The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Orji Uzor Kalu

  • How not to play politics

    How not to play politics

    In May 2013 when a US state under the control of the Republican Party was hit by deadly tornado, politics of division and exclusiveness was shoved aside by the stakeholders to bring succour to the people who had been bereaved, injured and rendered homeless. Democratic Party President Barack Obama who was far away from the scene promptly ordered massive federal support.

    A president who is often embroiled in a struggle with the Republicans over their disdain for expansive federal agencies, Obama nevertheless went to Oklahoma State under the Republican Governor Mary Fallin, who only the year before described the Obama administration as pursuing “failed policies”.

    She declared: “In Oklahoma, we could teach Washington a lesson or two about fiscal policy and the size and the proper role of government,” adding that the Democrats were having a record of “dysfunction and outrageous spending”.

    But that was all politics, unfit for realistic governance in the face of a situation that required the two politicians to govern and not to play politics at the expense of the welfare of the people. To be sure, they did eventually come together as two statesmen elected not to massage their egos but to submit themselves to service to the people.

    That I think was the point the ex-governor of Abia State Dr Orji Uzor Kalu was making the other day when he called on Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State in Ibadan. Noticing the monumental progress that Oyo State has witnessed under the administration of Ajimobi since his advent in 2011, Kalu warned the politicians in the area not to allow divisive politics to rubbish these great advances.

    He commended Governor Ajimobi’s administration for its developmental strides across the state adding, “I am convinced that you (Ajimobi) have done very well and I give a very high mark. I have been in Ibadan before and I can see the development that has taken place. We have seen a lot of change… If Governor Ajimobi wins (again) in future election, he should be supported.”

    It is clear that what the ex-governor of Abia is preaching has to do with doctrine of how not to play barren politics with governance. But for politics not to be barren and make nonsense of the mandate of the electorate, the interest of the society must be reckoned with. So, if there is a performing government in place as it is with the Ajimobi administration in Kalu’s well considered verdict, all of society in Oyo State should rally around the governor in support and loyalty, regardless of party affiliation.

    Right-thinking Nigerians would find it easy to align with Kalu’s position, since he pins it on the need to “ensure the enthronement of an egalitarian society and ensure development” as he put it when he spoke with Governor Ajimobi. In other words if the citizens of Oyo state truly want a progressive and stable environment the ball is in their court to cooperate with their governor and his administration. They should seek to constitutionally perpetuate a system that is fostering peace, progress and development and refuse to be swayed by ethnicity and divisive politics. Truly, Oyo State has seen breathless changes lately. This development is assuming a spirit that is taking the citizens where they ought to be rather than where the poverty and visionless path of the past was herding them. There is no partisanship in the delivery of the good things of life to the people. It would patently be unpatriotic for politicians to confuse the people about politicking and governance. The former is manipulative, blinding the masses with the idea of government as exclusive political machinery aloof from the people. But the latter is the collective administration of society that seeks the welfare of the people who put the representative government in power.

    We must draw the line and let the people know that real test for a public office holder lies in performance not in his ability to play politics. In Oyo State, the people are recognizing for the first time in more that decade that if you have a disciplined and a forward-looking administration, it can be trusted with the taxpayers money to initiate projects that benefit the larger society and not a few.

    Today the citizens of the state are wondering where the funds came from for the construction of new roads, the rehabilitation of long abandoned water works, the provision of brand new buses for free transportation of workers and student, the cleanup of Ibadan, the prompt payment of workers and retired civil servants’ entitlements etc. The money was always there; it was only waiting for a good husbandman with a disciplined profile.

    • Olaopa is a retired civil servant in Saki, Oyo State.

     

  • How not to play politics

    How not to play politics

    In May 2013 when a US state under the control of the Republican Party was hit by deadly tornado, politics of division and exclusiveness was shoved aside by the stakeholders to bring succour to the people who had been bereaved, injured and rendered homeless. Democratic Party President Barack Obama who was far away from the scene promptly ordered massive federal support.

    A president who is often embroiled in a struggle with the Republicans over their disdain for expansive federal agencies, Obama nevertheless went to Oklahoma State under the Republican Governor Mary Fallin, who only the year before described the Obama administration as pursuing “failed policies”.

    She declared: “In Oklahoma, we could teach Washington a lesson or two about fiscal policy and the size and the proper role of government,” adding that the Democrats were having a record of “dysfunction and outrageous spending”.

