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Tag: Orji Uzor Kalu

  • Deputy Senate President: Pro-Buhari group, Southeast youths tip Kalu

    The foremost pro President Muhammadu Buhari group in the Southeast zone, the Buhari Southeast Youth Movement (BUSEYM), has thrown its weight behind the agitation by the people of the southeast zone for the position of the Deputy Senate President and declared their support for Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, describing the former Abia State governor as the right choice of youths in the region.

    In a communique jointly signed by the Director-General and the Acting National Publicity Secretary of the group,  Nwabueze Onwuneme and  Nene Jones respectively after the group’s general meeting in Enugu, the Enugu state capital, issued to newsmen, the group stated that after consulting and carrying along the opinion of  diverse youth organisations, community youth governments and prominent youths of the region, they have come to the conclusion that the former Abia State governor is the most qualified for the position and strongly believe that as a very detribalised Nigerian, his candidature will greatly unite the diversity in the senate while putting the interest of the country foremost.

     

  • 58 APC senators backing Lawan, says Kalu

    IF the words of former Abia State governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) senator-elect Orji Uzor Kalu are anything to go by, all the 58 progressive senators-elect and the only Young Progressive Party (YPP) senator-elect are backing Senate Leader Ahmed Lawan.

    Lawan is seeking to occupy the Senate President’s seat when the Ninth National Assembly opens on June 11.

    According to Kalu, the identified senators have signed up in support of the Senate Leader.

    Besides, Kalu said that any APC member opposed to the emergence of Senator Ahmed Lawan and House Leader Femi Gbajabiamila as Senate President and House of Representatives will be fighting the wish of President Muhammadu Buhari and Nigerians.

    The former governor, who spoke when he received Gbajabiamila at his Abuja home, said the two positions were the only ones the President has shown interest in, adding that it will be wrong to conclude that Gbajabiamila is the candidate of APC stalwart Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu because he hails from Lagos.

    According to him, President Buhari has interest in the two candidates because theydefended the party.

    He said even though the party has the required number to produce the Senate President, it is still working on a bipartisan approach so as not to have a divided Senate on the day of inauguration.

    Kalu hopes that in the coming days, the leadership of the party will also plan for a smooth process to pick the Speaker through a bipartisan arrangement.

    He said: “Fifty-eight senators have signed for Ahmed Lawan and when you add YPP, you have 59. But we still need other parties to join us for bipartisanship so that there will be no division in the Senate.

    Read also: Lawan, Ndume step up race for Senate president

    On the candidacy of the House Leader, Kalu said: “There is no doubt that people have been blackmailing you. The President has told all of us collectively and individually that you are not Tinubu’s candidate. It is a mistake. You are endorsed by the Commander-in-Chief and President of Nigeria. He told us that in an open place and he told all members of the House of Representatives and members of the Senate.

    “Apart from that, just on Monday (last week), I had a private session with the President and asked him what we are going to do. He said the only two people he wanted are Lawan and Gbajabiamila.

    “You people can take every other thing. This is the truth. I am quoting him correctly. He said I only asked them to give me Lawan and Femi because I see them defending the interest of the party.

    “So, if Mr. President said so, it means you are not a candidate of Bola Tinubu. You are a candidate of the APC and a bipartisan candidate. You are a candidate of every party that is represented in the National Assembly.

    “I am not going to speak too much because action speaks louder. On the voting day, we will be there and I am assuring you that I have spoken on bipartisan level to almost every member of the House from my zone and beyond. So, I can assure you that they will vote for you because this is a serious business.

    “You have been endorsed by the President and the National Working Committee (as well as the progressive governors and I have no regret in endorsing you. What we have done in the Senate will happen in the House of Representatives.

    “We have concluded the issue of the Senate and within the next four days, we will conclude the issue of the House of Representatives.

    “What happened in 2015 cannot happen again. In a normal democracy, you don’t need to contest with anybody because you are already Majority Leader.”

    Gbajabiamila said he had been going round the country to seek the support of well-meaning Nigerians for his ambition.

    He said: “We have gone round soliciting for support and that is why we are here to seek you support and blessing. Wase and I come to the table with about 30 years’ cumulative legislative experience. He is serving his fourth term and I am serving my fifth term and you cannot buy experience.

  • I’ll retrieve my mandate from you, Sen. Ohuabuwa tells Kalu

    The senator representing Abia North senatorial district, Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, 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 who was elected on the platform of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) but Kalu contested on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    But Ohuabunwa 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”.

    Read Also: Senate: I’ve forgiven Theodore Orji, says Kalu

    Leaders of the PDP in Abia who were on solidarity visits to the senators, also vowed to ensure that 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.

