NO APOLOGIES, PLEASE.
On Peter Obi’s supposed ‘Stinginess’....
Sometime in 2009, ‘Mr’(as he preferred to be addressed) Peter Obi, Governor Of Anambra State at the time, visited Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu and myself at Dallas, Texas. He came to deliver a get well message from the President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan and was billed to attend a black tie event at the Dallas Marriot.
Curiously, he flew into Dallas airport with one small carry on luggage which he insisted on wheeling around himself, and on getting to our residence requested to freshen up. He opened his carry on, filled with files and paperwork and a few toiletries and an extra shirt, when the Ikemba and I asked if he was expecting another item of luggage, and he said no.
‘Then, what will you be wearing to the event tonight?’, we inquired. It was at that point that it struck him that he couldn’t show up in his casuals at such a ceremony.
I insisted on taking him to the luxury men’s emporium at Nieman Marcus to buy a smart black suit. When we got there, he was busy doing the Dollar to Naira currency conversions. The suit that was a perfect match for him was a dapper Tom Ford suit with a price tag of 3,985 dollars plus tax. He did the calculations and told me ‘Do you know how many students this amount of money can train in Nigeria?’ I reminded him that he was the governor as well as the special guest, and for the caliber of guests expected at that evening’s occasion, including the mayor, senators and other congressmen, oil barons and captains of conglomerates amongst others, he needed to be dressed in top form.
To cut the story short, he refused to pay what he termed ’that outrageous price’ for the Tom Ford suit and that was how we ended up at Steinmart where he agreed to pay a more acceptable price of 220 dollars, tax inclusive, for a basic men’s suit which he was happy to wear to that evening’s event.
What struck me, was that as we were on the way to the airport to see him off for his return flight back to Nigeria, he reached for his pocket where he brought out an envelope of crisp hundred dollar bills. The amount in the envelope was 3,800 dollars.
He said, ‘Anyanwu, this is the balance of the money I would have paid for the ‘Ford’ suit. If the label on the suit was ‘Peter Obi’, I am wondering if anybody in America will pay that amount for it. I have deducted the amount we paid for that suit we eventually bought. Please use this balance for your Charity foundation to help those in actual need. I trust you will do so’. We all laughed heartily. Vintage Peter Obi !
The eventual beneficiaries of that Largesse were Madam Theresa Agbo, a yam seller who became penniless and displaced when her Yam shed was gutted by fire, Callistus Egbe who was bedridden due to illness, and needed help with the school fees of his young children, and the Mgbemena family of six who were thrown out of their one room accommodation (which we subsequently doubled to two rooms) because their breadwinner fell upon hard times and could no longer afford the rent.
In Life, You either live by your creed or you desecrate the mould by which the Almighty created you. Any progressive nation measures an individual by his values, not his vaults.
If this way of life is what is derided as ‘stinginess’ on the part of Peter Obi, then we all need to adopt this mould for a more sustainable and more humane environment.
Iyom Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu
16 June 2022.
Atiku was badly advised about running again, or he intentionally does not want a better Nigeria where Fulani terrorists are subjected to border control, justice is brought on all criminals, Industrial Revolution across the country, and the revamp of the economy and generation of middle class.
Atiku probably does not want Nigeria that can generate 24/7 electricity, have education and healthcare systems that functions to best international standards and quality.
If he was not working for Tinubu against Peter Obi he would not continue to run his endless marathon of fun. He was not clever by believing that Obi would be boxed into a corner that would pave the way for Atiku to become president.
He miscalculated.
@HAHayatu Peter Obi is not Kachalla!
Stop targeting Peter Obi; he’s not the one in Aso Rock.
You might be in opposition, but you’ve wasted your entire life attacking your rivals instead of focusing on those actually in power!
Honestly, I’m starting to wonder about your mental clarity!
While you were busy hunting for a man to knock you up and get you pregnant at menopause, Peter Obi was laying out actual solutions to the crises now eating Nigeria alive in 2022/2023. You and your br@¡n-de@d cohort missed every word because you were too busy simping for the microphone-tasting clown, who raised his own walking stick like a holy relic during the national anthem while he danced through every disaster campaign, offering nothing but vibes.
Now postpartum haze and menopausal rage have you shifting goalposts like a cornered fraud. "you can’t criticize all government policies and not give solutions to them.... He can’t be president!"
Spare us the theatre. If that same man (PO) had spent his days sucking microphones on national TV, would you already be polishing his shoes and calling it leadership?
Focus on your postpartum recovery and menopausal meltdown. We know the Tinubu worship gig pays the bills, but at least pretend to have dignity and direct your loyalty to your real lord and master instead of polluting the timeline with opinions you clearly can’t afford.
Yours respectfully
Peter Obi used yesterday's Interview with Rufai Oseni to kill off the hard work, attacks and propaganda from APC and ADC guys against him.
For those suggesting to Peter Obi to get media gurus, can you all see why Obi is different?
Having media guys is good o. But always have it at the back of your mind that Garri doesn't need advert or PR.
There's nothing APC and PDP members didn't say about Obi in 2023 it changed nothing and they had to tell INEC to switch off IREV and called it glitch.
To Obi, all these people are toys.
💥 Massive Ukrainian drone swarm struck the sprawling Moscow Oil Refinery in Russia today.
Located just 15 km from the Kremlin.
This could be one of the most consequential strikes on a Russian refinery to date.
@cent_haysmall Tribal 🤡, ask this your madness in governace to bring those kidnapped students and teachers back!!!
Stop deflecting, Nigeria is in a total mess!
It was 2018/19, my husband who was then my boyfriend had come to Abuja.
I wanted to watch some episode on Zee World but he insisted there was a Vice Presidential Debate between Peter Obi and Yemi Osinbajo!
I grumbled! But when Obi started doing His thing I went wacko.
I kept hollering "why are these guys deputizing when they should be the ones aiming for office?"
THAT NIGHT THIS OBIDIENT WAS BORN!