    But that was all politics, unfit for realistic governance in the face of a situation that required the two politicians to govern and not to play politics at the expense of the welfare of the people. To be sure, they did eventually come together as two statesmen elected not to massage their egos but to submit themselves to service to the people.

    That I think was the point the ex-governor of Abia State Dr Orji Uzor Kalu was making the other day when he called on Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State in Ibadan. Noticing the monumental progress that Oyo State has witnessed under the administration of Ajimobi since his advent in 2011, Kalu warned the politicians in the area not to allow divisive politics to rubbish these great advances.

    He commended Governor Ajimobi’s administration for its developmental strides across the state adding, “I am convinced that you (Ajimobi) have done very well and I give a very high mark. I have been in Ibadan before and I can see the development that has taken place. We have seen a lot of change… If Governor Ajimobi wins (again) in future election, he should be supported.”

    It is clear that what the ex-governor of Abia is preaching has to do with doctrine of how not to play barren politics with governance. But for politics not to be barren and make nonsense of the mandate of the electorate, the interest of the society must be reckoned with. So, if there is a performing government in place as it is with the Ajimobi administration in Kalu’s well considered verdict, all of society in Oyo State should rally around the governor in support and loyalty, regardless of party affiliation.

    Right-thinking Nigerians would find it easy to align with Kalu’s position, since he pins it on the need to “ensure the enthronement of an egalitarian society and ensure development” as he put it when he spoke with Governor Ajimobi. In other words if the citizens of Oyo state truly want a progressive and stable environment the ball is in their court to cooperate with their governor and his administration. They should seek to constitutionally perpetuate a system that is fostering peace, progress and development and refuse to be swayed by ethnicity and divisive politics. Truly, Oyo State has seen breathless changes lately. This development is assuming a spirit that is taking the citizens where they ought to be rather than where the poverty and visionless path of the past was herding them. There is no partisanship in the delivery of the good things of life to the people. It would patently be unpatriotic for politicians to confuse the people about politicking and governance. The former is manipulative, blinding the masses with the idea of government as exclusive political machinery aloof from the people. But the latter is the collective administration of society that seeks the welfare of the people who put the representative government in power.

    We must draw the line and let the people know that real test for a public office holder lies in performance not in his ability to play politics. In Oyo State, the people are recognizing for the first time in more that decade that if you have a disciplined and a forward-looking administration, it can be trusted with the taxpayers money to initiate projects that benefit the larger society and not a few.

    Today the citizens of the state are wondering where the funds came from for the construction of new roads, the rehabilitation of long abandoned water works, the provision of brand new buses for free transportation of workers and student, the cleanup of Ibadan, the prompt payment of workers and retired civil servants’ entitlements etc. The money was always there; it was only waiting for a good husbandman with a disciplined profile.

    • Olaopa is a retired civil servant in Saki, Oyo State.

  • APC, North’s governors, Kalu condole with Sambo over brother’s death

    APC, North’s governors, Kalu condole with Sambo over brother’s death

    The All Progressives Congress (APC), the Northern States’ Governors’ Forum (NSGF) and former Abia State Governor Orji Uzor Kalu have commiserated with Vice-President Namadi Sambo on the death of his younger brother, Capt Yusuf Sabo Sambo, in a road crash in Abuja.
    In a statement yesterday in Lagos by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party expressed shock and sadness at the death of such a vibrant personality in such a tragic circumstance.
    “Death is never easy to accept, and when it is so unexpected, it adds to the grief. But the sweet memories and good deeds of the departed will always be a balm to sooth the indescribable pain of death.
    “We sincerely sympathise with the vice-president, the immediate family of the departed as well as his extended family. We pray that God will strengthen and comfort them all in this difficult time,” APC said.
    The NSGF urged Sambo to take heart and be strong.
    The forum’s chairman and Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu said the vice-president should not be discouraged by his younger brother’s death.
    The NSGF’s condolence was contained in a statement yesterday in Minna, the state capital, by Aliyu’s Chief Press Secretary, Malam Danladi Ndayebo.
    It said the best tribute Sambo could pay to the memory of the departed was for him to touch more lives positively.
    The forum noted that though the pilot’s death was untimely, life is not about how long people live but how people impact positively on the environment around them.
    The forum stressed that although the late Capt Sambo lived a relatively short life, he ensured positive change to his family and the Aviation sector, where he worked for many years.
    The governors prayed God to give the vice-president and members of his family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss and to grant eternal rest to the soul of the departed.
    Kalu, in a condolence message to the Sambo family, described the death of Capt Yusuf Sambo as shocking.
    The late captain worked with Kalu in various capacities, including being the captain of his fleet at Slok Airlines.
    Kalu said: “Nigeria has lost one of its good pilots.
    “The Air Force officer died at a time his intellectual capacity would have been most appreciated in the aviation industry.
    “The late Sambo was a source of inspiration to younger pilots.”
    The former governor urged the vice-president to take solace in the fact that the deceased lived a life dedicated to God and humanity.
    Kalu commiserated with the people of Kaduna State and prayed God Almighty to grant the deceased eternal rest.