     

  • Abia stands still as Buhari campaigns

    The Enyimba International Football stadium, Aba, the commercial nerve of Abia State on Tuesday witnessed huge turnout of Abians and supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the seventeen local government areas of the state as the campaign train of President Muhammadu Buhari visited the state ahead of the February, 16 presidential poll.

    This is however contrary to the sit-at-home orders of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) who asked Abians to observe a mini sit-at-home from 6am to 4pm Tuesday, in protest of the visit of the president.

    President Buhari who came in the company of former governors of Abia State; Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu and Ogbonnaya Onu (Minister of Science and Technology), Senator Ken Nnamani, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, former Governor of Ekiti State, Senator Chris Ngige, National chairman of APC; Adams Oshiomhole, the lawmaker representing Isiukwuato/Umunneochi Federal Representatives, Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejiocha, former Minister of Labour and Productivity, Hon. Emeka Wogu, Senator Nkechi Nwaogu among others.

    Speaking at the event, President Buhari vowed to continue to tackle infrastructural problems in Nigeria and to ensure that Nigerians do their businesses without stress.

    The president who maintained that businesses would be improved as soon as infrastructure challenges of the country was tackled, said that despite the limited resources available to his Government and total fall in oil revenue, his government have been able to justify their promises to Nigerians and are ready to do more when given the mandate to continue in power.

    He urged all the people of Abia State to ensure that APC is voted for in the forthcoming elections to enable them continue the fight against corruption, infrastructural decay and ensure adequate security for proper management of the country.

    In his words: “I’m impressed with all the speakers because they’ve articulated what this administration is able to do. When we came in, we approached governance with three point agenda of security, economy and fight against corruption.

    “We tried to justify these by trying our best within the time available to us from 2015 to now with the resources available to us. You can all recall that the production of 2.4 million barrel per day, was cut short to half a million barrel per day. In the world market which is outside our control, the cost of petroleum per barrel went down from 40, 38, 28 dollars per barrel.

    “It is in this context that I want you to see how this administration has been committed to development of this country. Upon all these, we are doing the roads now, we are doing the railways which was neglected and virtually killed and we are doing power which is one of the projects I’ve came here to commission today.

    “I assure that if we get infrastructure correct; the roads, the railways and power, Nigerians will mind their businesses. It all depends who is in the Government. We have identified this and we are committing available resources to make sure we get the infrastructure right and we are doing as much as possible to secure the country so that we can properly manage it. I thank you for your commitment and I expect you to this time around, vote APC.”

    APC National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole who could not hide his joy over the reception that Buhari got in the state said that it was an indication that Abians have embraced the change mantra of the APC administration, stressing that the Buhari government has done well in the southeast geo-political zone through some of the completed and ongoing developmental projects the APC government is doing in the zone.

    Oshiomhole who blamed the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for years of decay in the southeast despite the support that the southeast gave to PDP, urged the people of the state and the southeast not use 2019 to correct the mistakes of 2015.

    He said: “I’m very happy at the testimonies I’ve heard today about what this administration has done in Igboland and Abia State in particular. You can bury the truth ten meters deep, but you cannot kill the truth.

    “The truth is that in this state, PDP has governed for 19 years just as they controlled the country for 16 years. In those 16 years, this part of the country that was most loyal and committed to voting PDP was abandoned and Federal dual carriage road in the zone was turned to a cassava farm.

    “No one could commute from Aba to Port Harcourt. Everything was destroyed under PDP. My message is simple, the beauty of Nigerian democracy is that if you elect by mistake, it cannot last for more than four years. The last mistake of 2015 must now be corrected in 2019.

    “What we need in leadership are men and women who can serve Nigeria as their constituency. The development literature of the Federal Government in South East is very clear. It’s not rocket science. The Ariaria International Market Power Plant is there for all to see. The basis for sustainable economy is to build durable infrastructure and President Buhari is ensuring that.”

    Also speaking, a Chieftain of APC and former governor of the state, Dr. Orji Uzor-Kalu lambasted the PDP led administration in the state for what he termed as total neglect of infrastructure in the state and none payment  salaries and  pensions which he said has left many people who served the state with all their hearts in perpetual poverty.

    Kalu who is the Senatorial candidate of APC for Abia North District also blasted former president Olusegun Obasanjo for his constant criticism of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    “I always call the PDP administration in Abia State liars because in this state, they rumoured that I was dead and gone and I’m alive today to the glory of God. Again I call them liars because they always pay Abia civil servants on radio.

    “When I was Governor, there was free education, our darling team Enyimba which was why I built this stadium became champions of Africa twice. In my days, workers and pensioners never begged for their monies.

    “I heard a man called Olusegun Obasanjo attacking Mr. President and this man Obasanjo forgot that it was him that brought corruption to Nigeria as a president.

