The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu

  • Senator Kalu appreciates Varsity for naming building after him

    Senator Kalu appreciates Varsity for naming building after him

    The Senator representing Abia North Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu has appreciated the board and management of the Southern Atlantic University in Uyo, Akwa ibom state for naming its administrative block after him.

    In a letter of appreciation by the former Abia Governor to our correspondent in Uyo on Tuesday, Kalu said he felt honoured by the gesture extended to him by a private university in Akwa ibom state.

    He acknowledged the pivotal role education plays in the socioeconomic and political development of any nation, urging that Nigeria and her leaders should continue to build brighter future for citizens through investments in education.

    He said: “I remain committed to leveraging this recognition to further support, encourage and empower you to promote educational initiatives and champion policies that improve scientific research and innovations in tertiary institutions, such as yours in Nigeria.

    “It is our collective responsibility to ensure that the youth of our nation have the opportunities they need to succeed. Once again I thank you for your support and this gesture of goodwill. 

    “I pledge to continue working diligently for the advancement of our beloved country and to uphold the values that this honour represents”

    On why he named the administrative building after Senator Kalu, the founder of Southern Atlantic University, Pastor Bassey James, described that the former Abia state governor as a detribalized Nigerian and a man of the people.

    “This is a well conceived decision in appreciation of a Man I met many years ago in Lagos state and he took me in as a younger  brother and  mentored me to face life and achieve success. 

    “Dr Kalu is a Man after God’s heart, a detribalized Nigerian and a Man of the people. He accepted as a younger brother and assisted me to rise in life. 

    “He gave me access to relate with his friends no matter their status and genuinely groomed me into what I have become today in life. Senator Kalu gave me a huge surprise in support of the success of my wedding in 1995 and I appreciate his benevolence.  

    “I met Senator orji Kalu about 11 years before he became the  Abia state governor, he is a successful business Man and with a big network of friends and admirers. His home was  kind of Mecca for all Nigerians and he loves humanity. Senator Kalu touched my life very positively and helped me discover the essence of reaching out to people especially those in need. 

    “Kalu’s home is open to all Nigerians and even foreigners. Igbere community is always visited by people from all walks of life. He never segregates but works with people no matter where they come from. 

    “In his employ are people from all walks of life and he gives equal opportunity to all irrespective of your background. I will not tell the complete story of my life without Senator orji Uzor Kalu and my decision to name our university’s administrative block after him is my little way of saying thank you for his mentorship and kindness”, he said.

  • Ohuabunwa to Kalu: I’ll retrieve my mandate from you

    Senator Mao Ohuabunwa(Abia North) has vowed to retrieve his “stolen” mandate from a former Abia State governor, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Kalu winner of the poll in the February elections and the Commission had since issued Kalu with Certificate of Return.

    Ohuabunwa is a sitting senator elected on the platform of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but Kalu contested on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    But he said INEC breached its own guidelines by giving Kalu the certificate of return, stressing that the “margin of win” recorded by Kalu was far less than the number of cancelled votes in that election.

    The senator said, “Kalu knows that what he has is a stolen mandate which he will soon surrender.

    “He knows the truth but only thinks he can play smart. But unfortunately for him, we are resolute in reclaiming the people’s mandate”.

    Leaders of the PDP in Abia who were on solidarity visits to the senators, also vowed to ensure the party explored every available means permissible in law to retrieve the mandate from Kalu.

    Zonal chairman of the PDP, Mr. Mathew Ibe, who led the delegation of party chieftains to Ohuabunwa, said there was overwhelming evidence to believe that Kalu’s election cannot stand the scrutiny of electoral laws.

    Ibe appealed to the Abia State governor, Okezie Ikpeazu and the national leadership of the PDP to give Ohuanbunwa all the support he needed to retrieve the party’s mandate.

  • Igbere holds new year cultural carnival

    Igbere community in Abia State rolled out the drum to usher in the New Year with its 2019  Igbere  carnival held at the Neya  Camp Carnival Village. The focus of this year’s event was harnessing the revenue potential in culture. The carnival, which was witnessed by indigenes and visitors, had Igbere indigenes across age groups trooped out to participate in the carnival.

    Over 20 traditional dances, including the Umuhu Ezechi War Dance, Nkwa Umuagbogh from Afikpo, Ebonyi State and several others from Igbere clan were at hand to entertain people.