  • How not to play politics

    How not to play politics

    In May 2013 when a US state under the control of the Republican Party was hit by deadly tornado, politics of division and exclusiveness was shoved aside by the stakeholders to bring succour to the people who had been bereaved, injured and rendered homeless. Democratic Party President Barack Obama who was far away from the scene promptly ordered massive federal support.

    A president who is often embroiled in a struggle with the Republicans over their disdain for expansive federal agencies, Obama nevertheless went to Oklahoma State under the Republican Governor Mary Fallin, who only the year before described the Obama administration as pursuing “failed policies”.

    She declared: “In Oklahoma, we could teach Washington a lesson or two about fiscal policy and the size and the proper role of government,” adding that the Democrats were having a record of “dysfunction and outrageous spending”.

    But that was all politics, unfit for realistic governance in the face of a situation that required the two politicians to govern and not to play politics at the expense of the welfare of the people. To be sure, they did eventually come together as two statesmen elected not to massage their egos but to submit themselves to service to the people.

    That I think was the point the ex-governor of Abia State Dr Orji Uzor Kalu was making the other day when he called on Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State in Ibadan. Noticing the monumental progress that Oyo State has witnessed under the administration of Ajimobi since his advent in 2011, Kalu warned the politicians in the area not to allow divisive politics to rubbish these great advances.

    He commended Governor Ajimobi’s administration for its developmental strides across the state adding, “I am convinced that you (Ajimobi) have done very well and I give a very high mark. I have been in Ibadan before and I can see the development that has taken place. We have seen a lot of change… If Governor Ajimobi wins (again) in future election, he should be supported.”

    It is clear that what the ex-governor of Abia is preaching has to do with doctrine of how not to play barren politics with governance. But for politics not to be barren and make nonsense of the mandate of the electorate, the interest of the society must be reckoned with. So, if there is a performing government in place as it is with the Ajimobi administration in Kalu’s well considered verdict, all of society in Oyo State should rally around the governor in support and loyalty, regardless of party affiliation.

    Right-thinking Nigerians would find it easy to align with Kalu’s position, since he pins it on the need to “ensure the enthronement of an egalitarian society and ensure development” as he put it when he spoke with Governor Ajimobi. In other words if the citizens of Oyo state truly want a progressive and stable environment the ball is in their court to cooperate with their governor and his administration. They should seek to constitutionally perpetuate a system that is fostering peace, progress and development and refuse to be swayed by ethnicity and divisive politics. Truly, Oyo State has seen breathless changes lately. This development is assuming a spirit that is taking the citizens where they ought to be rather than where the poverty and visionless path of the past was herding them. There is no partisanship in the delivery of the good things of life to the people. It would patently be unpatriotic for politicians to confuse the people about politicking and governance. The former is manipulative, blinding the masses with the idea of government as exclusive political machinery aloof from the people. But the latter is the collective administration of society that seeks the welfare of the people who put the representative government in power.

    We must draw the line and let the people know that real test for a public office holder lies in performance not in his ability to play politics. In Oyo State, the people are recognizing for the first time in more that decade that if you have a disciplined and a forward-looking administration, it can be trusted with the taxpayers money to initiate projects that benefit the larger society and not a few.

    Today the citizens of the state are wondering where the funds came from for the construction of new roads, the rehabilitation of long abandoned water works, the provision of brand new buses for free transportation of workers and student, the cleanup of Ibadan, the prompt payment of workers and retired civil servants’ entitlements etc. The money was always there; it was only waiting for a good husbandman with a disciplined profile.

    • Olaopa is a retired civil servant in Saki, Oyo State.

     

  • How not to play politics

    How not to play politics

    In May 2013 when a US state under the control of the Republican Party was hit by deadly tornado, politics of division and exclusiveness was shoved aside by the stakeholders to bring succour to the people who had been bereaved, injured and rendered homeless. Democratic Party President Barack Obama who was far away from the scene promptly ordered massive federal support.