    “He was the first President who started thwarting democratic processes in Nigeria. My Problem with him was when he called me and some other persons to support his third tenure bid and I refused and urged others never to accept it. He turned himself into a dictator. How can someone compare Obasanjo and Buhari? Buhari wants the Judiciary to be perfectly independent.

    “The judges in my state told me that they are at the process of receiving their monies directly from Abuja. Since I left office as governor, we never heard roads in Abia because subsequent administrations left Abia to decay.

    “They’ve told a lot of lies about APC in Abia and come the 16th of February, we shall test the popularity of every party in this soil. Uche Ogah has been tested in the Private sector and he won and he’ll win squarely here. President Buhari has no comparison and Abia will give him 70 percent vote in Abia State,” he said.

    The APC gubernatorial candidate, Dr. Uche Ogah, APC Governorship candidate in Abia State urged the president to disregard any information that there is another party in Abia capable of winning elections outside APC. He declared Abia as an APC state.

    “Abia people have resolved to unanimously move to APC and there is no other party that can stop it. You’ll get our votes in Abia and the mistake of 2015 will never repeat. We shall be first in giving you votes. We’ve felt your love through numerous Federal Government projects here.

    “We’ve told our people that the mistakes of PDP will be corrected in Abia as we move into Government. Thank you for remembering our infrastructure in the South East. Our roads are now better and what else can we say that to appreciate and show you real love during the elections. Our people are tired of PDP.

    “The last we had good Government was under Dr. Orji Uzor-Kalu and we have decided that we shall move to next level. We are assuring our people that within just seven days in government, Abia State shall invite Julius Berger to our roads.” We are an oil producing state and we have nothing to show for it.

    “The current administration has received 400,000 billion naira in the last three years without completing even ten kilometer road in our state. We have over 100 companies that have closed down in Aba and this is why my people want me because, I understand business.”

    The president also used the opportunity of the visit to commission the Ariaria Independent Power Project executed in the state through the Rural Electrification Agency under the Presidency.

  • Stop politicizing Kalu’s health – APC warns opposition

    The Abia State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) has warned opposition parties in the state to stop politicizing the health challenge of their leader and former governor of the state Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, insisting that he is hale and hearty.

    In a chat the State Publicity Secretary of the party, Comrade Benedict Godson stated that anybody can have health challenge, adding that Kalu was never in coma contrary to insinuations making rounds.

    “He wasn’t in coma. I want to correct that impression. He only had a surgery. Anybody can be ill and be rushed to the hospital. He was never in coma, rather he was taken to the hospital.

    “Some of the opposition parties are happy about that information, whether they are the creators of that information, it’s not right. He only went for a surgery in Germany and it was successful. He is strong and healthy. I spoke with him and he would soon be back” he said.

    Comrade Godson who maintained that Kalu is coming to recover the mandate of the people of Abia North as a senator in 2019 said he is in good condition.

    Read Also: Kalu’s alleged N3.2bn fraud: EFCC tells court

    He added that the governorship candidate of the party in the state, Dr. Uche Sampson Ogah is urging Abians to remain calm as he is going to change a lot of things which the people will be happy about when he becomes the governor of the state in 2019.

    He thanked the state chairman of the party, Hon. Donatus Nwamkpa for steering the affairs of the party to greater heights. He said the party will not be distracted by a legal battle it is passing through in the state, adding that the party believes in democracy and will play by it.

    Godson advised Abians to disregard the rumours of Dr. Kalu being in coma, describing it as a total falsehood.

    He also urged the opposition in the state to desist from discussing personalities but politics and how to develop Abia and Nigeria in general for the overall good of the people.

    He thanked Abians for their loyalty and support, maintaining that APC will take over leadership in the state come 2019.

  • Zoning stirs ripples in Abia

    Sunny Nwankwo takes a look on some of the issues that might play out in the forthcoming APC’s governorship primary in Abia State following the state chapter’s recent resolve to elect its flagbearers through direct primary

    At the return of democracy in 1999, Abia State was among the states where the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took deep roots as its candidate then, Orji Uzor Kalu, became inaugurated as the Executive Governor. Although political intrigues made the state to be momentarily controlled by the Progressives Peoples Alliance (PPA) which Kalu founded as part of his political survival strategy, Abia had ever since remained a PDP-governed state.

    Today, Kalu and many other prominent political leaders in the state are leading All Progressives Congress (APC) in the quest to dethrone the ruling PDP in the state.