    In his speech,   former governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, whose foundation, the Orji Uzor Kalu Foundation (OUKF), organized the cultural carnival, in his message titled Cultural Heritage:Vehicle for sustainable development, said culture should be seen as an alternative source of revenue generation. He mentioned Guatemala, Trinidad and Tobago, Brazil and some others in Europe as countries that have used culture as an alternative source of revenue and said Igbere carnival was aiming to replicate that.

    Kalu said that by hosting the carnival, his foundation has heeded the clarion call of President Muhammadu Buhari that Nigerians must find a way to bring foreigners back to the country to enhance investment and widen the revenue base of the nation.

    “Igbere cultural carnival is a sort of tourism which could be turned into one of the revenue earners in this country, just as what obtains in South Africa”.

    The former governor, while urging the Federal Government to support  Igbere carnival by giving them requisite institutional support to boast tourism and increase the nation’s revenue base, promised to build a 5-star hotel in the area to boast Igbere carnival. He equally called on well to do sons and daughters of Igbere to do the same to increase the revenue base of the community.

    Kalu singled out the governor of Enugu State, Chief Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, for commendation, saying that despite the fact he was not formally invited, he sent his deputy, Mrs Cecilia Ezeilo, to represent him at the event and wished him well in his endeavours.

    Secretary of the OUKF,  Mrs Jemimah Kalu, said the 2019 edition of the cultural fiesta brought stakeholders in the tourism, hospitality, entertainment and the international community under one roof to appreciate and celebrate the cultural diversity of Nigeria.

    She thanked kalu for giving the foundation the necessary support to organize the event.

    Some of those who attended the carnival described it as a commendable cultural enterprise that is yet to be equalled in the whole of the South East and urged Kalu to keep the flag flying.

    Some of the dignitaries who attended this year’s Igbere carnival included the governor of Enugu State, Chief Ugwuanyi, represented by his deputy, Mrs. Ezeilo;  Lt. Col. M.I Ibrahim who represented the Brigade commander, 14 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Ohafia and Mrs. D.C Akputa, a deputy commissioner of police who represented Abia State police  commissioner.

    Others were the mother of Kalu, Chief Eunice Uzor Kalu; Chief Judge of Abia State, Justice Onuoha Ogwe; All Progressives Congress (APC) Abia governorship candidate, Uche Ogah; his All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) counterpart, Dr. Alex Otti; and Mrs. Nkeiru Onyejiocha, member ,representing the Umunneochi/Isuikwuato Federal Constituency.

    At the end, cash prizes were given to outstanding dance troupes. The first position went to the dance troupe from Eziama and they received N500, 000 which was presented to them by Dr. Otti. The second and third positions went to Amakpo and Ibinanta dance troupes and they went home with cash prizes of N350, 000 and N250, 000 respectively.

  • Lalong, Shittu, Kalu meet Buhari in Daura

    Plateau State Governor, Solomon Lalong, Communication Minister, Adebayo Shittu and former Abia state Governor, Dr. Orji -Uzor Kalu, Wednesday in Daura , Katsina state, held  a closed door meeting which lasted for more than 30 minutes, with President Muhammadu Buhari at his country home.

    The meeting was held shortly after Kalu was conferred with a chieftaincy title “Danbaiwan Hausa”, meaning: ‘Gifted son of Hausa Land’ by the Emir of Daura, Dr. Farouq Umar Farouq.

    Read Also:2019: Saraki, Kwankwaso, Tambuwal, others can’t stop Buhari

    Both Plateau state Governor and the Communication minister were among the dignitaries who accompanied the former Abia Governor to the Emir’s palace for the conferment of the title at a turbanning ceremony held earlier

    The trio, shortly after the event, left for President Buhari’s residence.

    They were ushered in to see the President at about 2.40 p. m. The Plateau Governor was the first to depart the residence at 3.30p.m while Kalu and Shittu followed suit five minutes thereafter.

    Shittu however told journalists that they were at President’s residence to “pay obeisance”.

    He said” We were here to pay obeisance .You know the President recently returned from medical trip abroad, and were unable to see him because soon after the security meeting on Monday he left for Daura’’

    “Contrary to the claim by his detractors that he is not fit to run a second time, the President is not only fit to trek 800 meters as reported by the media, he is fit mentally and physically to continue to pilot the affairs of our great country even for the next four years after 2019 elections.”

    Shittu said he attended Kalu’s event to reciprocate his kindness and liberal attitude to all Nigerians irrespective of tribes or religions.

    He blamed the Ibos for ‘’ostracizing’’ themselves from mainstream Nigerian political life, urging them to queue behind Buhari this time around

    Earlier, the Emir had said, during the event, that Kalu was conferred with the title because of his contribution to the unity of Nigeria and his (Kalu) love for President Buhari’s administration and championing his reelection bid.

