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kpomnigeria4ever@yahoo.co.uk London, UK

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PETER OBI, MY GRUDGE

y last published article seems to have touched a lot of nerves and opened a lot of concerns that Anambra State indigenes have about the State. To be very honest, it also attracted the highest number of negative response to my person.

A lot of the people questioned my loyalty to the State. As a matter of fact some went as far as invoking the spirits of our fathers never to let me go un-punished as a collaborator in the destabilisation of the State. I became very concerned because as much as I believe in the freedom of speech that comes with democracy, I felt that speech will not be left in a vacuum where we are just some voice talking in the wilderness. I felt that the volume of the response needed to be addressed hence this article.

This article is not about the history of how long or how well that I had known Peter Obi before now. We all leave in London and I have known the man for more than fifteen years at least. I do know for sure that he knows me by first name.

I had my personal grudge against him long time ago before he started toiling with the governorship ambition. I made my position very clear to all that were involved with his campaign in London and did not want to get involved.

I find it very difficult to understand or deal with anyone that undermines others may be because they do not have the millions in the bank or live on a certain post code or even worse with PHD or Dr. prefix to their names. I found Peter very rude, arrogant and undermining.

A lot of efforts were made by his guys to bring me to Peter's group but my spirit refused to accept him even when the flesh was willing.

I still managed and pushed myself much later after the election to be identified as an APGA member though without membership card. I was in court at Awka for most of the period and my reasons for being there was not in doubt.

I know how hard the middle class politically uninterested Anambrarians worked to articulate the approach adopted and executed by APGA. If it was not the hard work of these guys and the field officers in all the pollen boots during the 2003 election, Peter could not have had the evidence to present in court. Peter Obi forgot all these people as soon as he became the governor. He rather appointed few technocrats. Governance as far as I am concerned is a collective responsibility; you can not have some people for the battle and others for the spoils. That is not fair.

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I know so many people lost hope in the event of the war especially when Ngige came in and started doing well, but there were so many that stood by Peter. I never blamed Peter for going all the way and reclaiming his victory from the courts. I do not think that because you manage my property better than me makes you the owner. Every one knew APGA won the election.

I got more than twenty text messages from people congratulating me for our success, APGA success. So many people called me and actually came to see me as they all knew I was part of Peter's team but I knew in my spirit that their feeling was wrong, Peter was and is still his own man.

I really need to make myself clear, this article is not about me but the grudge that I have with Peter and the ways he actually shot himself on the foot.

It did not take time after the victory, as a matter of fact almost immediately; his closest guys started criticising Ngige, the same Ngige that the people were seeing as their messiah. Such action is called political suicide. I knew immediately that things were not going to be well.

Peter is not a politician and I think he is bored of making money, he is after another thrill.

It is not about what he thinks about Anambra State, it is not about the master plan for Onitsha and Anambra State, it is about real people and real situation.

Did it not make sense that Peter Obi could have appointed his party members into local government and State positions as to compensate them for their support? Could that singular action not have consolidated APGA as a political party in the State and given him a better hold on power as to achieve all his set goals? This is the reason why I have always said that Peter killed APGA. I know the political movements that were made by big time grass root politicians to reposition themselves by joining APGA. Peter failed to capitalise.

The time Peter got his mandate, other governors were already planning their next political moves, did it not make sense that he secured his position for the second tenure which would allow him time to execute his master plan agenda? His agenda was for four years and Peter had less than a year and half, which was more important at that moment, securing new mandate or executing master plan agenda half way?

The press saw him as a man that was confused. I remember talking to some of them, none understood the man. If the press could not understand Peter Obi, how could the people have? It is ok to think well for people but I deem it more important and very necessary that the people know how you feel for them. Peter ignored propaganda and dissemination of information and he paid the price.

The citizens of this country have been let down by politicians so many times in the past due to promises that never materialised, in this day of 419, how has he positioned himself as to be believed. The people are used to stories. Na today?

That you are the governor does not mean you know better than all especially in a State like ours. Peter never stopped to listen or feel the purse of the people that he is their governor. You can not govern an Igbo man or indeed any man by force, you will pay the price. It is called politics.

I was recently in a meeting where some training package was being put together for the war torn African countries, a certain brilliant lady asked a question on how we intended to take care of the emotional needs of the people before we offer the trainings. Our thinking was just to exchange a gun with training and all problems will be solved, it does not work like that. It was exactly the mistake that Peter made.

Could Peter Obi not have dealt with the Onitsha incident differently? Was there really any need for shoot at sight order at that time knowing that a lot of Hausas were killed at Onitsha just few months earlier and knowing also that the Hausas constitute a greater percentage of the Nigerian army? Was that not a legal opportunity to get revenge? Did he not have advisers?

Peter had no short term measures that would allow the long term ones come to fruition. He was looking at the end of the journey but not the process. Safe arrival is better than arrival on time.

There has never been any doubt in my mind that Peter Obi means well for the State. That is as sure as anything but is meaning well all about it, I suppose he wants the meaning well to materialise. His approach to achieve meaning well does not work.

My other concern with Peter Obi is the people he refers to as experts and professionals. I think that Peter Obi himself has made a great business success and would agree that he has not transferred such level of success in governance yet. Being a professor of music does not make you the best composer in the world. Being a professor of politics does not make you the president of Nigeria. Bill Gate and Richard Branson would not have meant anything if success is achieved via qualification. Peter Obi would not be the chairman of a bank if based on qualification. Technocrats do not have any role in political positions.

Let us for a moment leave all that alone and deal with the future, what is next for Peter?

My candid opinion is that he has a great chance in the coming elections either via the courts or election due to the calibre of people coming out for the governorship. Is he going to do the right thing and mobilise or let the opportunity slip past again? The decision is his.

The bigger question is the problem of trust. Will the people trust Peter?

If I may answer the questions, Peter has great advantage at the moment and is in a position to secure full tenure, but, he has to work harder than ever. The voters will rather deal with him than some names being paraded by the political parties. Weather Peter will choose the right people that will tell him the truth and bring him down to reality, it is only in the hands of Peter Obi and it is only time that will tell.

Can someone kindly advise His Excellency Mr. Peter Obi to take a course in humility; it will propel him much higher.

As the Igbo idiom says, Peter has the knife and the yam, he also has the gun, let him do any thing that he wants to, we are watching.

I salute you all.