    Described by political analysts as the fastest growing political party in the state, as it now boasts of major political actors like Kalu, Prince Benjamin Apugo, Senator Nkechi Nwaogu, Hon. Obioma Iheanacho, Hon. Donatus Nwankpa, High Chief Ikechi Emenike, Prince Paul Ikonne, Rt. Hon. Stanley Ohajuruka, Rt. Hon. Martins Azubuike, former DIG Azubuike Udah, former CEO/MD of defunct Hallmark Bank; Sir Marc Wabara, Senator Bob Nwannunu, Senator Chris Adighije, Barr. Friday Nwosu, former Deputy Governor of Abia State; Comrade Chris Akomas, Dr. Uche Sampson Ogah, Rt. Hon. Agwu U. Agwu, Comrade Godson Benedict, Hon. Nkiru Onyejiocha; member representing Umunneochi/Isiukwuato Federal Constituency, former Minister of Labour and Productivity, Hon. Emeka Wogu, former Nigeria’s ambassador, Okey Emuchay, and many others, observers of Abia State politics are showing great interest in the party’s governorship primaries.

    According to political watchers, there is no better time for APC to make impact or even wrestle power from the PDP-led government in the state than now that they have array of political heavyweights in the state who are tested and experienced politicians and can comfortably win elections in their wards and local government areas.

    According to them, the ability of the APC to make serious impact or even clinch the seat of power in the state is going to be determined by the level of seriousness and transparency with which they will be attaching to the primaries of the party in the state and how they are going to deal with people that may be aggrieved from the outcome of the primaries.

    Between Abia Charter of Equity and Zoning

    Abia State, at the return of democracy in 1999, has been ruled by Kalu who is from Abia North and Sen. Orji from Abia Central respectively for a combined period of 16years while efforts by the likes of Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Chris Akomas, Max Nduaguibe, Dan Nwankwo, Chief Regan Ufomba, among others, from the Ukwa/Ngwa axis of the Abia South Senatorial District to govern the state had not yielded positive fruits.

    Despite their political relevance in terms of voting strength and having the highest number of local government areas in the state, the highest position the people has ever held in the state government was that of deputy governorship position until 2015.

    It is also fact that between 1999 and date, the Ukwa/Ngwa has produced the highest number of deputy governors in the state, which include Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Late Chima Nwafor, Comrade Chris Akomas and Rt. Hon. Acho Eric Nwakanma, brother-in-law to the incumbent governor of the state, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu from Abia South Senatorial Zone.

    This led to agitation from different quarters at the twilight of Chief T. A Orji’s administration, calling on him to respect the Abia Charter of Equity by handing over power to an Ukwa/Ngwa son since Abia North and Abia Central of Old Bende have governed the state in the last 16years. This cry yielded fruit in 2015 as the three major political parties in the state; PDP, APC and APGA decided to pick their gubernatorial candidates from Ngwa land. That is Okezie Ikpeazu, Chief Nyerere Anyim and Dr. Alex Otti, respectively. At the end, Ikpeazu of PDP emerged the governor. Almost four years after, the issue is still fresh even in APC, as the party prepares to elect a flagbearer for 2019 elections.

    While Ukwa/Ngwa stakeholders in APC are pushing for a guber candidate of Ngwa extraction, the leadership of the party in the state said they would be throwing the ticket of the party open against zoning.

    While many have argued that there is no document like the Abia Charter of Equity, others, including Chris Akomas, insist there is one.

    Speaking on why the party is throwing open the ticket of the party which others may see to be running against the said Abia Charter of Equity, the Chairman of the party, Hon. Donatus Nwankpa, said “by the provisions of the charter, every zone has tested the governorship of Abia. What we are talking about is who can take Abia to the next level. A man whom Abians will have confidence in and a person that will be marketable to the public and Abia community because of our agenda, manifesto and confidence because there will be no writing of results in Abia come 2019.”

    In an expanded Ukwa/Ngwa APC Abia South caucus and stakeholders meeting held in Aba, the commercial nerve of the state, they had insisted that the gubernatorial slot should be retained in Ukwa/Ngwa, this is even as they feared that any plan to move the guber slot from the Ngwa axis would not be in the interest of the party in the state.

    But a public affairs analyst, Mr. Obinna Okoro, who agreed with Nwankpa that the said Abia Charter of Equity didn’t specify the number of years each zone would govern the state, however stated that while the Old Bende has governed the state for 16 years, it is morally right that the Ngwa na tion is given the chance to govern the state for another four years.

    Okoro feared that if the APC fails to produce a guber candidate of Ngwa extraction, it might lead to what he described as protest vote against any candidate that may be presented to the Abia electorate.

    According to Okoro, if APC wants to wrestle power from the PDP, they must select the best aspirants among the party men from the Ngwa extraction. Anything short of that means that they risk losing this opportunity that is lying on their doorsteps.

