‘’I Was Not Sacked’’, Says Anambra State APGA Woman Leader: Her Story

Against the notion that the Anambra state All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) state woman leader , Hon Mrs Edith Nwokedi was sacked , information stumbled on by journalists is saying otherwise. Nwokedi was not sacked .

There is a letter by Nwokedi to the State party chairman Mike Kwentoh who unilaterally removed her as party state woman leader explaining her position.

The letter in possession of Odogwu Media from unofficial quarters but confirmed by APGA officials at the APGA secretariat  showed that Hon Nwokedi indeed responded to the letter written by Kwentor removing her as APGA state woman leader and purportedly replacing her with Lady Chinyere Ibenta.

                                   Edith and Margaret Obi

 

 Nwokedi with Ambassador Ojukwu and Umeh’s wife Pricilla

The reply by Hon Edith Nwokedi , APGA state woman leader with a caption Re: ‘’removal from office as APGA state woman leader, ’’goes thus : I most responsibly refer to your letter, without reference , but titled as above and dated 8^th September , 2014.

Please permit me to humbly take liberty and make the following salient observations:

1, You personally and solely signed the letter without reference to any meeting or organ of our dear and great party.

2, Prior to now , I have not been told that I had any ‘’matter’’.

3, That as at the time of writing to me I was no longer special Assistant.

Without prejudice to these threshold observations I wish to state that I have never been accused of ‘’poor leadership style’’ ‘’insubordination’’ disrespect to party leadership ‘’ inability to organize and hold effective women fora’’ and deemed to have resigned from office in 2007’’.

Sir, with all due deference, the allegations highlighted above appear to be the culmination of a hidden agenda or misguided prejudice. To say the least , it is the height of antithesis to ‘remove’ somebody from office after seven (7) years of service on grounds of : (a) Poor leadership (b) Insubordination  (c) Inability to organize and hold effective women fora (d) Deemed to resign from office in 2007   

Assuming without conceding that what you alleged was correct , the question that should have agitated any rational mind is :

What did the party do all these while:

You know very well that I dutifully and conscientiously discharged my official and conventional duties and just some days ago accompanied Her Excellency , Chief Mrs Ebelechukwu Obiano (Osodieme) on the August meeting tours.

Your reference and reliance on Article 25 (8) of APGA’s constitution is most incongruous. You very well understood and appreciated the circumstances of the party members and officers between 2006-2014 and that explains why many party officials held public offices and are still holding.  

One would have reasonably thought that you should be mobilizing men (including women) means and materials for the fast approaching election and not to take actions or indulge in activities that will distract the attention of the party.

In view of the forgoing , you are candidly advised and urged to rethink and redress the matter bearing in mind that you acknowledged my ‘’Contributions while in office ‘’ –(which you alleged ) I was deemed to have resigned from 2007.

The APGA state woman leader copied the letter to Mike Kwentoh to the National secretariat of APGA , the Governor ‘s wife Chief Mrs Eberechuwku Obiano , local government Chairman of Orumba South.

But a party chieftain and member of the APGA state working Executive who did not want to be mentioned said the APGA woman leader was sacked unilaterally by the state chairman Chief Mike Kwentoh.

The source said ,’’ I am a member of APGA  leadership and we never discussed the issue of sacking the state APGA woman leader , Hon Mrs Edith Nwokedi. There was no meeting to discuss about her and the next we read in the papers was that she was sacked.

‘’ Nwokedi is a no nonsense woman and her only crime was that she challenges the impunity of the chairman who is not good with monetary issues. The woman had challenged her on why local government chairmen or commissioner or any party hierarchy should give the executive money and nobody should hear about it.

‘’There was no fair hearing and equity in that sack and I queried it. How can one man sack a state Woman leader after she had toured the 21 local government areas with the wife of the Governor  for August meeting.  If somebody is worried that a leader diverted party money and asks question , was that an offence?

Another woman member of the APGA family had this to say, ‘’ remember that Hon Nwokedi started as a coordinator for Peter Obi campaign organization in 2003 and after court cases were won , she was compensated with APGA state woman leader in 2007 and later SA to the Governor, Mr Peter Obi on women mobilization and she mobilized for Obi’s second term after which she mobilized women for Governor Obiano’s election.     She led Obi’s wife Margaret to the 177 communities for 3 times before she was handed over to Obiano’s wife , She led the campaign and took Obiano’s wife to all the local governments in the state ensuring that women were mobilized and you saw the outcome in the election.

‘’They were just out to tarnish her image or to ensure she losses out from being compensated after her efforts and you can ask any woman PG or any woman leader anywhere in Anambra to verify what I am saying. Nwokedi formed APGA in US through the assistance of Kate Offodile. So why would Mike Kwentoh remove her after three days of touring with Obiano’s wife ?

‘’ I know her very well and having served the party 13 years in various capacities , she would not make noise about her removal but she was just worried that due process was not followed and the silence in some quarters justifying illegality.

‘’Look at the letter and see how empty it is because as I speak to you now , Mrs Nwokedi was not the only person in appointment and yet retains his or her position in party , Emeka Aforka is the state publicity secretary and later was appointed Orumba North chairman and remained there for over two years and still retained his position and as I speak he is the Orumba North liaison to the Governor and still the Publicity secretary of APGA; Commissioner for Special Duties , Norbert Obi still remains the Fin Sec of APGA in the state and was former Chairman of Post secondary schools commission  and the zonal chairman of the party Titus Anagbogu was appointed Aguata local government chairman, yet he still the zonal chairman to mention but a few , so why is that of Nwokedi different? She committed an offence by challenging the cabal on how he runs the party as private business?  

But when contacted by odogwuemekaodogwu.blogspot.com , Hon Edith Nwokedi retorted ,'' I have no business with what you are asking me , Whatever issue I have with the party is between me and the party and would not like to comment to avoid over heating the polity. I can not answer or confirm anything please . She switched off in resentment querying the reporter how he came about the issue in the first place. 

   

  Meanwhile the letter by APGA Anambra state chairman , Chief Mike Kwentoh purporting the removal of Nwokedi was signed alone without reference but copied the national secretariat, Obiano’s wife and local government chairman Orumba South as well as the person he appointed as party state woman leader Lady Chinyere Ibenta.

The letter with caption ‘’ removal from office as APGA state woman leader’’, read thus : Having observed your poor leadership style of women wing of the party , coupled with insubordination and disrespect to party leadership and inability to organize and hold effective women for a for over time and having been deemed to have resigned from office of the state women leader in 2007 when you were appointed SA to Governor , see article 25, (8) holding duals offices, you are therefore removed from office as the APGA state woman leader .

‘’You are to hand over all documents and files in your possession to Hon Lady Chinyere Ibenta , a loyal party person  from Orumba South who takes over from you as state woman leader immediately. The party will set up disciplinary committee to look into your matter soon. Thanking you for your contributions while in office.  The party has picked Lady Chinyere Ibenta as the new party’s state woman leader with immediate effect.