(1) Mokwe And The Upper Class Demolition.

By Tai Emeka Obasi.

I'm writing this, believing that Chief Bonaventure Mokwe is my friend and hoping he equally believes I'm his. As well, I'm equally writing as a man that has utmost respect for HE Peter Obi, while he was governor of

(2) dear state and even more after he left office.

As a private man, I feel all the pains Chief Mokwe went through - both physically and financially. Emotionally? I wouldn't really talk about Chief Mokwe with emotions attached.

(3) He has piano wire for nerves and if you want war you'll never find a fiercer opponent. I still wonder why he doesn't like President Donald Trump of America, who should be his Man Friday.

I've read all the series he wrote and still writing.

(4) Only an idiot wouldn't sympathise with him and I happen not to be an idiot. I repeat, it is hugely unfortunate to Chief Mokwe and his workers.

But let's face facts...

FACT 1: Hotel business can be very risky. All manner of people lodge in hotels.

(5) If you ask me, more criminals than not lodge in hotels. And no hotel management search any lodger or his/her bags before booking him/her in. So, I wouldn't really hold the owner of a hotel or its staff directly responsible for criminal acts within the hotel unless...

(6) there is clear indictment.

FACT 2 : The incident of demolishing Upper Class Hotel happened at a very critical era of incessant kidnaps in the state and a law, passed by the State House of Assembly, was firmly in place to demolish houses linked to kidnappers and many...

(7) houses were already demolished in line. Nobody in his right senses would blame a governor who kidnappers were taking over his state for being decisively firm in taking drastic actions.

FACT 3: Besides making kidnapping a capital offence, demolition of such houses was...

(8) one of the most effective actions of the government in question that forced kidnappers out of Anambra State.

FACT 4: There was no iota of evidence throughout his eight years in office that the Anambra State government under HE Peter Obi was on any witch-hunt or out to settle

(9) personal, business or political scores with anybody while fighting crime head-on.

FACT 5: The HE Peter Obi I knew and know would NEVER demolish the property of any person, even his enemy, just for the fun of it.

FACT 6: I believe that the Upper Class Hotel was a set-up.

(10) However, it came at a very critical era and Chief Bonaventure Mokwe, Dr. Justin Nwankwo and other members of the hotel staff were on the firing line. So so unfortunate.

FACT 7: It became far more complicated because a bloodthirsty James Nwafor was in charge of Anambra SARS

(11) stationed at Awkuzu.

Now, onto speculations. Yes, I was living in Lagos when these series of ordeals took place and not in any position to talk as an eyewitness or talk in any way authoritatively.

(12) SPECULATION 1: Chief Bonaventure Mokwe-Dikeh, as I know him, is a very stubborn man. Cornered in that wrong manner he'd be shooting from the hips even on handcuffs. If you knew anything about Chief Mokwe, he'd start any conversation with you under such condition...

(13) with unprintable words to express his anger. Even on Facebook, you'd get the dose if you crossed his line of fire.

SPEC 2: By your own admission, Chief Mokwe, the former governor called to emphasise that nothing should ever happen to you in....

(14) SARS immediately after the person you said called from Lagos came down and narrated the true situation. You said this happened within three days of the incident.

SPEC 3: Having been set up and under Federal SARS custody on allegations of complicity in murder and....

(15) kidnapping, it was difficult to release anybody expressly without some routine investigation to back up paper work.

(16)
SPEC 4: By your admission, there was no complainant in your case to take you to court. Did you think that any government that wanted you indicted wouldn't have cooked up something to stand in court? My belief is that the state government didn't want to prolong the case...

(17) and stayed away.

If James Nwafor was a straight officer, he would have released you from that point. Why was he taking you around to dig up graves to pin something on you when he should have released you for lack of a complainant?

(18)
That's why it beats me hollow that most of the conspiracy theories you're alleging against the former government of Obi were narratives you got from same James Nwafor. As far as saying Obi gave him a private car. Really?????

(19)
SPEC 5: Chief Mokwe, let me tell you straight up as you would tell me if we reversed roles - search your conscience, Chief and ask yourself if you truly allowed opportunities for compensation and reconciliation while you were in that fury?

In your words on your page 6...

(20)
''While Peter Obi was still the governor, he made an attempt to sort out the matter. A mutual friend contacted my wife telling her to convince me to accept 30 million naira for a three storey building hotel among other things and thunder fired him immediately.

(21)

''On @PeterObi 's invitation, a prominent Umuchu native who was his schoolmate at the University of Nigeria Nsukka approached me for settlement. We discussed terms including a public press release that the hotel was demolished in error.

(22) @PeterObi Peter withdrew because he had problem accepting the error publicly.''

From your account Chief, the former governor of the state attempted twice to settle this case. My good friend, did you give any of these approaches opportunity?

(23)
You were arrested on August 1, 2013, about nine months to hand over government. Did it occur to you that you needed to calm down and put the process of negotiation in place so that it could spiral into next regime if it got to that?

(24) If the governor started with N30 million, you could as well have started with N10 billion. It would have been the job of a committee set up for that purpose to arrive at a figure acceptable to both you and the government.

(25)
Because of the complications surrounding the case, the time in question falling within the rigours of electioneering and subsequent handover, it may have impaired possibility to settle the issues and compensate within the short time Obi's government had before handing over.

(26) But, thankfully, Obi handed over government to his APGA party and continuity was assured, as well as government being a continuum. If a visible negotiation was in place, Gov Obiano's government shouldn't have walked out of it.

(27) The question that needs answer is - whose fault was it that no clear negotiation plan was in place before handover? Yours, Obi's government or both?

Let me repeat that it is a pity that what happened to you, Dr. Nwankwo and your other members of staff happened.

(28) But when you narrate such ordeals with the anger of the whole episode, it starts sounding political. Like Dr. Nwankwo pointed out in some of his articles, this shouldn't be about politics.

I feel your pain and you're entitled to your full compensation but like you would...

(29) always say, ''if it doesn't end on Monday, it will end on Monday.''

Thank God nothing happened to you. Every well-meaning Anambrarian is behind you to get fully compensated.

But you're taking the narratives out of hand, being too judgmental,...

(30) which has started smelling like a personal vendetta. Don't be carried away by those urging you on. Think deep, know your friends and shun this gallery.

Casualty of man may be rotational but should firmly rotate based on truth, not propaganda.

(31) Note: My response is based solely on Chief Mokwe's narratives.

End of thread.