Date Published: 05/04/09
Chukwudi Nwokoye’s Stand, My Stand, Part 3
By Hon. Chinedu Opukiri-Nkwonta
Kpomnigeria4ever@yahoo.co.uk
Anambra State and indeed Nigeria would love a governor that would run our States and our commonwealth with shrewdness and prudence but also with respect to his lieutenants and visible achievements. Go to Enugu today and tell me what other prudence that you need to see. Governor Obi has not only implied that all Anambrarians either politician or contractors are criminals. He has criminalised doctors also for going on strike and called the Chiefs and elders of Awka town trouble makers and ungrateful people. How many times have we heard about Enugu State in the news except for development projects? How many times have we heard of Fashola of Lagos State except for development? Ngige was in the news for the abduction but more for the difference he made to the lives of people. Ngige identified an analogue problem that the State had, roads, and he channelled most of his energy to that and the difference is clear. If every governor that comes in takes a project at a time, we shall stabilise must faster than these long stories. Pregnancy, no matter how you try to cover it cannot hide, “adi ekpuchi afo ime aka”.
The morals of the entire team in Anambra State government are very low. So many of them are just prisoners and are confused on what to do. Some had prosperous carriers but the attraction of serving in a government lured them out, they never knew they were going on a salt buying journey only for the sender to invite the rain maker against them, “Okwute rakpolufa mmili n’isi”. Governor Obi would go on the national television and imply that his Commissioner is a thief for mere twenty thousand naira. The Governor went on national television and said that he does not care about what his staff thinks, what a great way to motivate people.
Today, Nwakibie Emeka Etiaba (the son of Peter Obi’s deputy) is challenging Peter for a fight, what a disgrace. Mr. Chukwudi Nwokoye, is this particular action not tell the entire story I have been struggling to tell on your imaginary messiah. Would this singular action have been possible if Governor Obi is doing well? Let me agree that Governor Obi and Emeka Etiaba have their problems, I think I can guess the issue, Emeka and his mother asked Peter to share the commonwealth and Peter refused, great story. How come that Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, the leader of APGA, the political party that got Peter to power declared Emeka Etiaba’s campaign open at Awka? I am expecting a reply from Mr. Chukwudi Nwokoye and I hope the reason for this would be convincing. Just wait a second, I think I have the answer; Emeka Etiaba and Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu are from Nnewi and the jara is that they are name sakes. I suspect Dim just found out he is from the same town with Emeka Etiaba otherwise Dim would not have supported Peter at the first instance, crap.
Ngige had a long drawn battle with his political associates but he was able to withstand them, not by his strength but by the over whelming support that he had from the masses, every Nigeria heard his story and supported him and as a politician, he delivered. I do not want to bring up the humiliation of APGA members in the State and the country, Governor Obi was well placed to be the leader of APGA after Ojukwu but he screwed it big time, not because he was not guided but because he was a man that knew it all, he was destined to fail. Fail Peter must, if no one pushes him, he falls on his own, let Mr. Chukwudi Nwokoye tell me that I have lied.
It is very easy for us all to claim righteous position because we are not involved, is there any of us including Mr. Nwokedi that knows the kind of lobbying people go through as to get positions in government?
Ngozi Okonjo-Iwuala was paid in dollars when she was our minister, she made a point. It was an eye opener in a way because she could not go less than what she had been earning in her previous jobs. She needed to make sure she was never tempted to steal. It suggested to me that we can improve the salaries of civil servants and appointees as to reduce the urge to thief. We can lobby the government to make it punishable by hanging if caught stealing and found guilty. Did I hear someone tell me that this suggestion is barbaric and against human rights? Let us leave it as it is and please let no one ever complain about corruption again. Mr. Chukwudi Nwokoye knows that Governor Obi is tight-fisted; he knows that Governor Obi speaks like Ada Obi and he knows the Governor abandoned his party men and women, what is the problem then Mr. Nwokedi, is that not the truth?
Governor Peter Obi destroyed the structure of local governments by refusing to conduct elections. He has been running the local governments as he likes and has actually transferred the responsibility to town unions’ by-passing the Igwes and Ezes. He has planted bad- blood amongst the town union officials, the Igwes and the towns and of-course, it is much cheaper for him to give town unions a million naira for welfare and five hundred thousand to tar the roads, parts of the 300 kilometres of roads constructed. As Nigerians, let some guy tell me how much of that money that is actually used for stipulated projects? Can someone tell us what happens to local government allocations every month? Is the Federal allocation for local governments or town unions? Can we not see the damage that this government is doing to the legal local government structure set up by the constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria? Is the amount given to town unions enough to make any difference?
