As APGA & Ojukwu dumps Peter Obi, Peter Obi heads to labor party

*Civil Servants Yet To Be Paid For Last Month's Service*

*Ojukwu Jr. Plus Other Resignations Imminent*
*EFCC Tracking Local Government Funds*
*Obi To Run In Labour Party*
*APGA Sacks Obi*

Two Sundays ago at a Catholic Church in Odakpu Onitsha and in the revered presence of Archbishop Valerie Okeke, Peter Obi was booed by the angry congregation when the Archbishop invited him to address the congregation. In unison, they were asking the governor angrily to find a solution to the breakdown of law and order. That was the same morning GU Okeke was kidnapped and the mood in town was very pensive. Just yesterday, Obi asked for the state Police Commisioner to be withdrawn but he failed to explain why he still refuses to fund the Police from the state's security fund, choosing instead to pocket the monthly security vote whole and entire, Ejike Onwusogbulu style.

For the outgoing one term 'Governor' of Anambra state, it is very important to relay the following lines; “Dignity does not consist in possessing honors, but in deserving them” – Aristotle. Aristotle's quote is very apt for His Excellency Mr. Peter Obi, given to buying up any award going and fake endorsements, all in a bid to hoodwink the people into believing that he is 'too much'. Obi swore in 2003 that anyday he fails to pay Anambra workers by the 26th day of any month, he will resign. Today is the 2nd day of September 2009 and no worker in Anambra state has been paid any salary for August 2009. Obi doesn't care for he consistently fails to pay Anambra workers when due but never fails to cart away the monthly security vote whole and entire by the last Friday of every month. The years of the locusts are not yet over in the state.

'Governor' Peter Obi who has been lying and issuing press statements in Emeka Ojukwu's name without his consent is severely embarrassed by Ojukwu Jnr.'s exit from his scanty cabinet. Information coming out of Chief Victor Umeh's camp indicates that the former Honorable Commissioner for the State Ministry for Special Duties and present Commissioner for Transport, resigned from the Peter Obi administration over issues hovering on that 'Glitz Introvert' N255million heist by Peter Obi's aide, Mr. Valentine Obienyem. The resignation which came last week but took effect from Monday 31st August 2009, followed a behind the scenes squabble between Peter Obi's boys and Emeka Ojukwu over the ill management of the State finances. This was why Peter Obi, Victor Umeh, Dubem Obaze and others, engaged themselves in frantic pleading for Emeka Ojukwu to rethink his decision. Peter Obi even offered Ojukwu a mouth watering deal to stop his resignation but the young man rejected the offer.

It is recalled that Gov. Peter Obi had told the people of Anambra that the N255million intercepted by the Lagos police was meant for use in the purchase of transport vehicles - which automatically falls under the auspieces of the State Ministry of Transport - which Emeka Ojukwu [jr] heads. Emeka Ojukwu [jr] has since pled total ignorance over the matter. A source close to him noted that Emeka Ojukwu [jr] told the Governor that he is not prepared to take the fall, vacated the Government Lodge where he resided while serving the State and has since moved to his residence in Abuja.

Sources close to the expelled former factional chairman og APGA made Ojukwu's resignation available to us as Emeka Ojukwu [jr] also stopped showing up at work for two weeks and rebuffed all advances made by the Peter Obi and his men to return. In addition to rebuffing their advances, the source indicated that Emeka Ojukwu [jr] uncovered grave illegalities as per the N255million heist by the Peter Obi administration. Particularly, Emeka Ojukwu is said to have been frowning at the manner Peter Obi and his Man-Friday [Dubem Obaze] used him. He was at one point made the head of sanitation only to be removed without warning or reason. He was made to oversee the River Niger dredging only to be removed again and given to Dubem Obaze.

While strong rumours of other very high profile resignations from Obi's cabinet pervade the mill in the state, the severely incompetent Mr. Peter Obi, during the election campaigns in 2003 gave a lot of hope to the long-suffering people of the state. He would fight crime with jobs, attract industries, especially small scale industries to the state, develop rural infrastructure and make the state the Taiwan of Nigeria where spare parts of all machinery and equipment will be manufactured. In a word, with him as Governor of Anambra state, the state will become an Eldorado. However, these hopes have been dashed and Anambrarians are back to square one. Obi embargoed employment upon being sworn in as the Governor of the state. Unemployed graduates today aimlessly roam the streets of the state and this is why the crime rate is uncontrollable.

