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Tag: Orji Kalu

  • Kalu urges Tinubu to accelerate reconciliation of aggrieved APC members

    Kalu urges Tinubu to accelerate reconciliation of aggrieved APC members

    Former Abia governor, Dr Orji Kalu has called on the National Leader of the All Progressive Congress ( APC ), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to accelerate efforts toward reconciling aggrieved members of the ruling party.

    Kalu made the call on Sunday night while speaking with newsmen at the Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos.

    He said the task given by President Muhammadu Buhari to Tinubu was very apt because there was an urgent need to reconcile feuding members of the party.

    According to him, the situation whereby a serving governor and a minister who belong to APC are engaged in bickering at a time concerted efforts are needed to return the party to victory in 2019 is not good.

    Kalu said: “I have reported this to the highest authority of the party that it is not proper for a governor and minister in Ibadan to go two parallel ways.

    “It is not to the benefit of the president and neither is it to the benefit of the party, it is not the benefit of Nigerians; the synergy needed to accelerate cohesion in the ruling party will not be there.

    “We need to thank Mr President in his wisdom in giving the mandate to the national leader of APC the opportunity to reconcile members of the party.

    “I am very excited that such a thing is happening. I am confident it will be a good beginning for my brother and friend, Tinubu to execute the reconciliation task very well.

    “I am confident Tinubu will be blunt to settle feuding members of the APC.”

    He noted that Buhari had the constitutional right to seek for re-election, adding that the only reason the president might not run in 2019 would be solely on health grounds.

    According to him, Buhari is an honest man and will let Nigerians know whether he will contest or not at the appropriate time.

    “Buhari is an honest man. If he is interested in running, he will tell Nigerians that he will run. We pray that his health gets better and that his doctors give him a clean bill of health.

    “You know Buhari is also a man of conscience; if he feels his health will not allow him to seek re-election he will not go ahead, but if he feels he is capable of running, he will seek re-election.

    “It is his decision, it his right, he is entitled to second term,” he said.

    The ex-governor, who commended the president for the ongoing construction of the Second Niger Bridge, stressed that he had done well in his first term and there was also room for improvement.

    Kalu also asserted that Buhari would win the 2019 election if he decides to run with or without the support of the Northern elite because he had a huge following by the masses.

    “If the elite refuse to support Buhari, the masses will support Buhari. The elite are few in number, the people that will support Buhari are the masses, who sincerely believe in Buhari.

    “They are people who not know any other thing other than Buhari. By my assumption, If President Buhari had 12.5 million supporters in the last general election; there is an additional 10 million supporters in the bank.

    “That is what we call reserve, it is still there,” he said.

    NAN

  • Kalu declares intent for senate bid

    Kalu declares intent for senate bid

    Former Abia State governor, Orji Uzor Kalu, on Monday declared his intention to run for Abia North Senatorial seat in 2019.

    Kalu, who disclosed this in a chat with journalists at his Igbere country home, regretted that the people who represented the area in the past were concerned about “self- aggrandizement” at the expense of people’s welfare.

    Read Also: I don’t have presidential ambition in 2019 -Orji Kalu

    The ex-governor recalled how he transformed the state during his tenure as governor, adding that the decision to vie for seat in the upper legislative chamber was to ensure that people of Abia North gets democratic dividends.

    He also commended President Muhammadu Buhari for approving the ongoing rehabilitation of Umuahia-Uzoakoli-Ohafia Expressway, Ozuitem-Igbere and Nkpa and other roads in the state.

     

  • Buhari not interested in automatic ticket in 2019 – Kalu

    Buhari not interested in automatic ticket in 2019 – Kalu

    Former Abia governor, Dr Orji Kalu, said on Saturday that President Muhammadu Buhari might not be interested in getting an automatic ticket to re -contest.

    Kalu told newsmen at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, that the president would prefer a situation where other candidates would explore the democratic process to test their popularity.

    “Buhari himself is not even looking for automatic ticket.

    “He is a man that is very fair and free in what he does.

    “And his feeling is that if any candidate is willing to contest against him, he should come out.

    “So President Buhari is also feeling that an automatic ticket for him is not right.

    “He believes that the political space should be opened up for other people who also want to contest and he wants an open primary (elections) to take place,” he said.

    He said he would support Buhari should he indicate interest to run for a second term.

    “I have said it times without number, that the president needs to consolidate on his achievements because he is very popular.

    “He is still the only person carrying 15 million votes in his back despite his tenure being besieged by illness.

    “So the president genuinely deserves a second tenure,’’ Kalu said.

    He also ruled out the chances of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) coming back in 2019.

    Kalu said Buhari was under restraint not to expose the gargantuan corruption that took place at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

    He said if Nigerians knew what happened at NNPC, they would not allow any of the looters to run away from the country.