    A president who is often embroiled in a struggle with the Republicans over their disdain for expansive federal agencies, Obama nevertheless went to Oklahoma State under the Republican Governor Mary Fallin, who only the year before described the Obama administration as pursuing “failed policies”.

    She declared: “In Oklahoma, we could teach Washington a lesson or two about fiscal policy and the size and the proper role of government,” adding that the Democrats were having a record of “dysfunction and outrageous spending”.

    But that was all politics, unfit for realistic governance in the face of a situation that required the two politicians to govern and not to play politics at the expense of the welfare of the people. To be sure, they did eventually come together as two statesmen elected not to massage their egos but to submit themselves to service to the people.

    That I think was the point the ex-governor of Abia State Dr Orji Uzor Kalu was making the other day when he called on Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State in Ibadan. Noticing the monumental progress that Oyo State has witnessed under the administration of Ajimobi since his advent in 2011, Kalu warned the politicians in the area not to allow divisive politics to rubbish these great advances.

    He commended Governor Ajimobi’s administration for its developmental strides across the state adding, “I am convinced that you (Ajimobi) have done very well and I give a very high mark. I have been in Ibadan before and I can see the development that has taken place. We have seen a lot of change… If Governor Ajimobi wins (again) in future election, he should be supported.”

    It is clear that what the ex-governor of Abia is preaching has to do with doctrine of how not to play barren politics with governance. But for politics not to be barren and make nonsense of the mandate of the electorate, the interest of the society must be reckoned with. So, if there is a performing government in place as it is with the Ajimobi administration in Kalu’s well considered verdict, all of society in Oyo State should rally around the governor in support and loyalty, regardless of party affiliation.

    Right-thinking Nigerians would find it easy to align with Kalu’s position, since he pins it on the need to “ensure the enthronement of an egalitarian society and ensure development” as he put it when he spoke with Governor Ajimobi. In other words if the citizens of Oyo state truly want a progressive and stable environment the ball is in their court to cooperate with their governor and his administration. They should seek to constitutionally perpetuate a system that is fostering peace, progress and development and refuse to be swayed by ethnicity and divisive politics. Truly, Oyo State has seen breathless changes lately. This development is assuming a spirit that is taking the citizens where they ought to be rather than where the poverty and visionless path of the past was herding them. There is no partisanship in the delivery of the good things of life to the people. It would patently be unpatriotic for politicians to confuse the people about politicking and governance. The former is manipulative, blinding the masses with the idea of government as exclusive political machinery aloof from the people. But the latter is the collective administration of society that seeks the welfare of the people who put the representative government in power.

    We must draw the line and let the people know that real test for a public office holder lies in performance not in his ability to play politics. In Oyo State, the people are recognizing for the first time in more that decade that if you have a disciplined and a forward-looking administration, it can be trusted with the taxpayers money to initiate projects that benefit the larger society and not a few.

    Today the citizens of the state are wondering where the funds came from for the construction of new roads, the rehabilitation of long abandoned water works, the provision of brand new buses for free transportation of workers and student, the cleanup of Ibadan, the prompt payment of workers and retired civil servants’ entitlements etc. The money was always there; it was only waiting for a good husbandman with a disciplined profile.

    • Olaopa is a retired civil servant in Saki, Oyo State.

     

  • Kalu backs Aregbesola for second term

    Kalu backs Aregbesola for second term

    Former governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, yesterday declared that Osun State governor, Rauf Aregbesola, deserves a second term in office.

    He spoke while participating in the “Walk to Live” health programme at Ipetumodu, the headquarters of the Ife North Local Government.

    Orji admitted that Aregbesola’s outstanding performances qualify him for reelection.

    After a walk in the midst of massive crowd that followed Aregbesola from Edun-Abon to Ipetumodu, Kalu pointed out that being a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will not keep him from saying the truth about the development he has seen in Osun State.

    Commercial activities was temporarily brought to a halt as residents joined the governor’s train through major towns of Ife North State Constituency for the 15th edition of the fitness exercise.

    As early as 8am, residents and citizens trooped out from towns like Edun-abon, Moro and Yakooyo to join the convoy of the state government led by Aregbesola in company with Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu.

    The fitness exercise, a 7- kilometer, walk climaxed at the Origbo Community Unity School in Ipetumodu where members of the various towns joined officials of government and invitees to exercise and listen to address of the governor and well-wishers at the programme.