    However, what I will tell the Ukwa/Ngwa APC stakeholders is for them to engage their Abia North counterparts. There should be an undertaking that they must strictly adher to; that anyone coming in must hand over power to the Abia North in 2023 because I can tell you that the fears in Abia North is the sincerity of the governor to hand over power in 2023.

    “Meanwhile, the Ukwa/Ngwa should know that power is taken and not given. If we will go by the argument raised in some quarters, the said Abia Charter of Equity doesn’t specify the number of term power should rotate among the zones in the state. The point is that power as we speak has gone round the zones.”

    Between Direct and Indirect Primaries

    Another factor that may play out during the APC party primaries in Abia State is the disagreement over direct and indirect primaries’ module.

    While some members of the party, including some aspirants, have agreed to the direct primaries procedure, some others have kicked against it.

    Investigation shows that those who are kicking against it are expressing the fear that it was a ploy to deny the Ukwa/Ngwa people in APC the opportunity to produce an APC governor.

    In a recent interview, one of the aspirants, Akomas, said “as far as I am concerned, that meeting in Umuahia is inconclusive.

    “A number of us; stakeholders and aspirants were not present at that meeting. I am for indirect primaries because we don’t have all that is needed to make the direct what it should be.

    “If we do direct, there is the possibility that a number of people that just joined us will be disenfranchised because their names are not in the register that we have for now and if we keep it open, the chances are that violence will erupt because you cannot be sure of who is who again and when violence erupts, that will mess up the primaries. So, it is better for us to go for indirect.

    “But whether direct, indirect or consensus, I am prepared for it. I am fully prepared for any method that they may choose. It is just that I wouldn’t want the state to boil. I wouldn’t like things that are avoidable to happen because if in the process people become unruly and there is crisis, only God knows what will happen.

    “For the stability, peace and interest of the party in the state, what I would say is that we should go for indirect.

    “A lot of logistics is involved in organising direct primaries. We are talking about having all the party members from each ward, as many as they are. You have to verify and accredit them in order to confirm that they are truly party members.

    “Like Abia, where we have 184 wards, you have to do the same in all the wards. You have to take care of people that will be coming from Abuja, including providing security.

    “Just that the peace and stability of the party in the state for me, may be in jeopardy and I wouldn’t want anybody hurt just because we are conducting primaries when we have an option that would have provided us the opportunity to control people better.

    “People are afraid that if you do indirect, some persons will buy over the people. If someone buys through indirect, they will also buy people through the direct. Look at what happened in Ekiti and Anambra states where people were bought by the money bags during the general elections. If that could happen, that could also happen in this one.

    “It is time for people to begin to work on their consciences. Even if they collected money, let them vote for that which is good for them and their children. Tomorrow must be in our considerations,” he said.

    Speaking on APC quest to wrestle power from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state and what may likely play out in the APC primaries, a political analyst, Okorie Sochima, described the situation of things in the party in the state as dicey.

    According to Sochima, “the truth is that APC, whether anybody likes it or not, is a party that is the closest to wrestle power from the PDP in Abia State. A party that was nowhere in 2015, today look at where they are. Abia APC for me is the fastest growing party.

    “Apart from the controversy that is still hanging on Chief Ikechi Emenike and Donatus Nwankpa, which I believe the party leadership will soon settle, I think that for them to have the who is who in Abia politics is a plus to them.

    “I can tell you that most persons in Abia APC today are all election winners.

    “Yes, there may be concerns over the recent agreement of the party to adopt direct primaries, which of course should be the most democratic and participatory process to use in their primaries later this year, I think it has not gotten to the level that it cannot be equally managed.

    “For people of Ukwa/Ngwa extraction, they are right in their own sense. I haven’t seen the charter of equity, but I think that it is morally right that you treat everybody equally. When we talk about party funding as it was the case in the past, people don’t seem to understand why we have been shouting at the top of our voices. Nigeria should outgrow the process of a party being funded by an individual. Party is not one man’s business, but a collective one and should be funded by its members. That will stop money bags coming in to hijack the structure of the party,” he said.

  • Kalu lauds Ugwuanyi’s respect for Buhari, other leaders

    …Says Gov. is a very close friend

    Former Governor of Abia State and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, has commended Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State for the respect he has continued to accord President Muhammadu Buhari and other leaders in the country, irrespective of political affiliations.

    Addressing newsmen after paying a visit to Ugwuanyi at the Government House, Enugu,  Kalu expressed delight at the friendship the governor has maintained with political leaders across the board, stressing that such uncommon leadership style has brought peace and development to Enugu State.

    The APC chieftain said Ugwuanyi is “a very close friend of mine and we are family” irrespective of the fact that they are in different political parties, saying: “I am in very good terms with the Governor of Enugu State, even before he became a governor”.

    Kalu disclosed that President Buhari also takes Ugwuanyi as a family, declaring that “we cannot quarrel with anybody who is not quarreling with us”.