Ngige could not conduct same elections and had genuine reasons; he had no political party as he was sacked by PDP. Peter has not conducted the election because he knows he will not win, simple. Two by-elections have been conducted in the State of recent and PDP took all the seats, is that a testimony of this popularity and verifiable mile stones man called Governor Obi? Peter had told us that another reason for not conducting local government election is that the State election commission chairman was appointed by Ngige and a relation to Ngige. Peter literally said that he does not have control of the State so the electoral commissioner would just ignore him and take instructions from Ngige. This is a pure personal indictment and acceptance of weakness by an incumbent governor, I have never seen things like this before and yet, Mr. Chukwudi Nwokoye thinks that we are all mumu in Anambra State. The truth is that I am a much better friend to Governor Obi than a man like Mr. Chukwudi Nwokoye, I will tell the Governor the truth but Nwokoye would rather do what they do not do in the United States or the United Kingdom, it is called sycophancy.
I can not believe that Mr. Chukwudi Nwokoye said that the crime in the State today is being sponsored by political opponents of Governor Peter Obi. What Mr. Nwokoye has said is that every day, the political enemies of Obi would draw a time table on whom to rob and kidnap. These kidnappers and armed robbers then go to town to execute the time table. It is seriously the highest height of recklessness and absolute disregard to the feelings of the real victims of these crimes mainly encouraged by lack of jobs. As much as Mr. Nwokoye is admitting that his messiah is a man that cannot protect himself less other people, he has thrown caution to the wind, sold his integrity for nothing in defence of the indefensible. I never knew that Mr. Nwokoye hates politicians this way as to label them wickedly. Is Mr. Chukwudi Nwokoye implying that the victims of all these crimes are politicians or people that are supporters of His Excellency Governor Obi or is he implying that crime is encouraged as to create an impression of chaos in the State, to expose the weakness of Mr. Nwokoye’s subject? Let us take this argument differently and may be that would open the valves in Mr. Nwokoye’s brains as to understand the implication of his un-thought-out desperate out pour in support of nothing, crime is not selective and for anyone that is sponsoring such, there is no guarantee that members of the person’s family would not be victims unless the leader of the gang is a criminal therefore not a politician. Be mindful that I am not defending the politicians as they can be a hand full, political crimes normally do have the tale signs, like the shooting in PDP office in Awka, burning of government properties, kidnapping or outright murder of political opponents, Mr. Nwokoye has raised some concerns here, concerns on his state of mind, it is not funny, it is a real concern. In case Mr. Nwokoye does not know, the owl can cry yesterday and the child would still die today for so many reasons more than what he thinks. Kidnapping and increase in robbery has to do with lack of jobs and greed amongst people and another little advice, there is no need to drag Professor Chike Obi or Malcolm X as to support your un-intelligent suppositions, they are not that dumb.
The Anambra State people that Mr. Chukwudi Nwokoye mentioned a few times in his article are obviously the elite that are either benefiting from government on a chop and clean mouth basis or too proud or afraid to criticise, it is definitely not the masses of the State. I was sitting in a restaurant recently at Awka and an okada guy just parked and came in and sat down, he pulled off his dirty face-cap and slammed it on the plastic table in front of him. He was visibly angry, angry with Peter Obi. In his words, he was looking for someone to encourage him to go and strangle the governor. His reason was that life was just getting tougher and he was frustrated. The okada guy is not a politician; his comment was a genuine reaction to real circumstance that he was in live. Is this the Anambra people that Mr. Chukwudi Nwokoye is speaking on behalf? He may say that I just made up the story and that is fair enough as I do not have any evidence to prove my story, let Mr. Nwokoye invent his own story, after all a campaign manager for one of the gubernatorial candidates in 2007 said that politics is all about telling your opponents what ever comes to you mouth, not even mind.
Mr. Chukwudi Nwokoye and people like us would always cope any-how; we have the United States and the United Kingdom to run to, the okada guy and the masses of the State cannot leave the State.
The truth of the matter is that Governor Obi failed in all areas. I do think that the most honourable thing for His Excellency to do is to apologise to Anambra people and respectfully step aside from the next election; he may get some of his integrity back.
I do not know where Mr. Chukwudi Nwokoye got his 57 number of candidates vying for governor in Anambra State; where ever that came from, let him add one to it to make him feel better. Let him start thinking of that extra one for now, it shall be revealed to him in due course.
No one is envious of Peter Obi in terms of achievements but in terms of the position he is occupying at the moment, the entire nation knows he failed and the masses are in a hurry for him to disappear back to London and allow us to mend the State, it is long over due but we thank God that it is all about to end, please God.
Would Peter Obi win again, it is very possible.
Nwakibie Emeka Etiaba needs to organise his campaign and not take anything for granted. I have learnt that it is too dangerous to pull a gun on an enemy if you do not mean to shoot, Atiku pulled and never shut and OBJ got him.
Peter Obi can win if PDP fails to field a great candidate.
Ngige is very popular amongst the masses and definitely the man to beat, whether his popularity with the masses will convert into political victory, we shall all see. In politics anything is possible.
As I am excited and demoralised at the same time, I have my passport ready and I have conditioned my mind to go on exile in case things go pearl shaped. As for dancing in my natural dress at Idengeli market when the magic happens, I shall keep to it; I am still a man of my words, I am taking the bookings now so be fast to register.
Mr. Chukwudi Nwokoye, any questions?
The End, for now
