Now I know why Men like Prof Charles Soludo, are not excited with all the hype around Peter Obi.
When a man is inconsistent with his criticisms,or is always playing to the gallery for cheap political accolades, then integrity is at stake.
Peter Obi never misses any opportunity to draw attention to whatever flaws he notices in the APC,or in the Tinubu administration. And that is good for a working democracy.
But the question of integrity has always bogged him down, with the rot inside Abia (the poster boy of Labour Party) defacing his imagine as a crusader for justice and good governance.
Not quite long Peter Obi was in the news for hailing Otti’s appointment of Great grandfathers as Transition Committee Chairmen of the various local governments. None of these is below 60., and he calls them Mayor’s. It is worth noting that prior to their recent appointments, Alex Otti the LP governor had wielded monopoly power as both the governor and Sole Administrator of the entire 17 local governments. But against public outcry, Obi extolled the aberrations of his Labor Party governor as a novel idea. His argument was that most of our young men and women cannot be entrusted with public funds. And with his endorsement, the unelected, senile ” incorruptible” Mayor’s have now taken office as cronies of Alex Otti. And with these Warrant Chiefs, Otti hopes to maintain his strangle grip on the resources of the various local governments in addition.
Also it is only in Abia state of Nigeria that we have the constitutional office of a “Majority Leader” being occupied by a member from the Minority Party.
Abia State House of Assembly has been turned to “Babasala Court” where Governor Otti does whatever he likes and Peter Obi has remained adamant in spite of the storm of adverse publicity which these aberrations have been drawing to the party he leads.
And as we speak, the Labour Party with 9 members in the House is holding on to the office of Speaker, Deputy Speaker,and also the most ridiculous office of the majority leader against the PDP’s 12 man superior number.
With an IGR of about #3billion in three months, our Labour party governor has pocketed #2.8 billions within the same timeframe as his security vote, thereby making him the most corrupt, and most callous governor in Nigeria.
Nowhere else would you find a governor misappropriate close to 90% of the state’s IGR as security vote alone in Nigeria.,…no where!
Peter Obi has never raised his voice to condemn the rapacious looting spree going on in Abia, the only Labour Party state under his care and control.
Add this to the mind boggling haemorrhage going on in the name of running the governor’s office (#5.4 billions) in three months, and you will understand why we think Peter Obi is probably the proverbial ostrich when it comes to addressing ‘ the rot within’. Only recently, someone pointed out where the Abia state accountant general posted the figure of #20 millions as the amount our governor spent to make calls ( buy recharge cards) in just three months!
Perhaps the most indicting aspect of Peter Obi’s deafening silence is the fate that has befallen Abia sacked civil servants, and the grim realities which those who survived are facing.
Not less than fifteen thousand(15,000) civil servants have been sacked in the past 6 months under a Labor Party government, and our dear Peter Obi is yet to give his opinion on this. It is to be noted here that a fellow governor was livid with anger and disgust at our governor’s lack of human feelings.But our amiable Pete Obi turned elsewhere in search of faults.
One could go on adinfinitum to reel out the absurdities going on in Abia state’s Labour Party and Peter Obi is the Leader.
We would continue to read meanings into the complicity called silence which the Labour Party leadership in the country is exhibiting about the shenanigans and arbitrariness that we see daily in Abia.
Peter Obi’s silence on the gross mismanagement of Abia people and Abia resources by the Labour Party government of Alex Otti will continue to vitiate his efforts in trying to posture as an apostle of good governance.
There is always an inherent danger in the conduct of any public officer who secretly broods hypocrisy in his bosom.