    Read Also: Ugwuanyi redeems N5m pledge to Super Eagles

    According to him, “I look at him (Ugwuanyi) as a family member. So, I don’t expect him to be in the same political party with me. He is of PDP and I am of APC but we maintain the friendship. It is across the board”.

    The former governor explained that he was at the Enugu Government House to see the governor on a routine visit, stating that “on many occasions, I pass through here and I also tell the President and Commander-in-Chief that I am going to him”.

    He stressed: “There is no way I can come to Enugu without passing through here, more over he (Ugwuanyi) is a very close friend of mine”.

    His words: “This is like a home to all Igbos. This is the headquarters of Igbo land. And I am in very good terms with the governor, not just because he is a governor. You know MV Neya and MV Sophia Maria; when he was Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Marine Transport, he commissioned them in Malaysia.

    “So, people should stop playing little politics of tribe. We also go to the same church. He is a Catholic and I am a Catholic. I wish him well; I hope he is also wishing President Buhari well,” he said

     

  • I am standing by President Buhari – Kalu

    Despite the ongoing gale of defection in the All Progressives Congress (APC) by chieftains of the party, former Governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu has said that nothing will make him to change his mind over his support for President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Recall that reports earlier in the week alleged that Kalu was planning to defect to the PDP after the senate President Bukola Saraki and other legislators left the APC.

    However, Kalu at a meeting with stakeholders and executive members of the party from wards to state levels including major stakeholders of the party in the state held at his Camp Neya in Igbere, Bende local government area said that he was going nowhere but to stay in APC and ensure that Buhari was re-elected come 2019.

    According to him, APC under President Buhari in three years has been able to do what then PDP led government could not do within the sixteen years that they were in power.

    The former governor who recalled how impassible the Enugu-Awka-Onitsha and Enugu-Umuahia-Aba-Port Harcourt were under the PDP and how he tried all his best to draw the attention of the PDP led government to the ugly state of the road which serves as major expressways connecting the southeast states and other parts of the country said that the story is no longer the same under the Buhari APC led government and vowed that APC in the state in order to recompense Buhari for his numerous works in the southeast which the state has benefitted, would ensure that he (Buhari) gets 75percent vote cast in the state come 2019 presidential election.

    Kalu while using the opportunity to disclosed that the state government is taking glory over some of the federal government instituted projects in the state assured Abians that the party would soon come out with the list of federal government sponsored projects including the ongoing school feeding of pupils in primary schools, rehabilitation and reconstruction of roads among other federal government completed and ongoing projects across the state.

    Read Also: I am not ready to dump APC – Kalu

    The APC chieftain assuring Abians and party members that the era of PDP rigging in Abia State is gone said that while they (APC) would not rig to win election in 2019, added that they won’t allow the PDP or any other party in the state to rig APC out.

    “We will soon draw a list of some of the completed and ongoing projects in Aba and Umuahia and every other parts of the state being executed by the federal government through the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and other arms of government which the Abia State government is taking glory for.

    “President Buhari has done more than PDP did in 16years. For the first time after 16years of PDP rulership, the Enugu-Awka-Onitsha and Enugu-Umuahia-Aba-Port Harcourt are receiving attention of the federal government. The Niger Bridge is about 60percent completion. Are we talking about the federal government school feeding and the numerous works that NDDC is doing in the state which the state government is taking glory of doing?

    “We will soon list the projects that the federal government is doing in the state so that the people will be better informed and be in a better position to make proper decision in 2019. How can a government that has not been able to pay workers’ salaries and pensioners their gratuity and other entitlements be taking glory of what they didn’t do?

    “The era of intimidation of the opposition or rigging in the state is gone. APC is ready to march PDP in any way and in whatever form. PDP are locust in the land of Abia and after 2019, the locust will be found no more. But you must go back to your various wards and local governments to preach this good news to the people. The state has been criminalized, it is now being ruled with lies and so, the power lies in the hands of the people to change or continue believing the lies. People must not vote because of personal relationship, but because of the competence of such individuals.”

    Kalu who reinstated that the party has not zoned the governorship position of the party to any part of the state stated that the essence of such decision is to ensure that the party presents only but the best candidate who has what it will take to restore the state to the part of honour and glory.

    Present at the meeting were the Chairman of Masters Energy, Uche Ogah, Rt.Hon. Stanley Ohajuruka (former speaker Abia State House of Assembly), Senator Chris Adighije, Dr. Mrs. Ori Obasi (State Woman Leader), APC State chairman, Hon. Donatus Nwankpa, CEO of defunct Hallmark Bank, Sir Marc Wabara and among other party stalwarts across the state.