    Kalu wished former Vice President Atiku Abubakar well on his future endeavours following his decision to leave APC.

    NAN

  • 2019: Buhari not interested in automatic ticket — Kalu

    Former Abia governor, Dr Orji Kalu, said on Saturday that President Muhammadu Buhari might not be interested in getting an automatic ticket to re -contest.

    Kalu told newsmen at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, that the president would prefer a situation where other candidates would explore the democratic process to test their popularity.

    “Buhari himself is not even looking for automatic ticket.

    “He is a man that is very fair and free in what he does.

    “And his feeling is that if any candidate is willing to contest against him, he should come out.

    “So President Buhari is also feeling that an automatic ticket for him is not right.

    “He believes that the political space should be opened up for other people who also want to contest and he wants an open primary (elections) to take place,” he said.

    He said he would support Buhari should he indicate interest to run for a second term.

    “I have said it times without number, that the president needs to consolidate on his achievements because he is very popular.

    “He is still the only person carrying 15 million votes in his back despite his tenure being besieged by illness.

    “So the president genuinely deserves a second tenure,’’ Kalu said.

    He also ruled out the chances of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) coming back in 2019.

    Kalu said Buhari was under restraint not to expose the gargantuan corruption that took place at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

    He said if Nigerians knew what happened at NNPC, they would not allow any of the looters to run away from the country.

    Kalu wished former Vice President Atiku Abubakar well on his future endeavours following his decision to leave APC. (NAN)

  • Kanu has not escaped, military should produce him, says lawyer

    Kanu has not escaped, military should produce him, says lawyer

    Mr. Ifeanyi Ejiofor, lawyer to the leader of the pro-Biafra group, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu has faulted the claim by former Abia State Governor, Orji Kalu that his client has escaped.

    Ejiofor, who was reacting to a media report credited to the ex-Governor, wondered how Kalu could be authoritative about his client’s whereabouts when he did not claim to be present the day soldiers invaded Kanu’s abode.

    The lawyer, who referred to the processes he filed in relation to a recent suit, seeking to compel the Chief of Army Staff to produce his client in court, said he stood by the claim in the suit that the Nigerian Army should account for Kanu’s whereabouts.

    Ejiofor and others had, in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/908/2017, claimed that Kanu, who was in his house during the September 14, 2017 attacked on his premises by some soldiers, “has not been heard from or seen after this bloody attack in his home by the agents of the respondent (COAS) since the 14th day of September 2017.”

    In a statement sent through an electronic means on Sunday, Ejiofor used unfriendly words on the ex-Governor and challenged him to apply to be part of the suit if indeed; he has a position contrary to that of the plaintiff in the suit.

    Ejiofor said: “Orji uzo Kalu is a drowning man, looking for where to perch. He has since outlived his usefulness in Igbo land.

    “What do you expect from a man who is enjoying a temporary freedom? Struggling to get his head out of grievous corruption charge hanging on his neck.

    “It’s not unlikely that he may spend the rest of his life in prison, sooner than expected.

    “He saw Nnamdi Kanu’s travail as opportunity to seek relevance from the prosecuting authority.

    At some time, he attempted deceiving the state into believing that he has the magic wand  to Nnamdi Kanu’s peaceful agitation.

    “Now, he has turned into government /military spokesperson. Please ask that confuse man, if he was in the company of the rampaging soldiers at the time of their murderous invasion of my client’s home?

    He is seeking for possible relevance where none exist, opportunity to divert attention.  May be he has forgotten he is no longer the Governor of Abia State.

    “I advise the discerning mind to kindly disregard his tantrums as that coming from a drowning man.

    “The military should produce my client wherever they kept him. The matter is now in court,  let’s meet in court.

    “Orji Uzo Kalu, can as well apply to be joined as a party in the suit. Let his position be on oath.”

  • We’ve gone past quit notice – Orji Kalu

    We’ve gone past quit notice – Orji Kalu

    A former governor of Abia, Dr Orji Kalu, says Nigeria has “gone past quit notice” as the various ethnic groups that make up the country have lived harmoniously for many years.

    Kalu, who was referring to the quit notice issued to Igbo people to leave Northern Nigeria by Arewa youths, said everything possible should be done to strengthen the unity of the country.

    Kalu said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday that Nigeria had come to stay, but suggested that the country should go back to regionalism.

    The All Progressive Congress (APC) chieftain said no strong politician would promote ethnicity and urged all hands to be on the deck to strengthen Nigeria’s unity.

    The former governor said that he would continue to preach One Nigeria, and “ talk about the virtues of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    “As long as I remain an APC member, I will continue to espouse the ideas and good qualities of President Muhammadu Buhari,’’ Kalu added.

    He also said that Buhari would come back healthier and urged Nigerians to pray for him.

    The former governor also stressed the need for a strong and independent judiciary, as it would promote the rule of law.

