Date Published: 05/29/09
Writing for benefits
By Hon. Chinedu Opukiri-Nkwonta
Kpomnigeria4ever@yahoo.co.uk
I have always been a writer of some sort, trying to make a living with my drama and music scripts. I have so many scripts written that are scattered all over London and Abuja put the real journalistic writings that I am doing now I never really anticipated.
The thought of being paid to support a point of view sounds crazy to me. I believe it is impossible, may be that is a part of my naivety in this whole business of writing. It is a possibility as far as I can think of to be paid not to write than for me to be paid to write. If someone feels that my opinion on their position disagrees, I would rather not say a word. And it is not just not say a word, I must be out of the environment entirely otherwise I must talk; I do not know how to pretend that all is ok when it is not. I never have any problem saying how I feel even in a relationship, the moment I stop talking, then I have decided am not a part of that any more and nothing will bring me back to it, absolutely nothing.
I remember once that I had an audience with the late Igwe Enugwu Ukwu and Eze Umu nri, His Royal Highness, Igwe Osita Agwuna, he said that the shrines that people run to for oaths and stuffs like that does not kill, what kills is the conscience, the conscience of the guilty. I cannot imagine myself being paid to write that the roads of Anambra State have been tarred with gold when it is not the case. Where will I stay to enjoy the money, UK, on exile, which will be a great tragedy.
I am a professional public relations person and have never packaged any product that I do not believe in. I will rather spend my energy in helping to improve the product and bring it to a marketable standard.
Contrary to the belief of so many people, I know so many people that are in Governor Peter Obi’s government, I have had series of meetings with his people in the past but I have never thought through our discussions a minute after. How can you tell me that your Lord is good when it is not reflecting on you? It does not mean that the person would have to have silver and gold and it does not mean that they will smell of poverty. No person that I know working under Governor Obi is performing up to 50% capability, none. Why would I then decide to kill my political carrier under a train that is heading back to the station?
I do not want to be gotten wrong, I am not Mr. Holy and can never be, I believe that people that work should get their rewards. A government does not need to pay any one a dime for good image, Governor Sullivan Chime never did and I wrote positively on his administration. Today in Enugu State, no human being created by God would say they have not felt the success of this man, how and where would I get the inspiration to write any negative mail against him? The truth of the matter is that if I try, the people will mob me, naturally. I do not dare even if I do not like him, not because he will kidnap me, no, but because he is working for the people and the evidence is visible every where you go. You just need to mention the name Peter Obi and I will write twenty pages in a second, ok, in an hour.
Governor Obi could have used my criticism and that of so many other writers including Odenigbo Chidi Anyaeche to improve his government. So many companies pay consultants to outline all we did for Peter free of charge but he bluntly refused to listen. It would have been ok for him not to listen if Anambra State is his business, it is not, it is my home State, sorry, I can not keep quiet.
It is very easy for some biased people or compromised ones to think that every other person is playing the compromised game, I know where I can compromise and that is when the man in charge realises he made mistakes and ready to make amends, is it my fault that Governor Obi never delivered? Because I have this opportunity to air my views, does it not make sense that I shout believing that he will listen and change? Change anyway is no more an option for him, if I were him, I will take off to a place like Afghanistan for the rest of the term and hand over the government to Dame Etiaba to redeem anything that is left as credibility for the sake of APGA, after all in United Kingdom, we exchanged Tony Blair for Gordon Brown, it has not worked though, I think that is about to collapse.
I have written positively about Dame Etiaba, not because she gave me jobs or loads of money, so many other people benefited, would she then have any need to pay me to write positively about her and her government. Would I have the moral justification to write negative articles about her because she did not give me jobs? Dame Etiaba was able to work with the members of the State house of assembly and were never called political rascals or thieves. She was only in-charge of the State for about three months and made a difference to so many lives; imagine given her another three months, I must be a part of that.