  • I am not ready to dump APC – Kalu

    …..Says crisis in party will be resolved

     

    Former Governor of Abia State, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu on Wednesday said he is not ready to defect from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), because it is not moral for politicians to move from one party to the other preparatory to every election circle.

    He said people who are afraid of losing election in Abia State are responsible for spreading falsehood about loyalty to the APC.

    Kalu, however spared a thought for the ongoing EFCC trail, affirming that he will challenge the “No Case Submission “, at the Court of Appeal.

    He said he remains in the ruling party to deepen democracy, because only politicians who see politics as a do or die affair, that move from party to party

    Speaking to reporters at a private terminal at the international wing of the Lagos Airport, Kalu described as ‘capital naked fallacy’, insinuations that he was returning to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

    He however described the gale of defections from APC to PDP, as an unhealthy development that is though driven by choice, but not good for democracy.

    Kalu said: “I am not leaving the APC. That is what l will call a capital naked fallacy; l am not going back to PDP. I left PDP  since 2006 and l have never been back, l have been a member of Progressives People’s Alliance  before l  joined APC when l found out that Nigeria has gone to two party systems. “Honestly going back to PDP is not really an option for me. I will rather go to my farm in Igbere and farm. I don’t think there is any truth in the rumour. It is just people who knew that they are already losing Abia because they no they will lose Abia with me standing.”

    Kalu, however, spared a though for the gale of defections hitting the ruling party, saying the development calls for caution, by the leadership of the party.

    He said “We are in trouble. Anybody saying APC is not in trouble is not saying the truth but we will come out of it,  but you see the President has remain like a true leader and father of all that he is, you have not seen him abuse  anybody. Defecting and not defecting is a question of choice.  We acknowledge we have a problem and we are going to fine-tune a strategy to resolve it.”

    We are in trouble of political business because we are in political business and we are going to find political solutions to the myriad of political business we have at hand. Every trouble has solution and we are going to find solution to the problem we have now.

    “It is the choice of the senate president to defect. You know we are all friends. He left PDP before to come to the APC. What l don’t like about the defection is that it shouldn’t be a recurring decimal whereby at any slightest thing, we jump to another political party.

    “Saraki father was my father; l was like his first son. I cannot speak ill of him. He has made his decision and l cannot stop him that will not stop me from going to his house to eat food. The other day l was in Atiku’s house but l am a core supporter of Buhari. People are just playing politics as if it is a do or die affair. One thing is clear, by 2019, one person must win this presidency not two people.”

    He said it is not moral to condemn the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki for defecting to the PDP, because the Chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole is already addressing the issue.

    Kalu said “I think Chairman Oshiomhole is looking at that and he will come out policy that we will present at the national executive committee of the party. The leadership of the party is looking at the present solution. Rome was not built in a day. PDP was a party formed barely 20 years ago and APC is just 3 years old so there must be fighting just like we saw in the early days of PDP up till 2006 we were fighting.

    “People like me were deregistered from my pdp but l didn’t leave PDP, we were de-registered by Obasanjo, myself, Atiku,  Boni  Haruna and the and rest. It is a continuous thing but l want people to be patient, we would be able to get what we  are looking for but if not we wont get to our desired destination because political processes evolves over time. I keep  saying that in political development, the hardware is not the selling point, successes of any political development is  the software. The software means obeying the rule of law.”

    Kalu, said the “No Case Submission “, will be addressed at a court of higher jurisdiction.

    Read Also: Judge gets leave to conclude Kalu’s trial

    He said “You saw on Wednesday l lost the case of my no case submission in the court and l am not abusing the judge talk ill of the judge, that was the opinion of the judge and l am going to a higher court to seek appeal and even go to the Supreme court where l will seek the opinion of another jurist. This is what l preach to government, individuals, corporations that we must obey the rule of law. Unless everybody sees a lion from the same point that it is a lion. I want to advice that government at all levels and individuals should start obeying the court record. Once we obey the laws of the court and those of the land, we become freer.”

    Kalu said his interest in running for the Abia North Senatorial Seat, under the platform of the APC, is to smoothen the relationship between the legislative and executive arms of government.

    He said “My interest has always been to be relevant politically and what l am going to do for the people of Abia north and Nigeria generally. I am going to be a very strong voice in the senate by making a lot of difference like l did when l was in the House of Representatives, in the aborted Third Republic. I was the one who sponsored the bill that was passed into law for dual citizenship of Nigerians which was the only bill that Babangida signed as a president.

    “I am going to also unfold a lot of things that will first come to my constituency in Abia north so that they will now know that they have a senator representing them; secondly the Abia people will know they have a voice of a vibrant senator and then Nigerians. I will work across board in the six geo-political zones to formulate policies on education, healthcare. Education remains the most important gift any government should give its citizens.

