Date Published: 05/04/09
Chukwudi Nwokoye’s Stand, My Stand, Part 2
By Hon. Chinedu Opukiri-Nkwonta
Kpomnigeria4ever@yahoo.co.uk
But arguing just for the sake of it, Mr. Chukwudi Nwokoye accused Ngige of mouthing Governor Peter Obi non stop, what is Chukwudi really expecting? Does Mr. Chukwudi Nwokoye expect Ngige to shoot Peter, no, that’s barbaric or to extol his achievements. The members of the Labour party in the UK were circulating smear emails against members of their party and the oppositions; it is the reality of politics. Mr. Nwokoye must be expecting a type of parliamentary argument as we do in the UK where the opposition challenge the government positions, even at that, they still abuse the Prime Minister, the Ministers and each other, it is the reality of politics. Labour party has the price that the Conservatives want, and they are not pretending about that. The conservative’s position is to always find faults with the policies of government and undermine the government as much as possible, which is the only way Labour Party can be brought down. Your criticism of Ngige is flawed with a logic that would come from person not used to power.
Check out what Mugabe is doing to his people, an old man that has limited time on earth yet his people are perishing and he is not seeing it at all, the most important thing for him is that he dies a President. How I wish this power thing can be as easy as boarding Ekene Dili Chukwu from Lagos to Onitsha then we can all feel it to know it and discuss it. Ngige is not a happy man; Peter Obi has what he wants. Every night he kneels down to pray, he is begging God to bring him back as the governor of Anambra State, Ngige has tasted it so is better placed to tell us all how it is like. Ngige may not come to lecture us on this but we can deduce our own opinions from his actions. Let me be very clear, I am not comparing Ngige with Mugabe in any way; it is my way of explaining power.
Another point is that Mr. Chukwudi Nwokoye seems to have taken on a tough responsibility by attacking Ngige, the equivalent of moving the mountain to Mohammed, very difficult task. Chukwudi is a home grown Igbo man by the way he has used his idioms to eat his words, I think he forgot that the bird that perches on the string fence and the fence are on a continuous disco party, in politics, it is not all you know that you say. Ngige is still revered by the masses no matter what you and I think, the man is milking the popularity to the fullest. You can stay in Maryland and point fingers at Ngige, please do not do that while in Anambra State, you may find out then that there is really nothing in Peter Obi’s accredited hospitals.
You asked that Peter should be constructively criticised, I have done that in so many of my previous write ups but my reward was a night at the police cell. Peter Obi built a Stock exchange and I questioned the rationale behind that at this time that the people need to be stabilised, Stock Exchange for ordinary people at this moment is digital, the people do not have food on their tables and there is no security for God sake. When I tried to make sense of the Stock Exchange, I queried to know how many people that the State government had given scholarships in institutions within and outside Nigeria to learn stock trading, as to come back and work in this revolutionary idea, none. Can Mr. Chukwudi Nwokoye imagine the political implication if the Governor had trained just twenty one persons, one from each local government, that would have been a big coup for Peter and he would have made someone like me eat my words. If Mr. Chukwudi Nwokoye does not know, the Stock Exchange has been given to banks, and you tell us that Governor Obi has out-performed his predecessors, “Ngige (Saul) has killed his thousands and Peter (David) killed his ten thousands”.
Governor Obi asked the Federal Government of Nigeria to provide him with soldiers as to deal with the NARTO situation at Onitsha; Governor Obi gave the soldiers instructions to shoot at sight any one that stands on their way. So many people were killed in a situation he could have dealt with differently. Do you think that Peter understands why what he is involved in today is called politics? Using Nwokoyes’s standard comparison, would a governor in any State in America give such an order against his people? Comparing Peter with Obama, does Mr. Chukwudi Nwokoye think that it would not have made sense to articulate a strong political negotiation or twist of hand as to achieve his objectives? Democracy, so many times I have argued we are not really prepared for yet due to my analogue argument but in such a setting, could we not have attached more importance to life and security of people than money? People were killed because they could not afford to stay at home and watch their children die because of war declared on us by the governor that was elected to protect us; the entire Onitsha residents were visited with the sins of NARTO. It may have been forgotten now, but the families of the dead still mourn till date, was there any probe or compensation? I really want Mr. Chukwudi Nwokoye to answer me. Let him get me a comparison from the United States.