Obi is however saving the salaries that these young men and women are not getting, for the benefit of our future generations, born and unborn. This generation must be made to suffer by this 'Governor' so that to morrow will be better for the yet to be born. Since the creation of the state in 1991, it was Dr Chris Ngige, who although utilizing a dodgy mandate, gave Anambrarians a sense of belonging and made them realize that it was indeed possible for a network of very well-constructed roads and culverts to be built in the state, for civil servants salaries and pensions to be paid as and when due, for school children to enjoy uninterrupted academic sessions and indeed for Anambra State to be counted as one of the rapidly progressing states in Nigeria.

Anambrarians voted for a trader and a teacher to govern them in 2003 and Mr. Peter Obi held out hope that with the return of his lost mandate, he would improve on the good job his predecessor in office did. Anambrarians hoped that with a young trader at the helm of affairs in the state, the state would witness unprecedented growth and development. Towards this end, Mr. Obi had assured Anambrarians during campaigns that in order to demonstrate his belief in the quality of the Anambra state school system; his children would be withdrawn from elite schools abroad and enrolled in Anambra State schools.

But all theses hopes and promises came to naught as Mr. Obi as upon assumption of office, Obi chose to discard the toga of trader and assume that of a banker. He spent more then six months in office preparing Master Plans, Base Maps and Action Plans for the state. During this period, commissioners who would assist him implement his so-called plans for the state were not appointed and he was running a one-man show. Even when they were appointed they were not allowed the independence to apply their knowledge and wisdom to the affairs of their Ministries.

Most of them, professors and experts in their various fields of endeavour were made redundant as they have to await His Excellency's approvals and directives before they can do their jobs. Instead of applying the resources of the state to the construction of roads and other infrastructure, as he promised during his campaigns, Mr. Obi preferred to deposit billions of the state funds in commercial banks to yield interest. Majority of these funds were deposited with Fidelity Bank which he was Chairman before assuring office as Governor. No wonder the State Assembly had ready and available cause to impeach him.

For over 5 months now certificate raised for jobs already executed in the state have not been paid and the state has returned to the era of stacking billions of the state funds in commercial banks/a commercial bank? It will interest Anambrabrians to know the interest rates at which these funds are deposited in banks. Are they in fixed deposit accounts, for how long and are the interests offered by the banks the highest available in the market? Answers to these questions are pertinent, especially now the rains are here and road projects have stopped. Already some contractors are abandoning their sites for lack of payments for jobs already executed. Mr. Governor, what is happening? What do you want to be remembered for when you leave office? At this rate of non performance, ineptitude and inefficiency, it will be a great tragedy for Anambra State. Unfulfilled expectations, Action and Master plans that will never be executed, witch-hunting and shadow chasing, continuous lodgement in billions of State funds in banks to yield interest for only one person's benefit, while majority Anambrarians wallow in misery and poverty.

EFCC are currently enquiring into the abuse of local government funds by Obi and his Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, while the recent discovery of Obi's monthly money laundry of N255 million to his Next International account and the N7.8 billion shopping Mall being built with Anambra money at plot 2, Kado, Abuja, are all worrying trends for the people. Mr. Peter Obi has become the biggest disappointment to Anambrarians who watch helplessly while waiting for the 'Governor's' tenure to elapse. Obi is currently engaged in fake voters registration with INEC officials unaware that he is being monitored by the authorities. He hopes that some miracle will help him rig and 'win' again from Labour Party this time, having totally starved and devastatingly destroyed APGA. While Obi has obtained Labour Party form, it remains to be seen whether he will meet the Party's conditions; cash plus political appointments. He ,may prefer to hoodwink them like he did to APGA, promise them a lot and deliver nothing.

APGA, rising from their National convention in Abuja held at the National Centre For Women Development, expelled their only state 'Governor' from the party. Peter Obi was sacked alongside Chief Victor Umeh and others despite an ex parte order obtained by Chief Pat Ikwueto SAN, meant to save the expelled members from expulsion. Obi and others' expulsion was sequel to a motion moved by Mr Obinna Emenike, National Vice-Chairman, South-South and Mr Levi Obi at the national convention of the party. The party had its first and last national convention in January 10, 2003 in Abuja. Among the reasons given for the expulsion of the three members from the party include, dissident activities and misconduct contrary to Article 21 Rule 3 (a) (b) (c), (d) and (e) of the party's constitution. In a remark, Chief Chekwas Okorie, National Chairman of APGA, said that the party would use the forthcoming governorship election in Anambra to announce its comeback.

Peter Obi blew it, as a result of unmitigated greed, cheer wickedness, incompetence, blackmail and pettiness, it is all ending very sadly for a man that held out so much hope as the next Igbo leader. Oh Peter Obi, how are the mighty fallen!