    “I am also going to be formulating on agriculture. My duty is to work with the President and ensure a cordial working relationship with the executive and legislature. It is only when we have such relationship that progress is made. I employ today 9, 000 workers in Nigeria, l am going to bring my management skill to bear on the discharge of my duties.”

    The former Abia State Governor, however lauded government on the proposed national carrier, Nigeria Air, describing it as one of the best decisions taken by the government.

    He said “The government has done fantastically what l believe should be done. It should be replicated in the rail, waterways, shipping line and others. Govt. should just owe five percent. I must praise the minister of state for aviation and the people that put the structure that is making waves today. Those structures are solid ones and if they can maintain it, Nigeria Air will compete with other foreign carriers that dominate our airspace. I laud the good initiative for a country like Nigeria spending all our money on foreign airlines; it is good we have a strong dominant airline back up by government.

    “Ethiopian airlines is still own by government. I maintain all my aircraft with them so l know that they are capable of doing. Government should not event stop at that, they should allow the private sector initiative to go into the new shipping line and others.

    “Those criticizing it never knew that it is only true government that you can build a strong economy. It is only when government invests in economy manage by private sector that we can have moved forward.”

  • EFCC re-arraigns Orji Kalu, raises charges to 39 counts

    A former Governor of Abia, Orji Uzor Kalu, was on Tuesday re-arraigned at a Federal High Court in Lagos on an amended 39-count bordering on fraud.

    Kalu, who is now a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    The anti-graft agency is prosecuting Kalu together with his former Commissioner for Finance, Ude Udeogo, and a company, Slok Nigeria Ltd., said to be owned by Kalu.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the EFCC had on Oct. 31, 2016, preferred 34 count charges, including a N3.2 billion fraud charge.

    Kalu and Udeogo had however, pleaded not guilty to the charges and were granted bail.

    The EFCC closed the prosecution in May 2018, after calling a total of 18 witnesses and tendering a plethora of evidences before the court.

    When the case came up on July 16, the EFCC Prosecutor, Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), informed court of a “second further amended charge”, urging the court to order the accused to take their pleas.

    But Kalu’s defence team, comprising Mr Awa Kalu (SAN), Chief Solo Akuma (SAN) and Mr K. C. Nwofo (SAN), had all opposed the amended charge on grounds that it was not done in accordance with the provisions of the law.

    They urged the court to refuse the amended charge.

    In a short ruling on Tuesday, Justice Mohammed Idris (who has now been elevated to the court of appeal), while interpreting the provisions of Sections 216 and 217 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, held that the prosecution could amend the charge.

    According to the court, an alteration of a charge can be allowed at any time, while the court accordingly, calls upon the accused to plead to the new charge and proceed with trial.

    The court held that it cannot shut out the prosecution from filing a second amended charge as the defence had not showed that the amendment would be prejudicial to it.

    After the court’s ruling, the accused were then re-arraigned on the new charges, and they again, each pleaded not guilty, while the court allowed them to continue with the earlier bails granted.

    The defence team then informed the court of their various “no case submissions” filed on behalf of the accused, adding that they had served same on the prosecution, which in turn, filed a written address in reply.

    The defence argued that the prosecution’s address was over 100 pages and so, they would require time to study same and make a response.

    Idris then adjourned the case until July 25 to hear addresses on the “no case’’ submissions.

    In the charge, the accused were alleged to have committed the offence between August, 2001 and September, 2006.

    Kalu was alleged to have used his company, Slok Nigeria Ltd., to retain N200 million in an account in First Inland Bank, now First City Monument Bank.

    The sum is alleged to have formed part of funds illegally derived from the treasury of the Abia State Government,

    In one of the counts, Kalu, his company (Slok Nig Ltd), one Emeka Abone and Michael Akpan, who are said to be at large, were also alleged to have between 2001 and September 2006, collaborated to commit an offence.

    They were alleged to have concealed the genuine origin of an aggregate sum of N7.2 billion, which formed part of funds illegally derived from the Abia State Treasury, and converted same into several bank drafts, which were subsequently, paid into the account of Slok Nigeria Ltd.

    In counts one to 10, the accused were alleged to have retained about N2.7 billion in different accounts, which funds were said to belong to the Abia State Government.

    Cumulatively, in all the counts, the accused were alleged to have diverted over N7.1 billion from the Abia State Government’s treasury, during Kalu’s tenure as governor.

    The offences contravene the provisions of Sections 14, 15(6), 16, 17 and 21 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2005.

    They also contravene the provisions of the Money Laundering Act of 1995 as amended by the amendment Act No. 9 of 2002 and Section 477 of the Criminal Code Act, Laws of the Federation, 1990.