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kpomnigeria4ever@yahoo.co.uk London, UK

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DAME ETIABA AND I

have dedicated all my last articles to my State. The reason for that is that I see myself as a stake holder in the politics of the State and that transforms to the politics of Nigeria. I of course do have other issues in Nigeria generally that I really would want to express my opinions on but they say that charity begins at home. A man whose house is on fire does not go hunting for rats.

A lot of people have been writing me criticising my appraisal and my support bend towards Her Excellency Dame Virgy Etiaba. I was not brought up to criticise just for the sake of that. I refuse to do that.

So many people accused me of being paid loads of money by Her Excellency to destroy the person of Peter Obi, I wish.

Lest any one needs a reminder, Peter Obi does not need any destroyer; the destruction timer is permanently fixed on the man. Peter knows how to destroy himself. I do not care what any one thinks of my position, deal with Peter and get the Peter Obi experience yourself. He is an elected Governor and not Managing Director of Anambra State. We are not a limited liability company.

We all need to know that Dame Etiaba ran the election as Peter's deputy. She was retired and settled on her own and not interested in politics at all. Peter chose her because of two reasons;

1. She was qualified and highly credible being a retired educationist and still running her primary/nursery school at Nnewi.

2. She did not pose any political risks at all in terms of ever wanting her boss's job. She is retired.

That was a brilliant political calculation by Peter and I respected that. It was also a move that exposed how desperately he wanted to be the Governor and how far he can go to protect it. He did not want stories after.

His smartness paid off when Dame Etiaba took over temporarily as the Executive Governor of the State, if she was an ambitious politician like the others in similar circumstance in other states, Peter would never have smelt power again. Lest we forget or for the interest of the people that do not know, Etiaba refused to take that position until she was persuade by the hierarchy of APGA as not to create a vacuum that would have brought in the Speaker of the State House of Assembly who not only led the impeachment but also came from a different political party, the PDP. We know what would have been the consequence of such.

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I protested vehemently when she refused all congratulatory messages and described her swearing in as a sad day in the political history of Anambra State. I will take her to EFCC for that statement.

I never met Ngige but every one that ever worked with him complained that he is tight fisted. One important point remained clear; Ngige identified with the masses of the State and embraced them by giving the people what they really really needed. The other people, weather State house members or any other group had no choice than to toe the line. No one ever thought of impeaching Ngige.

It is not a bad idea to develop a master plan but I need to be told the master plan one would develop for hungry people that want some food to eat now and not tomorrow. Did it not make sense to give the people road, water and security before master plan?

Without deviating much, Dame Etiaba was not an acting governor; she was an Executive Governor with all the rights that came with the portfolio. She recognised the problems in the State and went ahead and awarded contracts. Most fantastic human beings that worked with them during the court process and elections were recognised and given one portfolio or the other. These were given in recognition of their abilities and contributions. A lot more people became happier. Politics is all about bettering people. Some one will be the contractor while another is the brick layer. That is the dividend of democracy.

We may criticise her for awarding record contracts, my question is were those contracts not real? Do we really have a concrete evidence of how much money that Peter really left and how much of that was used for new contracts? Were they unnecessary or inflated? Did she take egunje before awarding the contracts or giving appointments? Did she award any of the contracts to herself? I am sure some one has the answer to these and more questions.

For the people that have any evidence against Dame Etiaba, there is a guy in Nigeria called Ribadu, he is probably the most feared man in the country at the moment, he has offices all over Nigeria and can also be reached via internet (just make sure it is not the 419 internet site) Ribadu is the head of EFCC (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission). Just write to Ribadu and watch what happens to Dame Etiaba. No long story. I am sure no one will accuse Etiaba of being a member of the ruling party or Obj's person.

She may have awarded record contracts, would she have rather left the money for who ever comes after who then may transfer the money into personal account as usual. Was there a guarantee that Peter was coming back? What really is the problem?

We have to know that life is wicked sometimes; some people may work really hard for something and then it benefits others more. Dame Etiaba was a part of the battle but she was has proven that she knows politics than her boss. I have not heard of any part of the constitution that limits the volume of contracts a Government can award.

A beautiful part of this is that the State House of Assembly never protested. Of course the conclusion will be that she bought them over. That will be really undermining on the honourable members and I refuse vehemently to see my fellow brothers and sisters in the house from that light. They are the same members that supported Ngige during all his problems. How soon can we forget?

For the interest of people that say that I have been paid loads of money to express my feelings, I want to tell them that they do not know me. I never supported the Etiaba's when Peter was not doing well and I made my position very clear. Was Etiaba not the deputy governor then?

The most important thing in my life remains my honour and I will rather be poor than say or do anything I do not mean or I do not believe in. I am not a poor man and will never be. The Lord is my strength.

Let us not becloud Peter with what Dame Etiaba did or did not do, he has the problem of sorting that out, for the people that have any evidence against Dame Etiaba, run to Ribadu of the EFCC, for those that are just envious of either her children or her position, sorry I can not help. Do not write me to abuse me or threaten me, I am neither Etiaba nor Obi; my name remains Chinedu Nkwonta, Idengeli na Nawfia, Kpom Nigeria, I am very happy being myself thank you.

I salute you all.