Awka indigenes had to humiliate themselves and went on protest to complain about the deplorable state of the capital city. Did these traditional titled men and women and others need to beg for the government to develop its capital? Is Awka no more the capital of Anambra State? If Awka people had to beg as a capital city, Nawfia has no chance in heaven or hell. The Zik’s avenue that cuts through Awka to Amawbia was awarded by Ngige, Governor Obi obviously was not happy about that and did not want to continue with a contract awarded by another Governor, wicked mentality, visiting Awka people and residents with the goodwill (sins) of Ngige, can Mr. Chukwudi Nwokoye tell me if Obama would have done same? Ngige saw the political loop hole and moved in, what weapon has a politician except his mouth; Ngige opened it to the maximum, simple. Governor Obi has always provided the ammunitions that have been used against him so why pass the buck on Ngige. Dr. Chris Ngige went as far as inspecting State projects, Ngige knows that he will keep his political dreams alive by doing that and the same time expose the weakness of the incumbent, do you think that any one would dare do that if Ngige was the governor, you no dey fear face? When one has cooked a super of the lizards and the lizards decide to come for an impromptu party, do not blame the lizard.
There was a lot of noise made by the government as regards certification of hospitals, I was impressed and candidly too. My dad was a victim of the hospital at Awka. The next news I heard was that the doctors were on strike, haba!!!! The doctors had complains as long as Enugu/Onitsha express way bothering from conditions of service to availability of drugs and facilities and the payment of salaries. Ngige may have a style that is not particularly the forte of Chukwudi Nwokoye but he is probably the only man today that can boldly say what mere mortals like me would not say without any consequence. Can Peter arrest Ngige and put him in cell, no, Peter did that to me.
Mr Chukwudi Nwokoye spoke about respect for elders and leadership, who has actually disrespected who here? Ngige as former governor whether you feel it was acquired fraudulently, legally or illegally or stolen has a right to criticise, it is now up to Governor Obi and his team to reply and expose the lies told by Ngige. What I have to tell you today is that Peter’s statistics brouhaha has been exposed and the people would more likely believe Ngige than Peter. You live in Mary land United States, I want to assure you that all of us that are on the ground, do know who is who.
One other great lie that has gone on unchallenged for a long time is this wayo statistics on the length of roads constructed in the State. Chukwudi Nwokoye wrote thus “While Ngige constructed 198 kilometres of roads while Obi has constructed more than 300 kilometres of roads”, an addition of these two is 498 kilometres of roads, I put it unto Mr. Chukwudi Nwokoye that Anambra State does not have that volume of roads. Which roads are the longest in Anambra State and before you start thinking, do be reminded that Anambra State is possibly the smallest State in the east. The long roads in the State would be Amawbia to Nnewi, Onitsha to Nnewi, Onitsha to Nsugbe/Aguleri, Nkwelle Ezunaka to Nsugbe, Awkuzu to Aguleri, Ihiala towards Iseke and Awka-Etiti. I do not know how long they are as I am not a man of statistics but be assured that they are not up to 200 kilometres. Who built most of these roads, NGIGE. Dame Etiaba awarded her own roads also, where are they in this statistics, or have they all been transferred to Governor Peter? There would actually not be anything wrong with that if Obi would confirm to us Nigerians that Dame Etiaba’s government was a part of his. The only road that is reasonably long is likely to be the old road which is the continuation of Zik’s Avenue at Awka to Nkpor junction. Did Governor Obi build the Onitsha to Benin express way to have clocked 300 kilometres?
Putting this argument differently, if Governor Obi built 300 kilometres of roads, then all the roads in Anambra State no matter how short and small and leading to every compound must have been tarred, asphalted like the roads in America or UK. It is an easy logic, let Mr Chukwudi Nwokoye provide us with the details and I shall swallow my pride and apologise to His Excellency and Mr. Chukwudi Nwokoye one time.
CONTINUED ON PART 3
