The Anambra State Commissioner for Information & Public Enlightenment, Mr C. Don Adunuba, has described criticisms of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over Governor Willie Obiano’s relationship with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as condemnable.

He said that the Governor engages constructively with the Federal Government because of his firm believe in constructive engagement rather than extremism.

According to him, Obiano’s good relationship with the Federal Government created the enabler the federal establishments like the Police Army, Navy and National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have given to the state towards making Anambra the safest state in Nigeria.

In a statement made available to journalists in Awka, Adinuba insisted that the Governor is a perfect example of practitioners of what social science scholars call “cooperative federalism”, as opposed to adversarial federalism.

He said: “This strategy means that what matters to him is what will lift the state’s development level and benefit Ndi Anambra, rather than pandering to schoolboy-like expectations.

“This development strategy has worked most effectively in the transformation of Southeast nations and territories like Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Thailand, Taiwan and Malaysia. It has been adopted by Ethiopia, and the Horn of Africa nation has become Africa's fastest growing economy.

“The confrontation approach which some politicians adopt in order to be seen as tough fighters is often nothing other than playing to the gallery. This approach costs society a lot, leaving the people poorer and the states less safe. Anambra is in a hurry to develop, and so doesn’t need unnecessary fights which are, by their nature, destructive.”

The Commissioner said that as the general election draws nearer, more of such extremist remarks against the Governor should be expected, noting that the healthy style of engagement with opponents resulted in the peaceful gubernatorial election of November 7, 2017, and in Anambra’s emergence as Nigeria’s most peaceful state.

He added: “We have a responsibility to explain the true situation to the people of Anambra State who are supremely in support of both Governor Obiano and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

“Obiano also engages constructively with members of the so-called opposition in Anambra State like Senator Ben Obi, Senator Andy Uba, Senator Uche Ekwunife, Mrs Josephine Anenih, Chief Godwin Ezeemo, etc, who are leading members of various political parties.

“He engages constructively with non-partisans like Mr Cosmas Maduka of the Coscharis Group. The result is the massive investment flow into the state running into billions of dollars.

“Obiano’s advanced and sophisticated approach in his relationships with critical institutions and forces around Nigeria can be described as informed by what he calls development diplomacy.

“Yet, no one should be in doubt about Obiano’s unwavering and bold commitment to the good of Ndi Anambra in particular and Igbo people in general. For instance, when a lot of Igbo leaders were afraid to merely discuss in public any aspect of the Nigerian-Biafran War, Obiano led the formal burial and funeral of Igbo people who died in the 30-month fratricide but did not receive a proper burial, an anathema in Igboland and many other parts of Africa.”

Adinuba maintained that many of the people taking exception to Obiano’s constructive engagement with the Federal Government were too timid to either attend the event or even declare support for it saying that only bold and authentic Igbo leaders like the late Vice President of Nigeria, Dr Alex Ekwueme, stood by Gov Obiano every inch of the way.

He said that Gov Obiano’s style of achieving great objectives and goals for the people of Anambra State without creating enmity for them in any way is a mark of sophisticated leadership.

While describing it as development diplomacy, the Commissioner said that Nigerian political class should learn one or two lessons from this strategy saying that politicians in Anambra who disapprove of the Governor’s approach are those late Chinua Achebe famously referred to as rough beasts of fanaticism.

“They are those who want to endanger the state by seeking to bring down on all of us the roof of our development building which has in recent years attracted stupendous attention from even beyond Nigeria,” he stated.

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