  • Buhari’s critics are yesterday’s lawless, reckless leaders – Orji Kalu 

    Former governor of Abia State, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu, has identified as challenges facing Nigeria today, the scathing criticisms of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration by persons who when they were in power, never obeyed the law.

    Kalu faulted Buhari’s critics, saying notwithstanding the cynical and vitriolic attacks against him, the president deserves a second term in office to complete his good projects for Nigeria.

    He spoke on Tuesday at the Ake Palace of the Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, when he visited the monarch.

    Kalu, who is the coordinator of National Movement for Re-election of Muhammadu Buhari, declared that the president has done well to merit another term of four years in office.

    The ex – governor’s comments came barely 24 hours after former President Olusegun Obasanjo tongue – lashed Buhari-led government for allegedly being ineffective, incompetent and reeking of failure.

    According to him, Buhari has unfinished job to do and needs another tenure to complete it thoroughly.

    “The greatest challenge of our country is leaders not obeying the law. When they are leaders, they don’t want to obey the law; when they go out of leadership, they criticise everybody who wants to obey the law. This is the problem of the country.

    “We have had leaders who disobeyed every law of the land. We’ve also had leaders who were reckless when they were leaders and when they go out, they call people all kinds of name. We have also seen leaders that have never seen anything good in other people’s leadership, they only know about themselves.

    “So, we want to thank you for the support…I know you are close friend of President Muhammadu Buhari and I want you to maintain that friendship; don’t allow anybody to distract you whether people from here or from my area, stay in course.

    “President Buhari has not finished the job he came to do. If God gives him good health and long life, he has not finished. He has to go for another four years to be able to finish.

    “Despite people who are criticising and these people also took no criticism when they were in office. Despite people who are writing letters; these people we also wrote letters to them, they didn’t reply to our own letters,” Kalu said.

    Kalu, who lauded his host for his sterling military career, numerous community services and contributions to nation-building, declared that Nigeria’s unity is non-negotiable.

    He urged the Alake and members of the Egba Traditional Council not to relent in their support for the president.

    “In any democracy, there must be people for and against. We are for Buhari, some people are against and we wish them well. And we want to thank you for the key role of peace that you and other traditional rulers have been playing. Nigeria unity is non-negotiable.

    “We are for oneness of this country, we are for leaders who are sincere to lead us well, we are for leaders who are equally committed to the rules and tenets of democracy, ” he said.

    In his remarks, Oba Gbadebo hailed the former Abia governor for his message of love and strong belief in Buhari’s capacity to deliver good governance for the country.

    The Alake described Kalu as a great and detribalised Nigerian, whose tenure as governor was marked with monumental development of the state.

    “As a key stakeholder of the Nigerian project, your patriotic contributions to nation-building are commendable,” he told Kalu.

    The monarch, who noted that the nation’s Presidency remains the birthright of every Nigerian, promised to support Kalu whenever the nation beckons on him to contest as president.

    According to him, there is great hope for Nigeria when somebody from the South East could be mobilising support for a president who hails from the North.

    The Alake pointed out that giving Buhari a second term in office would enable him to consolidate on the achievements already recorded by the present administration.

    His words: “So, I am part of your team in campaigning that he be given a chance for another four years because those who made the tenure to be four by two know that while you are formulating your policies while you are thinking of what to do, you need time to now expect everything you have put in place in the first four years to germinate and to bring benefits to the people.

    “And we know what happens in Nigeria; there is always policy somersault. If a person goes after four years, virtually everything he has done will be turned over by whoever comes after; he won’t want the person that has come to get the credit for what he is going to sit upon. So, he would rather have it killed than to go ahead and implement.

    “So, as you are going around the country, we pray that God will be with you. That this effort you are putting in for the greatness of Nigeria, some other people will do the same thing for you because the headship and Presidency of this country is the birthright of every Nigerian and I pray that in your own time too, people will go round and solicit support for you. You have proved to be a great Nigerian totally devoid of tribal sentiment.”

    Read Also: Presidency react to Obasanjo’s assessment of Buhari’s administration

  • Fleeing witness withdrew millions from Abia account – EFCC

    The Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday heard that a cashier in the Abia Government House, Mr. Akpan Udoh, allegedly made several withdrawals from the state Government House account during Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu’s tenure as governor of the state.

    Testifying in Kalu’s trial for alleged money laundering, a prosecution witness, Bassey Omamurieme, said Udoh withdrew hundreds of millions of naira from the account between 2002 and 2003.

