Paul Orajiaka is one of the political heavy weights eyeing the seat of government in Anambra State. As the race for who takes over from the present governor, Willie Obiano, hots up, Orajiaka is one of the leading contenders in the race and would be contesting on the platform of All Progressives Congress, APC. The multi-million dollar businessman and CEO, Auldon Group, is set to take Anambra by storm by ensuring his presence is felt by all Anambrarians.
In this interview with Ayodele Olalere, Orajiaka reminisced on his rise to wealth, and how success in business prepared him for his present political ambition as well as his plans for Anambra when he becomes governor.
You are one of the leading aspirants for the governoship of Anambra State. How would you assess the past political leadership in Anambra State since its creation, and what are you bringing that’s different from the past?
Anambra State’s political history has been rather turbulent. While Lagos and Anambra State are close in terms of area mass and population, Lagos in terms of politics has been quite stable, while Anambra has been flavoured with numerous firsts and instability since the Fourth Republic. Starting from the administration of Chinwoke Mbadinuju, sworn in on the 29th of May, 1999, as the first civilian governor, to the removal of Sen. Chris Ngige, after Peter Obi brought an action against him, to Peter Obi being impeached and replaced by Virginia Etiaba, who was his then deputy, to Andy Uba being replaced with Obi, down to the current governor, Chief Willie Obiano, who is currently on his second term in office.
All these clearly depict the state’s turbulent chaotic nature. The need for fairer elections and accountability going forward is needed. Also, while PDP and APGA have both enjoyed political tenures in Anambra State, it would be refreshing to have another person and party for a change and, perhaps, draw the state to the centre.
Looking back since the creation of Anambra State, how would you rate the standard of living of average Anambrarians?
Since the creation of Anambra State in 1991, the population has risen astronomically to an estimated 11 million people in 2020.
The statistics show that Anambra state has an estimated 8,060,000 million persons, who are underemployed, unemployed or vulnerable persons; Women and children, which is quite staggering for a state of only 11 million persons.
Looking at issues as they are, while I will give credit to past administration for their efforts, I must say that much more can be done with purposeful leadership, which brings together Anambra men and women whose quest for public office goes beyond pecuniary interest; men and women who embrace a higher nobility of purpose and conduct their affairs with an attitude of integrity, honesty, compassion and godliness.
The task ahead towards achieving my life goals of being an agent of change and upholding value-based leadership in Anambra polity calls for people with strength, grit and steely focus with a broader spectrum of administration matters to champion the governance of the state.
Like every Nigerian, insecurity, poverty, lack of good education, etc. are major concerns. What are your plans to tackle these issues in Anambra if you become governor?
Our needs cut across security, education, infrastructures, and health. Security in Nigeria and especially in Anambra state is an ongoing issue far from resolution. Governor Willie Obiano recently launched Operation Kpochapu II in the state in the last quarter of 2019 and gave further directives to banks and filling stations to install CCTV cameras where they operate throughout the state, as they could be potential targets for security breaches.
While all these are commendable efforts, there are still a lot of holes left to be filled in the state with regard to security.
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States and cities across Africa are beginning to embrace smart city initiatives where they deploy technology (ICT) to tackle security challenges.
Rwanda’s security model has clearly shown the effective role technology plays in formulating a framework to adequately protect lives, property, and a safer clime for business.
In the area of health, Anambra state has about 396 hospitals, 178 missionary hospitals and private hospitals, far more than the last two combined.
With these numbers, it’s important to properly equip the government owned hospital with all necessary facilities for adequate health care provision and equally provide the needed government support in terms of providing an enabling environment for missionary and private hospitals to assist in healthcare provision for the people of Anambra State.
On education, it is very important that we lower the number of out-of-school children in the state, having recorded a high-ranking second place in the 2018 WASC exams against other states in Nigeria. Also, according to the Federal Ministry of Education’s statistics, in the 2015-2016 calendar year, the total number of public primary schools in Anambra was 1045, while the number of total male pupils were 348,071, while females were 365,051, bringing the total to 713,122.
In the same calendar year, the number of out-of-school children between the ages 6-11 years in the state was 49,319.
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For a state with such high pass rates, the numbers need to drop lower, and our goal is to make it the highest state of enrollment for kids from the number it currently sits.
Tackling these issues first requires listening, following some of the best practices obtainable, and above all, staying truthful and accountable to the people throughout the execution or implementation of such processes.
In today’s Nigerian politics, money, political structure and god-fatherism play a major role in who wins political offices. What is your take on this, and who is your godfather?
A political godfather as the term implies defines the connection of one party as a kingmaker, boss, mentor, and principal, while the other party is a godson, beneficiary and recipient of the legacy of a godfather.
Now if you take each of these terms, which characterise a godfather, you will understand that having a mentor or principal is nothing to worry about since we all aspire to be mentored by those we genuinely look up to and whose positive steps we would love to toe.
The challenge now is how the society misconstrues the term, godfather, as someone with enormous wealth, who has built an unbelievable following (voters) and respect in the community so much as to determine who gets nominated and eventually wins the election.
If this latter definition of a godfather is what you are asking, then I am not for that and completely reject such.
Sadly, this latter definition of godfather has been too prominent in our politics and its rancour between the so-called godfathers and godsons is holding us down.
The godfather sees his godson, as an investment that must yield returns on investment and hence, wants a stronghold on the state’s treasury or absolute subservience because they feel their godsons are indebted to them.
These are very notable reasons we are not developing as we ordinarily should.
Youths are said to be leaders of tomorrow yet government has failed to harness their talents. How do you think the government at the federal, state and local levels can effectively engage and harness the tremendous talents in youths?
