EXHIBIT (31)(a)

CERTIFICATIONS

I, Tony W. Wolfe, certify that:

 1.    I have reviewed this report on Form 10-Q of Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina Inc.;

2.   Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact 
      necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading
      with respect to the period covered by this report;

             3.   Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this quarterly report, fairly

                   present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the

                   periods presented in this report;

4.   The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and
      procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant and have:

                   a)   designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be     

                                designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated  

                                subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is

                                being prepared;

                   b)   evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our 

                                conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by 

                                this report based on such evaluation ; and

                   c)   disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the

                                registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has

                                materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting;  

                                and

5.    The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over

       financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing

       the equivalent functions):

            a)   all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting
                  which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial
                  information; and
            b)  any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the
                  registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

May 12, 2004	/s/ Tony W. Wolfe
Date	Tony W. Wolfe
	President and Chief Executive Officer
	(Principal Executive Officer)

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