The former Governor of Anambra
state, Peter Obi made some staggering revelations on how most states are run. He
made these revelations while speaking (Paperless)at The Platform, a program organized by
Covenant Christian Center. Obi, whose speech roused the audience multiple times,The speech was very well received on Social Media, with the governor trending all day on Twitter.
On First
Ladys Office.
Mr.
Peter Obi, on Saturday said, state governments can check profligacy by
abolishing office of the First Lady which causes confusion and gulps about
N72billion yearly, reduce security votes and streamline procurement in order to
reduce their entire budget by N1trillion.
On Security Votes
Obi revealed that all the
governors spend over N450billion on security votes and loose procurement
pattern, thereby promoting massive wastage and stifling growth and development.
On Local Content
Obi said he was impeached for
prudent management of state funds, by patronizing local manufacturers and
contractors, especially in the rehabilitation of the bombed Anambra Government
House and procurement which enabled him to purchased 1000 vehicles from Innoson
Vehicles Manufacturing Company.
On Consumer Borrowing in Global Comparism
Are you borrowing for consumption or production?saying “While Japan is the world’s biggest debtor to
GDP in percentage, Japan has the highest net assets of any country in the
world, also Japan’s 90 per cent debt are held by individuals and corporation in
Japan. Debt to GDP = 246/250 per cent compared to Greece 187 per cent, other
countries has) but it has over $1.3tr in foreign US treasury bills, while
others borrow or build debt without any external reserve.
On Borrowing Due to Recession
Speaking on calls to borrow
money to boost the economy, Obi said “There is nothing wrong with borrowing. The crisis we are facing is
that we do not know what we are using the money we are borrowing for.
On Presidential Lodge
Obi questioned why there should be ‘’presidential
lodge’’ in every state in Nigeria, maintained by the state governors with
public funds, when in truth, the president only lives in Abuja. He equally
questioned the wisdom in state governors maintaining ‘’governor’s lodges’’ in
Lagos and Abuja, with employees who practically do nothing, but who are paid
from the coffers of the states every month.
On Making the State Elite Angry
Obi said he told his wife to
not bother about people being angry, explaining that his job was not to make
people happy as a governor since there were already many people in the
entertainment industry whose jobs were to make people happy. Obi said his job
as a governor was to take decisions on behalf of the people.
On winning and Dinning @ Governors Lodge
Obi equally told governors to
cut down on the food consumed in governors’ lodges, insisting that the
governor’s house was not a restaurant where anybody will walk into for food. He
said to avoid waste from cooking for the public, he devised a way of meeting
with the Anambra rich men: meeting with them in their own homes.Highlighting that he never hosted any party throughout his 8 years as governor,clubs did such functions.
On Education
His personal examples
ultimately led him into achieving feats previously thought impossible, such as
pushing Anambra into the top spot in WAEC and NECO results for three straight
years, from an initial position of 26 out of the 36 states. He achieved that by
returning secondary schools in the state to the missionaries that owned them
originally, and giving money to them directly, instead of channeling the funds through the Ministry of Education whose bureaucracy and Bottlenecks were sure to starve the
schools of the funds meant to enhance teaching and learning.
On Travelling
Obi gave examples of travelling with a retinue of 20 aides with different titles,he told them do write their functions in subsequent travels and found out that most were idle as they accumulated bills for him in the hotel.He cut it down to three as he was the only one invited for the meetings.He gave example of 150million budgeted for 2bullet proof cars for his use which he converted to buying over 100 brand new Peugeot cars which he gave to Judiciary and Perm Secs and Personally used throughout his tenure.He also reduced the Number of drivers and chefs in Abuja as he said they were causing confusion and idle.
On Hotel/Lodge
Obi stated that he was lodged at #250,000 per night a hotel,and he remained awake all night feeling robbed by the hotel. He further stated that henceforth he never slept in any hotel above 30,000.He sighted of the State pressuring him to build a presidential lodge worth over #500million due to (Fmr)President Obasanjo's Impeding visit.He instead vacated his Government house with his family and checked in to a nearby Hotel @ a discount and saved the state the money.
On Fuel Management
Obi Stated that the Anambra state government fuel dump cost 300 Million Naira Monthly for a 22 car convoy and Dispatch or Bike riders. Firstly he closed the fuel dump and stated they only buy fuel when he is in the car from regular filling stations.He further questioned the need for bike riders and such a large convoy which he reduced to 5 cars and never used the sirens.
On Roads
Obi stated that he set up the best intra-state road networks in the
country, and lived up to his commitments on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs),
a feat that earned him international awards.including a 1million dollar award from Bill gates foundation.
On Banking and Loans
''He stated that no bank in Nigeria gives loan on intellectual capacity stating that the likes of Steve Jobs(late),Mark Zuckerberg and Bill gates who got loans based on such intellectual capacity basis would never have made it in Nigeria and asked to be quoted''....so quote from Peter Obi
Source:Culled from Vanguard, Daily trust and Nigerian Newspapers
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