Wanted: Anambra Schwarzenegger

 
Barr Maurice Chukwu
As the November 16^th Governorship elections in Anambra State fast approaches, and political campaigns reach feverish high, with each of the sea of twenty-three candidates cleared by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC trying hard to out-wit each other with eye-catching , unrealistic and out-of-reach campaign promises and  slogans like ‘Taking Anambra to the Next Level’ even as most of them cannot explain in practical terms what ‘the next level’ entails, my mind only remembers one individual who is not amongst the contestants, and not even a Nigerian: Arnold Schwarzenegger.

But, every discerning mind is wont to ask: what has Schwarzenegger, who is best known for his roles in blockbuster movies such as Commando and The Terminator, got to do with the Anambra gubernatorial polls. In case anyone has forgotten, Arnold Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-born American former professional body builder, actor, businessman, investor, and lately, politician. In most of his movies, he tells all who cared to listen that: ‘I’ll be back’ but few understood what he meant. And, true to his words, he did come back, but not in the make-believe world of movies, but to serve as the 38^th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011.

Now, let’s explore the nexus between The Terminator and the marketplace of aspirants jostling for the Anambra hot seat. Of the twenty-three candidates cleared for the polls, in my considered view, only four are strong contestants. They are: Willie Obiano: All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Chris Ngige: All Progressives Congress, APC, Ifeanyi Ubah:  Labour Party, LP and Nicholas Ukachukwu: Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Schwarzenegger surely has something in common with the aforestated four key contestants - wealth. In 2011, it was estimated that his net worth has been approximately $400 million, and even as high as $800 million, based on tax returns he filed in 2006. Although it is hard to determine the net worth of Nigerians, it is easily decipherable that the four main contestants are indeed what we refer to in Nigerian parlance as either ‘eze ego’, ‘olowo’, ‘mai kudi’ and/or better still, moneybags.

Chris Ngige, a medical doctor, retired as deputy director, Federal Ministry of Health in 1998 to join politics. He was later elected governor of Anambra State in 2003 and he is presently, a serving senator representing Anambra Central Senatorial Zone. Nicholas Ukachukwu runs a chain of companies under the Snecou Group of Companies. He represented the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja in the House of Representatives from 1999-2003. And, judging by the recent report from the International Monetary Fund and The Economist magazine of London, the basic salary of $189,500 earned annually by each Nigerian legislator (which excludes allowances) is enough to make any of our ‘those-in-support-say-aye’ or ‘those-against-say-nay’ legislators, who are the highest paid in the world, stupendously wealthy.

Ifeanyi Uba, an oil-magnate, was formerly, the chief executive officer of Capital Oil & Gas Industries Limited while Willie Obiano, a chartered accountant and former banker, was former internal auditor of Texaco world-wide. He served the banking industry for twenty-four years and for nine years was Executive Director in Fidelity Bank Plc.

Now, before Schwarzenegger became the Governor of California, he has served as Chairman of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports from 1990 to 1993. During that time, he traveled across the U.S. promoting physical fitness to kids and lobbying all 50 U.S. governors in support of school fitness programs. He would hit sometimes two or three governors in a day in his own airplane, at his own expense, somewhere around $4,000 an hour. Schwarzenegger made more sacrifices for his people as Governor of California. While his official salary was $206,500, he gave it all back to the State, resulting in a real salary of $0. He forfeited his salary because he was already wealthy before he became governor. 

Wait for this. Foregoing his salary is only half the story. Arnold's real sacrifice as Governor was in the form of what economist call opportunity costs. If they were not in office, many politicians would make average salaries, but Schwarzenegger would be making movie-star salary. Each year in office for Arnold meant a year without appearances in blockbuster films, and that missed opportunity is a huge cost. He recently told an Austrian newspaper that he missed an estimated $200 Million in movie income during his seven-year in office as California governor.

So I have to ask: Who among the contestants in Anambra would make huge personal sacrifices in order to serve his state? Who among them would not view the position of governor as an avenue to enrich himself further thereby leaving the populace impoverished? Who among them would not see the office of the governor as an avenue to siphon public funds and/or an opportunity to indulge in a braggadocio of recklessness? Who among them knows that a chance to rule does not give him the blank cheque to act like "winner-takes-all?" Who among them is spurred by a genuine desire to better the lot of Anambrarians whose communities are being ravaged by erosion? Who among them is pushed by the desire to reduce the recurrent low male enrolment in schools in the state? Who among them sees the governorship as an opportunity to reduce the rising wave of unemployed youths in the state?

Just as Arnold did for the state of California, who among the aspirants has the strategic growth plan to rebuild Anambra State? Who among them has the intention of investing in Anambra students, building a healthier Anambra, strengthening the health care system and protecting vulnerable Anambrarians? Who among them has the desire of promoting Anambrarians abroad, preparing for and responding to disasters, honouring our soldiers and veterans, making Anambra safer, fighting for our economy, and leaving a legacy of lower taxes.  Who among the aspirants has the intention of reforming the local government political system, reforming the state pension system, reforming the budget process, protecting the environment and promoting clean energy, and conserving our land and rivers? Who? Who? Who?

Suffice it to reiterate that Schwarzenegger didn't go into politics for the money, rather the honour of it.  Hear him in a recent interview: "I made this always very clear from the beginning, when I got into the governorship, that I'm not trying to become a career politician. I mean I just thought that California was in a crisis and I felt that since California and America has given me everything... that I should take seven years out of my life and be a public servant and serve the people of California regardless of the lack of pay. I gave my salary back as a matter of fact, because it was like $187,000 a year, and it was petty cash, I mean, for me. So I said 'give it back to the state' and I wanted to do it for free, I didn't want any money because it was an honour for me to do the job."

I have to ask yet again: Was California best served seven years of Governor Schwarzenegger, or would the state have been better off if Arnold had kept acting and simply donated his $200 Million of income for the period to the state's treasury? In the same vein, would Anambra be better served if these career politicians and moneybags would plough some of their massive wealth into developing the state and stay away from the government house? Whatever you might think of Arnold Schwarzenegger, though, you have to respect him for making a huge personal sacrifice in order to serve his state. Besides acting, he could have spent those seven years on a beach in the Bahamas. Schwarzenegger's time as Governor of California reportedly cost him $200 Million. Who can make such a sacrifice for mother Anambra? For now, I think the situation still remains: Wanted: Anambra Schwarzenegger!

*Maurice Chukwu, legal practitioner, Dr Olu Onagoruwa Chambers, 77 Olonode Street, Alagomeji, Yaba, Lagos.mauricechukwu@gmail.com, 08032332734