Long before the Governor of Anambra state got to power, he was already a very big boy like some always love to say, meaning he was already well to do and could easily afford many of all the good things of life.
Just imagine that the man who began his career at First Bank and later went to Chevron, became a Chief Internal Auditor before he left, that's no small feat for anyone. He later went on to Fidelity Bank unarguably one of Nigeria’s top banks, where former Governor Peter Obi at a time was said to be like the single highest shareholder, where he rose to become an Executive Director before retiring and later becoming a Governor.
We could imagine him looking back, that when he and madam would go do some shopping then, they like all Africans loves to do, would do so with much aplomb, doing retail therapy like their very lives depended on it. Like they might never have the opportunity ever again, so whatever they could buy at any point, they would literally gorge themselves on. So maybe that kind of scenario was recently repeated when his excellency, Governor of Anambra, Sir Willie Obiano visited the United States of America. Not minding that he and madam were Governor and first lady, they were like any other ordinary Nigerians as they went shopping crazy at the Galleria on Westheimer in Houston Texas and at the end you can imagine them carrying about 15 plus assorted shopping bags of different sizes of the many top labels they had purchased. And that's just on one trip!
The Galleria on Westheimer where they had come to, is the 7th largest in the US and the biggest in Texas. It houses 375 stores, but 4 of the most prominent are Macy's, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom. You can imagine that they caught a few eyes as they moved about. And that was actually what got our attention. When we Nigerian rich peeps wants to do anything, we love to do it with the ultimate swagger, which shows to all that are around us, that we are not ordinary, no minions and that we are people of means that must be accorded the desired accolades. Most often we desire and literally ask for respect and recognition by our very actions, we do not know or have in our vocabulary understated or incognito.
Whilst the Executive Governor deliberately worked a few steps ahead from his other 3 companions which included his wife, like he was on his own, he was carrying about 4 Louis Vuitton shopping bags, 2 each on each side. Madam on the other hand was with the 2 men and they carried all the other shopping bags of various sizes of different brands. The executive Governor of probably the richest South Eastern state, had on, his signature cap or hat, by which many know or have come to identify him.
A little retail therapy like it is said, hurts no one. It might even be a way to relax and think up the next upcoming big idea that would bowl any and all over in Anambra. For a Governor who we hear loves to relax a whole lot, especially with a "drink or 2", shopping at such a humonguous shopping mall with madam who we hear does not suffer fools gladly and 2 others, who maybe are aides or even family members, might mean a massive shopping mall that could be the biggest in the East may be on its way or in the pipeline.
Kudos your excellencies, for showing that we Nigerians and by extension Africans don't lag behind but are as big as any big boys or girls are at anytime. Salute!
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