    He said that an upright judiciary was necessary as the institution was the bedrock in any society and the last hope of the common man.

    Kalu said any issue between the executive and the legislature could always be resolved to the satisfaction of all parties by an independent judiciary.

  • Orji Kalu says Buhari’s return stabilised polity

    Orji Kalu says Buhari’s return stabilised polity

    A former governor of Abia, Dr Orji Kalu, says the return of President Muhammadu Buhari from the United Kingdom on Friday has brought stability into the polity.

    Kalu told newsmen in Lagos on Sunday that Nigerians were happy that the president was back in good health.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the president went on vacation to the UK on Jan. 20, and also met with his doctors during the trip before returning on Friday.

    Kalu 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 has been so polarised that the fabrics of our nation have been eaten with tribalism and religion.

    “So I am very happy that the president is back and I want him to listen to his doctor’s advice and continue to take his medication, if any’’.

    The former governor noted that the president had kept his campaign promise of restoring peace to the North Eastern part of the country, which had been facing insurrection from the Boko Haram sect.

    “I know that the president has done 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 State Service for their backup operation on Boko Haram,’’ he said.

    He, however, called on the government to intensify efforts towards improving the economic situation in the country.

    “Buhari took over when there were a lot of doubts in the economy; he took over when the oil prices went down sharply.

    “And whenever your expenditure is more than your income, then there is already recession.

    “So I am not sure that recession is just going to end so soon.

    “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’’.

    He advised the economic team to be more serious, out looking and no to take anything for granted.

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

    “Internal security and electricity are the engine room that drives development and the future of any country.

    “I believe these things can be done,’’ Kalu said.

    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 their wealth of experience would be greatly missed by the country and he prayed God to grant them eternal rest.

    NAN reports that Kalu, formerly a staunch member the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2016 defected to the ruling APC.

    The former governor had told the gathering that he joined the APC to help “diffuse tensions that the party is an ethnic or religious contraption”.

     

  • About Orji Kalu’s daughter’s proposed wedding

    Once bitten, twice shy seems to be the new watchword for Neya Kalu. The daughter of former Abia State governor, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, has been treading with extreme caution even as her marriage date to Lawrence Iyere approaches.

    Going by the latest development, it would seem that the beautiful Neya has decided that a failed relationship is better than a broken marriage, as the traditional wedding scheduled for December 28 was cancelled, though some people say it was merely postponed to next year.

    Since her relationship with Chima Anyaso, boss of Ceecon Oil and Gas, hit the rocks some years ago, the young woman has learnt to keep her eyes open to ensure she does not fall twice into the same trap. And for a while since she met businessman Lawrence in the UK while pursuing a degree, it seemed that she had finally found the right man. They had a lavish engagement ceremony in August and for a while all seemed well.

    According to whispering birds, it was not long after the ceremony that Neya began to wonder if Cupid’s arrow had shot the right man into her heart, leading to her decision to cancel the relationship. Some are however saying that the marriage was only postponed till February next year for some personal reasons. Time, as always, will tell.

  • Orji Kalu’s daughter finally set to wed

    This year promises to be an extra-festive affair in the family of ex-Abia State governor, Orji Kalu. Besides the usual glitz associated with Christmas in his kind of household, the family is also preparing for the wedding of their beloved daughter, Neya Kalu, who got engaged in August.

    The big event is set for Boxing Day at Kalu’s country home in Abia.

    Neya, Kalu’s daughter, has had to overcome several hurdles, some self-made, to come this far. Perhaps it was her desire to escape the unending recriminations from her failed marriage to Igbo big boy, Chima Anyaso, that took her to the University of Buckingham where fate had a gift in store for her in the person of her groom-to-be. It was while pursuing her master’s degree that she met her soon-to-be-husband, Lawrence Iyere, who runs a thriving business. The two fell in love and the rest is about to become history on December 26.

  • Buhari’s anti-corruption war not selective – Kalu

    Buhari’s anti-corruption war not selective – Kalu

    Former Governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu, on Friday said the anti-corruption campaign of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration is not selective as it is perceived in some quarters.

    He said those being investigated for corruption are individuals that handled the finances of the country in the last administration, adding that the present government is right to demand how the money was expended.

    Speaking to journalists after visiting former military President, Ibrahim Babangida, at his Uphill residence in Minna, Niger State, Kalu said people are biased in their reasoning if they think the anti-corruption war is selective.

    “I do not believe that the anti-corruption war of President Buhari is selective. Someone may look at it in perspective that it is selective because it is the people in the previous government that are involved and this is because they are the people that handled the money during that period.”

    The former governor, who declared support for the fight against corruption, also urged the President to pay more attention to the nation’s economy.

    “I support President Buhari in the fight against corruption but as we are fighting corruption, we should also look at the industrial base of the country. No country can survive with only politics. The economy is very important to the nation,” he said.