Youths are change makers and their energetic innovative skills are a symbol of youthful possibilities and capacity to impact the world.
Therefore, investment in their skill acquisition and gainful engagement sow seeds of hope and brings to perspective, its importance in a largely gerontocratic and oligarchic society as Nigeria.
According to United Nations statistics on Nigeria, 18 is the median age and an estimated 60% of Nigeria’s population are just under the age of 30 years.
These statistics should ordinarily make any responsible government understand the key need for effective engagement and harnessing of the tremendous talents and human resources.
Before I delve into what the government at the state and local levels should do, I’d like to first share with you what Paul Orajiaka, as an individual has done, and is still doing. If our nation must develop, a concerted effort by concerned individuals willing to make significant contributions is key. Against this backdrop, I set up the Unity Dolls Social Project Initiative to further public good through job creation, women and youth empowerment, schools rehabilitation and skill acquisition programmes among poor communities in Nigeria. Again, because talent finds support in concrete opportunities, I engage graduate apprentice students of the Lagos State Technical College and equally Friends of the Disabled Organisation of Nigeria (a foundation set up to help disabled people develop abilities) in skill acquisition programme of dress making for my Unity Dolls.
These students get to earn income while being productive and gainfully employed in a country faced with rapid population growth matched only by high unemployment.
In today’s Nigeria, major issues of leadership, corruption, bad habit of some political elite and perpetual anxiety about the future, call for a proper reorientation of its teeming youths population, who are energetic, resilient and creative.
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This desire for significant change necessitated my mentoring and counselling programme aimed at inspiring young students to build the mindset to achieve their goals and ensure negative forces do not overwhelm them.
My mentoring and counselling programme sees me visit various primary, secondary as well as technical colleges in Lagos thrice every quarter for motivational talks and entrepreneurship classes at no cost to the government.
I have spoken to no fewer than ten thousand students in the last four years and mentored over two hundred directly on start-up, many of whom are doing remarkably well in their endeavours since graduation.
I have always seen strength in my story in inspiring these young prodigies, as a concerned entrepreneur with social engineering and supporting movements to improve the quality of youths in the country.
What are your plans to encourage business owners and attract investors to Anambra if you are successful with your ambition to govern the state?
Anambra people are truly entrepreneurial and very business inclined. In fact, our industrial town of Nnewi is said to have more billionaires than anywhere else in the country, all of which are business people dominating various industries in the country.
Entrepreneurship has been known to be the bedrock of most developing economies, yet the socio-political environment is suggested to be so powerful, it could create or destroy entrepreneurship.
Hence developing strong, vibrant and viable environment, which attracts investors is necessary in order to solve the numerous socio-economic problems, facing Anambra, a state in a country with an estimated population of about 190 million people out of who about 70% are classified as poor based on the international poverty threshold of less than 1.25 dollars per day.
Emphasis should also be paid to small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) as they have become an increasingly important component of economic development, representing a substantial proportion of national economies, all around the world. My plan is to implement a start-up accelerator which is one of the ways that places like America have used to get investors closer to start-ups.
This provides access to capital for the start-ups to kickstart their business and the same model can be replicated here at home.
Also, because environmental factors are capable of creating or destroying entrepreneurship by the nature of the climate they establish, providing an environment where security is paramount and adequate infrastructure are provided by the state government will boost investment confidence and attract foreign direct investments.
Tourism is another key sector that can attract investment because Anambra is blessed with beautiful tourist attractions sites, which unfortunately are not tapped or harnessed.
In this new era of globalisation, businesses are moving to a favourable business environment with a well qualified labour force and thus, human capital development will be crucial in my administration, if we get into office.
Let’s go personal. You are doing well in business. As a young and successful entrepreneur, why did you decide to join politics?
The moment I was old enough to realise how we are as a people are blessed with a myriad of natural resources and diversity, yet paradoxically afflicted with some of the worst cases of underdevelopment, infrastructural dearth, neglect and decadence, progressive disarmament of institutions, pandemics and frightful high mortality rates to mention a few, all built the strong desire to be counted as an agent of change.
Politics and quest for the good of the public became a long-term desire. I needed to start with a business background, create jobs and opportunities within my capacity, understand the Nigerian business terrain, and now that I have accomplished all that, contribute to the good of this great Nation through my political aspirations.
I see firsthand the economic situation honest politicians and public officials face to maintain their integrity and I strongly feel it’s worth a concerted effort.
Aside from this long held dream for politics, my everyday interaction and doing business right at the heart of Idumota, the rowdy commercial nerve centre of the cosmopolitan city of Lagos, affords me firsthand knowledge of the challenges ordinary Nigerians face, eking out a living, and yet have collectively been able to take charge of managing their dysfunctional environment.
These personal experiences elicit the thoughts that having flourished relatively well in business, I am duty bound to prepare myself for the life of service through active politics because politicians make society’s choices, prioritise their needs and are actors in enhancing service delivery to the people.
You began your journey as business man from Idumota. Tell us the metamorphosis from Idumota to Harvard?
As a person, I am always passionate about whatever I lay my hands on. Starting off in Idumota, I never let the environment define me.
While most people saw chaos and filth, I saw an opportunity instead and applied myself to make the best of the environment. Before Harvard, Henley, or even Lagos Business School from where I bagged my MBA, I always pride myself as someone with a first degree in business management from the University of Idumota.
I am passionate about creating and deepening structures, which incorporate the best of the private and public sectors. It is for this reason that I enhanced my public service delivery skills and leadership.
I opted to study Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School because to live and remain ignorant of events around you is to live in bondage.
To be aware of ills yet desire no change is itself saddening and to be conscious of how to improve life of your compatriots and fail to do so is living a worthless life.