    An EFCC operative, Ovie Tobore Akpoyibo, had earlier testified that efforts to serve court summons on Udoh was unsuccessful as he had relocated to Cameroon.

    “Further efforts to get his call logs from his service provider showed that he has been hovering between Cameroon, Republic of Benin and Katsina State,” Akpoyibo said.

    Testifying at the 15th prosecution witness in the trial, Omamurieme, an Assistant Manager at the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), said he was in the Claims Resolution Department which deals with failed banks or those in liquidation.

    He said NDIC took over the defunct Hallmark Bank Plc’s records when it was liquidated, including details of Abia State Government House account with the liquidated bank.

    “We migrated Hallmark Bank’s database onto a server which is in our custody,” he said.

    According to him, he printed the Government House statement of account from the server.

    The statement was tendered and admitted as an exhibit.

    Led in evidence by prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), Omamurieme said Udoh made three withdrawals of N12.7million, N2.9million and N3million on February 6, 2002 from the account.

    He said Udoh withdrew N40.3million on March 6, 2002, and N35million on September 26, 2002.

     

  • Kalu: Court adjourns N3.2b trial to Sept 11

    Kalu: Court adjourns N3.2b trial to Sept 11

    A Federal High Court in Lagos Thursday adjourned till September 11 the alleged fraud trial of a former Governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu and two others.

    Kali, Udeh Jones Udeogu and Slok Nigeria Limited were arraigned last October 31 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice Mohammed Idris on a 34-count charge of N3.2billion fraud.

    They pleaded not guilty.

    Justice Idris adjourned the trial following the conclusion of evidence by the EFCC’s fifth witness, Toyosi Ekorhi.

    Ekorhi, a compliance officer at First City Monument Bank (FCMB), stated under cross-examination by lawyer to the third defendant (Slok Nigeria Ltd), K. C. Nwofo (SAN), that she was not the author of the documents tendered as exhibits by the prosecution.

    On Wednesday, the witness, who claimed she joined FCMB on October 13, 2008, said the documents were retrieved from the archives of the defunct Inland Bank Plc., but she had no knowledge of its contents because she never worked at Inland Bank.

    Under cross-examination by Kalu’s lawyer, Chief Gordy Uche (SAN), the witness said the former governor’s name was not listed as one of the Directors of Slok Nigeria Ltd.

    She added that the second defendant, Udeh Jones Udeogu, was also not a signatory to the company’s account.

     

  • Kalu to Buhari: listen to your doctors, take your medication

    Kalu to Buhari: listen to your doctors, take your medication

    • Counsels President to work less, focus on economic team

    Former Abia State Governor, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to listen to his doctors and take his medication if any was prescribed by his doctors.
    He said as much as he is excited over the return of Buhari to Nigeria, the president should work less and direct efforts to the economic team to fix the country.

    Kalu spoke to reporters at the weekend at the departure hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport on his way to Washington.

    He said  Nigerians were happy that the president was back to continue his good works.

    He said: “Now that the president is back, I am very happy. We have been praying. Both Christians and Muslims have been praying because the country have been so polarised that the fabrics of our nation have been eaten by  tribalism and religion.

    “So I  am very happy that the president is back and the president should listen to his doctors and continue to take his medication if any.

    “He should work less and put more effort on the economic team so that the economic team will be able to address the issue of the Nigerian economy. This is very important to the Nigerian people and I guess; if Nigeria economy is good, the president himself will also be happy.

    “Well, I think we Nigerians should be very happy that the president is back. It is only in Nigeria where you find people wishing their leaders to die no matter what any leader has done to anybody.

    “I know that the president has done so well in the area of defence and pursuing Boko Haram. I congratulate him as Commander in Chief;  I also praise the service chiefs, the Chief of Army Staff, the Chief of Air Staff and the Inspector General of Police as well as the Director of the DSS for their back up operation on Boko Haram. It is a collective effort.

    “Now that the president is back, I am very happy. We have been praying. Both Christians and Muslims have been praying because the country has been so polarised that the fabrics of our nation have been eaten with tribalism and religion.

    “When he took over when there was a lot of doubts on the economy, he took over when the oil prices went down very sharply and whenever your expenditure is more than your income, then there is already a recession. So I am not sure that recession is just going to end so soon. They need to put up a very strong strategy that will bring back Nigeria to where we are supposed to be.”

    He urged the Buhari-led administration to focus more on the economy in order to turn the fortunes of the country around.

    “I believe now that the president is back, he should be able to fine-tune the economic team and put some recovery policies in place.

