradictory. I need to sort out the space. The standard must be high -at home, in the school and in-between. It must be maintained.
Are you worried by the insecurity in the country?
Of course, it worries me. I come with fifteen years experience of dealing with and managing conflicts, violence and insecurity across the Niger Delta states. So I understand what it means. From that harrowing experience I understand that security is not an issue of guns and muscles. Security is obtained by order.When a community want to be secure, that community must respond to order. And orderliness is not just an attitude that is meant for the criminal. It’s total in the environment. For example, if you are going to any part of the state and you see a little bomb on the road and people are jumping all over the place and there is chaos everywhere even among the drivers trying to escape the area. That is insecurity. It’s such little behaviors that transmit to other aspects of life and then manifest perhaps in gun totting and lack of confidence in the overall system.So, for me it’s a problem. But how to deal with it is that orderliness has to drop from the top to the bottom. As the governor you cannot be reckless and expect the citizens to be orderly. Yes when you live by example and get every other person in the system to respect rule of law, you would have established orderly society and it spreads. Let the rules work.
