Meet Philip Obin, C'River Young Chairmanship Aspirant That Everybody Is Talking About

Mr. Philip Obin

Philip Obin, although very young is a household name in Nigeria politics. Since about 15 years ago that he started participating actively in politics, he has grown through the ranks to become a prominent and famous member of the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC.

Obin, born 32 years ago in Erie, Biase Local Government Area of Cross River State is the founder and President of the famous club080. Passionate about ameliorating sufferings among poor Nigerians, Obin founded Club080 as an online assistance organization where people get capital to set up small, medium and large scale businesses. This very reliable scheme has made millions of Nigerians self reliance and prominent entrepreneurs today.

He is also the Chief Executive Officer of the famous Potech Nigeria; a company that specialises in digital marketing, ICT training amongst others. He has trained and empowered thousands of Nigerian youths through digital marketing, blogging, mobile money, Web design and development. One of his businesses currently boasts of 46,000 marketers.

Obin, a product of the highly prestigious Pan Atlantic University has held seminars and trainings across Nigeria and beyond. He's a resource person with years of management experience.

He is a stable and consistent political Juggernaut who grew through the ranks of ACN to the present APC. Even when his works were not appreciated at some point by his party, he remained resolute and committed to his beliefs till this moment that he is a celebrated figure in the ruling party.

A successful entrepreneur who is currently an employer of 123 young Nigerians directly through his businesses spread across almost all the major cities in Nigeria, is the leader of APC new media team. He manages the Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp official pages of the party.

Despite the feat the young millionaire has attained in life, he has ceaselessly posited that until he personally makes 100 millionaire between now and 2020, he will remain unfulfilled in life. And how to achieve this, Obin has to the greatest bewilderment of those who know him expressed intentions to start building the next generation of Aliko Dangote, mike Adenuga, etc from the closest tier of government to the people as a Local Government Chairman.

For people who know him, this may seem a tough retrogression from the top to the bottom but he has insisted that it is not about him but about majority of the jobless youths on the street, the poor farmers who for years have nothing to show, the poor students who have no school fees to sustain their academics and all the vulnerable from Biase.

To some, this does not really make sense as many have expected a man of his status to think of vying for higher positions like member of National Assembly, state house or even the state governor. But he has maintained that he must return home to build a Biase of his dream. A Biase that everybody will be proud of and will become a talking point in the polity of Cross River State.

His vision is to change the aged mindset of the average Biase youth, who relies completely on government to survive. To achieve this, he intend to train the youths on various trades, businesses, vocation, support them educationally and ensure Baise which is almost the only local government without a single bank, (not even Micro finance bank) becomes a hub for investors especially from the banking sector.

It is very shocking and shameful that a local government like Biase which has produced illustrious sons like a minister of the federal republic of Nigeria (Now, Deputy Governor), the spiritual head of the brotherhood of the cross and stars, a supreme court judge, now the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria etc can not boost of a single banking facility. This means that the people have little or no saving culture because it's like they live from hand to mouth.

For Obin, since they have little or no banking and saving culture, facility and people to educate them at present, his administration as a council chairman will focus more on not just how much they make but how much they are able to save for the rainy day. This means every single household in the local government will undergo free training on financial management and the importance of savings.

With the way the local government system has been battered, abused and relegated to the background in Cross River, having a chairman with a mind of his own will be the best thing that can happen to any council. This is where Biase should thank God that there's a certain Philip Obin who is ready to breakaway from the melee of godfatherism which has characterized Cross River politics over the years.

Indeed it's time Cross Riverians are given opportunity to vote their choice candidates in any election. The years of imposition of candidates or elected officials from power brokers in Calabar is gradually coming to an end. Breaking out from the bondage of political imposition is one thing that's counting in favour of Obin and has endeared him into the minds of many.

Another factor favouring his aspiration is the fact that he is from Erei clan of Biase, a highly populated area covering about three  wards, but yet to produce a chairman since the creation of the local government. Indeed this is the time for the Erei man to transform the political instability in Biase to a near perfect stage.

Philip aspiration is like the masses against the cabal that has held Biase back over the years. Many people especially the reactionary leaders would not want to support a brave, talented and industrious young man like him but don't fall to their antics because they all hate you. They want you to remain poor while their generation grow richer. They don't want you to acquire quality education. They want to stop you from being self reliance to continue depending on them to survive so that they would have absolute control over you and your destiny.

When they bring their money bags, collect it. It's your money but secure your future by supporting Philip Obin. He may not have most elites to his side but he has you, the people; the real essence why government exist.

Would you rather trade your future, the future of the next generation for peanuts and deceits? No! No!! No!!!.

Support Philip Obin for Biase Local Government Chairman.

Think Biase! Think Philip!

Inyali Peter is a Social Commentator and a PR Consultant. He can be reached through inyalipeter@gmail.com.