    Kalu praised Aregbesola for lifting Osun.

    According to him: “I am still a member of the Peoples Democratic Party but with what I have heard and seen about your governor made me to come out in the open to support good work.

    “Iyiola Omisore is a personal friend of mine but I will always say the truth.

    “Few days that I have spent here and the way his people talked about him truly showed that Governor Aregbesola deserves another term to complete that good work that the Lord has used him to start during his first term”.

     

    He charged Osun residents to discountenance insinuation that Aregbesola wants to Islamise Osun, saying politicians are only at work to use Aregbesola’s strong Islamic faith to mislead people.

     

     

     

     

     

  • Jonathan wrong in giving ‘no go areas’ to conference, says Kalu 

    Jonathan wrong in giving ‘no go areas’ to conference, says Kalu 

    Former Governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu, yesterday faulted the directive by President Goodluck Jonathan that delegates at the ongoing conference that discussions about the divisibility of Nigeria is a “no go area.”  Kalu said the delegates should not be restricted on areas they want to talk about, adding that this is the first time in a long while Nigerians will have an opportunity to examine all issues agitating their minds about the country. Speaking at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, on arrival from London yesterday, Kalu said the delegates should be free to discuss everything about Nigeria and its many challenges without any restrictions. The former governor said setting restrictions for the delegates will not bring about enduring unity for the country.

    He said, “Mr. President was wrong on that occasion. There should not be “no go area” in the discussion of Nigeria’s unity. It is those things that will strengthen the unity of the country. We have fought one civil war and we can never fight the second civil war; no country goes for civil war twice and survives it. So I believe Mr. President did not think aloud or the adviser did not advise him well. They (conference delegates) should discuss everything, including the unity of the country. It helps the country to become one unified country.”

    According to Kalu, the conference has given Nigerians the opportunity to discuss their problems, to discuss their sentiments, to discuss their belief in the country, adding that the conference is a good and unique opportunity for us to discuss all the national issues. “If we don’t discuss, we will be bearing anger. But when we discuss, we will be able to understand. I want to tell members of the national confab that they should discuss everything, including the unity of Nigeria. Nigeria will not break. We Igbos, we have decided that we are not breaking to anywhere because it will be a disadvantage to Nigeria for Nigeria to break.

    You see the European Union is coming together. America is acquiring more entity to become Northern America and everybody is coming together. So Nigeria is not going to break but let them discuss the issues that are making us not to have this unity.”

    Commenting on the recent attack on the State Security Services complex known in Abuja close to the Presidential Villa when members of the dreaded Boko Haram attempted a jail break, Dr. Kalu said that the Federal Government could have gotten idea of the attack if it had invested in intelligence gathering. He noted that the recurring attack by members of the sect could be eradicated if the government had a team in place that gathers intelligence on the group in order to foil their plans, instead of using the options of fighting them with guns.

    Said he, “I think the Federal Government should invest more on intelligence gathering, which I have been saying. Intelligence gathering is more important than men carrying guns on the road. It is just like some policemen in Abia State breaching the journalists’ rights by arresting some journalists on their fundamental human right of writing. The commissioner of police in Abia is like a savage as far as I am concerned because he does not understand what the constitution is all about. The Inspector General of Police understands the laws of this country and understands that journalists have right of existence. So I want to warn that police commissioner in Abia; I am appealing to Mr. President to have a second look on that commissioner in Abia before they will have another Mbu in Abia State.”

     

  • Onitsha traders receive Sun team

    Onitsha traders receive Sun team

    Traders at the Main Market in Onitsha, Anambra State received yesterday the management of the Sun Publishing Ltd, led by former Abia State Governor Orji Uzor Kalu.

    It was during their weekly Monday prayer session.

    The guest speaker at the event, Prophetess Joy Chinyere of the Victory Base Deliverance Ministry, 3-3, urged traders to develop a new attitude towards reorganising their lives to suit the Lord.

    She thanked The Sun for being the light with which Nigeria sees, enjoining the traders to be alert in their spiritual lives.

    The Chairman, Onitsha Main Market Amalgamated Traders’ Union (OMMATU), Chief Innocent Agudiegwu, thanked Kalu for worshipping God with the traders.

    He said it showed a life of humility and thanked him for the help he had rendered to the traders, especially during a fire, which affected them.

    The Catholic Archbishop and Metropolitan of Onitsha Ecclesiastical Province, the Most Rev. Valerian Okeke, has urged journalists to be fair in their reporting.