As a politician and the way our people feel about politicians and money, it is very easy for it to stick when a politician is accused of demanding or embezzling funds, what else do they know how to do? Do we really think that Governor Obi is happy that Dame Etiaba was ever a governor? With Peter’s policy of having all the money in the bank while the people are dying, Dame Etiaba never shared same philosophy. She knew that most of Peter’s problems were based on inactions; the State’s funds were in the bank and accumulating interest while Governor Obi was planning to fail. Most of the money that had been resting in the banks as the people were suffering were mobilised to work for the people. I never visited Nigeria for one day during Dame Etiaba’s tenure but the feedback from the people on the ground was that she worked. I may not be happy that she did not remember me but I can only complain at the back yard and not to start accusing her of issues due to personal reasons. I may have expressed my wish to work with some people in government in the past; it does not mean that I do not have integrity and self discipline. I come from a good home and I do appreciate integrity as that is all that I have till date. I need money and power but not at all cost, I am of the old school that believes that criminals should have honours too.
Dr. Chris Ngige spent money and worked for the people, we are happy with him because he provided the roads, let us all remember that no one questioned the cost of those roads. Chief Victor Ume, the political agafe of APGA did but the people did not take notice, why, because the people at this point of our politics are not interested, there had been governments before and as far as they are concerned, what ever Ngige took was ok because he worked. Why didn’t the previous governments take money and work?
The problems we have today as a State does not need the type of fraudulent planning Governor Obi made so many of us believe he was doing, the equivalent of putting up a business plan before setting up a business, give me a break, this is not a bloody personal enterprise and our problems are there every day staring every one in the face. If Governor Obi needed any business plan, the closest okada guy would have told him straight where to start, if he is not impressed, he can go down to Awka market and ask a meat seller, let no one try to make me feel that I am crazy as I am not. Is this what I will see and then his people will come and offer me money and I will take and shut up, no way, to hell with any one and the dirty money. How much do they really think that I am worth and why would they not use that money to work for the people? I need money but not dirty one please. What would money mean without integrity? I will not be the first to have and would not be the last; I would make money in my genuine effort.
Our people are not expecting any one to finish serving as a governor and come out a poor man, your community will castrate you before disowning but the only condition is that you have to deliver to justify the one in your pocket. In all the prudence and economic management people have been extolling Governor Obi on, I would want them to show me what he has done with all the money the State made under him, I have run out of patience.
I am trying so hard not to loose focus on the title of this article but all these unnecessary rigmarole of mine is to explain that it does not make sense to shut up writers by paying them money to write what is not true, do the right thing. Let Governor Obi cancel the idea of Afghanistan for a moment, let him take three months holidays and come back to London as to find out exactly where things are with his businesses, let him allow Dame Etiaba another three months and then he can come back to finish up the tenure, that will do him a lot of good.
The urge that I feel to write is the buss my freedom gives which allows me to say things exactly the way I see them, the natural flow of words and consequent concentration that follows is great, it would definitely not be possible when I am forging it. If Dame Etiaba calls me tomorrow to say thank you for supporting her, I would appreciate it. As Africans, her thank you may come with some appreciation in any format of her choice; I would value that because it came out of appreciation of genuine support given over time. Let the bad minded not interpret this to mean a request from the Etiabas to come and see me, but hei, what is wrong with that, Peter has seen me and that was at Awka police cell, I do not blame Governor Obi, I have really given him some tough times, I keep no malice and I do understand that to be politics. I am glad I am ok.
Writing from my point of view is a talent, if one decides to abuse such talent by selling it off to the highest bidder, the people are reading and they are assessing, we are not writing for fools. The best way to assess a person is to listen to the person’s mind, which other way can that be achieved if not when we talk or write.
I write sincerely how I feel and that does not mean that I am always right, I am a mere human. If only the unbiased ones would realise that mistakes made in this crazy business of emptying ones mind are genuine and that I am ever so willing to apologise if the need arises. I do not claim to know it all and would hands up if presented with any superior argument, I rest my case.
I salute you.
