2023 : Why I think Obi is the best man for the job – Udeze

When Peter Obi was sworn in as the governor of Anambra state in 2006, I immediately resigned my appointment as the director of Anambra state environmental protection agency ANSEPA.

I owed my appointment to his predecessor Ngige and felt that was the most honourable thing to do. Shortly after being sworn in in March, 2006, Peter Obi announced his intention to restructure the security architecture of Anambra state. I sent my proposal to coordinate the activities of vigilante groups in the state to him through late John Haruna, the then commissioner of police.

I was careful to remove everything that will connect me to the proposal for fear of political backlash since I was a top member of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) which was Ngige’s party. The proposal was endorsed by the security council of governor Peter Obi without knowing who was behind it and I was appointed in October, 2006 to manage the affairs of Anambra vigilante groups as consultant.

In the year 2008 Peter Obi started to give grants to the vigilante groups in all the communities in the state because of the way and manner they conducted themselves.

That was also the beginning of my problems. I couldn’t stay anonymous for too long. I was soon unmasked by the foot soldiers of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) which was the ruling party. Top functionaries of the government party started making concerted moves to take over my job.

Surprisingly all efforts to take over my job was rebuffed by Governor Peter Obi himself who had never met me but was impressed with my coordination of Anambra state vigilante groups. However, in 2010, his special adviser on special duties, considered then as untouchable, colluded with the commissioner of police to remove me and appointed another to take over from me.

I knew better than to fight the government so I silently leaked my wounds but not for long. Emanating problems in the operation of vigilantes led to the governor setting up a vigilante reform committee chaired by Ajulu Uzodike who also doubled as the chairman of Anambra state Security Trust Fund. I made a presentation to the the committee which chronicled the problems of the vigilante groups and provided them with the needed solution.

I was reappointed in 2012 to continue the coordination of the vigilante groups. It didn’t matter to Peter Obi that I wasn’t a member of his party. All that mattered was that he was getting the results he needed. I contributed in no small measure to the success story of security in Anambra which was climaxed by the presentation of Innoson patrol vehicles by Governor Peter Obi to all the 177 communities in Anambra state.

Peter Obi has what it takes to pull Nigeria out of the woods we are in now. We must all join hands to make this possible- Chris Okey Udeze, security consultant