    “The team should be very serious. The team should also be very out looking. They should not take anything for granted.

    “The most important thing government should look into is the issue of electricity and internal security because internal security is very important.

    “Internal security and electricity are the engine room that drives development, that drives the future of any country and I believe these things can be done,” Kalu said.

    The All Progressives Party (APC) chieftain said the government had made a lot of progress in the war against the Boko Haram sect.

    He said: “I know that the president has done so well in the area of defence and pursuing Boko Haram. I congratulate him as Commander in Chief

    “I also praise the service chiefs, the Chief of Army Staff, the Chief of Air Staff and the Inspector General of Police as well as the Director of the DSS for their backup operation on Boko Haram. It is a collective effort.”

    He also commiserated with the families of Gen. Adeyinka Adebayo,  former governor of the Old Western Region and Brig.- Gen. Samuel Ogbemudia, former governor of the defunct Bendel State, who passed on recently.

    Kalu said: “Well, both men were great statesmen. Like Gen. Adebayo, he is my colleague’s father, Niyi Adebayo and may his soul rest in peace.

    “I am sure that the polity of them maintaining what they stood for and what they believed in; God will rest their soul in peace.  Gen. Ogbemudia was not only a good general but I don’t know why these two generals should be buried at the same time because Nigeria needed them more now for their experience and what we are going through.

    “I believe it is God’s time and God’s own time, nobody can stop it. So I send my condolences to the families, especially to Niyi Adebayo.

    “I made effort to call him but unfortunately his phone is not going through but I will surely visit. I thank God for the soul of the departed. God will bless their souls and they will rest in peace.”

  • Orji urges FG to patronise local engineers to curb capital flight

    Orji urges FG to patronise local engineers to curb capital flight

    The former Governor of Abia State, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu on Thursday urged the Federal Government to patronise local engineers to curb capital flight.

    Kalu made the call at the inauguration of the 7th Chairman of the Nigerian Institute of Civil Engineers in Abuja.

    According to him,there is an urgent need for the government to partner with the local engineers to salvage the economy from recession.

    “I condemn in totality a situation where the government takes a loan from foreign countries like China without partnering with engineers; it is an abomination.

    “No country that wants to succeed and grow will go that way,both this administration  and the past ones have been making that mistake.

    “Taxpayers money should not be used to encourage capital flight by importing  a lot of foreign engineers out of China, Philippines, etc. because it is making our capital flight to be on the rise.

    “Nigerian engineers will not be looking for dollars to take to their countries since they are here, so, there is the need for the government to partner with them.”

    Kalu also urged the government to involve the youths in the affairs of the nation, adding that any nation that doubted the ability of its youths, had doubted its future since they owe the key to  development.

    He said that the impact of youths, especially engineers, in national development, would liberate the society from lack and called for a partnership between the government and the youths to move the nation forward.

    “The engineers must be brought into governance to man engineering works, design work, housing ,roads etc, for progress.

    “If you go to some of these airports  and ask who designed the jobs you might not even know who the designers are because they are Chinese, so, if it gets bad we must wait for them to come back and repairs them,” the former governor said.

    He urged the government to have a change of heart toward Nigerian engineers because they held the key to national development.

    He also advised the engineers to concentrate on innovations and inventions that would lead to manufacturing products that would take the country away from depending on importation to exportation.

    Kalu added that most of the equipment manufactured in China and the other countries could be done in Nigeria if our engineers were given the full support.

    He urged the government to build an institution that would enable it to partner with local engineers to boost manufacturing industries to industrialise the nation.

    Also speaking, Mr Ben-Osy Okor, the newly-inaugurated Chairman of the institute, appealed to the government to create an enabling environment for local engineers to thrive .

    Okor said no nation could develop without the input of engineers, adding that there was a need to allow engineers to man ministries such as housing,works, Power so as to enhance productivity.

    “It is necessary for the government to put the right peg in the right hole to get value for projects.

    He urged engineers to always improve on their skills so as to keep abreast with global best practices.

    He added that henceforth,quackery would no longer be condoned in the profession as the institute was partnering with security agents to apprehend quack engineers and prosecute them.

  • Former Abia governor Orji Kalu defects to APC

    Former Abia governor Orji Kalu defects to APC

    Former Governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu has defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Kalu until his defection is the founder of the Progressives People Alliance (PPA).

    This was disclosed in a telephone interview by the state Publicity secretary of APC, Ben Godson.

    The defection takes place in Abuja, the party Headquarters Wednesday.