    He spoke when the Sun Publishing Ltd, led by Kalu, visited him at the Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity, Onitsha.

    Rev. Okeke, hailing the company for enlightening the public, said the task of verifying news before publishing should be accomplished.

    Kalu lauded the Catholic Archbishop for his contribution towards the sustenance of peace in the country, especially in the Southeast.

     

  • ANYASI- I’m in love with Enyimba, Chelsea

    ANYASI- I’m in love with Enyimba, Chelsea

    You don’t have to look farther than Felix Anyansi Agwu as the man that turned around the fortune of Nigeria’s most successful club, Enyimba International Football Club of Aba.

    Formed as a provincial club in the 1970s by a civil servant, Jerry Amadi Enyeazu -who was the first Director for Sports in the newly established Imo State- from where Abia State was carved out, the People’s Elephants became a major force in Nigerian football about three decades later at the dawn of the democratic rule.

    At the instance of soccer-loving former Governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, Enyimba broke the jinx of not winning the CAF Champions League trophy in 2003 after 40 years of trying without success. But Agwu has remained as constant as the Northern star and one would be forgiven to say without his Midas touch, there won’t be brand Enyimba! Under his watch, Enyimba has won a record 26 trophies in 13 years and it is there for all to see that no one speaks passionately about the People’s Elephants than Agwu.

    “Enyimba is a baby dear to my heart and what we have done all these years is unprecedented but we are not resting on our oars,” Anyansi told the The Nation Sport & Style in the thick of preparations for today’s Champions League First Round, First Leg match against Real De Bamako of Mali in Aba.” I love Enyimba with passion and the only club I share same passion for is Chelsea FC of England.”

    Though Agwu said the achievements of Enyimba compared favourably with that of Manchester United under the retired Sir Alex Ferguson, his heart has long been taken by the Stamford Bridge giants.

    “Supporting a club is about style and team like Chelsea that supports African players carries my heart,” Agwu said with a cacophony of laughter when pressed on why he’s not supporting Manchester United because of his fondness for Ferguson.

    “I’m not supporting Chelsea because of Mourinho or because of a particular player, rather I love Chelsea because they are the Blues and as you know, blue is the colour of Enyimba.

    “My concern is always about the welfare of African players in a tough and demanding league in Europe.

    “But by and large, Chelsea have been so liberal with their recruitment of African players and I respect them for that,” Agwu, an executive committee member of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), noted as he spoke about his stewardship as well as the challenge of managing the People’s Elephants all these years. Excerpts…

    Stewardship at Enyimba

    I was actually the vice-chairman in 1999 and some few months after, I was made the chairman when the incumbent voluntarily resigned for some business reason. I was later appointed as the substantive chairman of the club in 2000. There is no perfect word to describe the management of Enyimba all these years, rather I would describe it as sweet and sour. I say this with all sense of responsibility because there have been some really good, exciting moments at this club and there have been some sad, difficult periods; very challenging moments too. So, it is a combination of two extreme situations. But on the whole, it has been wonderful and glorious since 2000 up till date.

    If you go through the records of what we have achieved since 2000, it’s amazing because we have been winning trophies from 2001 till today and we have actually won a total of 26 trophies. I think this is unprecedented to have a club winning this number of trophies within 12-13 years. It takes a great club in the mould of Manchester United under the great manager, Alex Ferguson, to have been able to do such. You remember Sir Ferguson won about twenty-something trophies in 18 years when he was in charge of Manchester United. It is not an easy job to achieve so much, but we thank God we have been able to do this and ready to even do more.

    Sustaining success with Enyimba

    It doesn’t tally that way. Having won a double in 2003 and 2004, Enyimba has not been able to win it again. It doesn’t work that way because there are a lot of factors that come into play before a team can win the Champions League, be it in Africa or Europe. We don’t have to be narrow minded about this because to play on the continent is not an easy thing for that matter because there are equally good teams who are desirous of winning the trophy but it was not the lack of efforts on our part that we have not been able to win it again. If you look at what we have been able to do since when we won two successive Champions League and two African Super Cup, you would agree that we have been striving to be at the top of our game. Of course, we have represented the country on so many other occasions since then and we even reached the semi-final stages of the competition about four times at one point or the other, which is by no means an easy achievement. Some other clubs would celebrate reaching the semi-final of the CAF Champions League as if they have won the trophy but we can’t afford to do that because we are a champion’s team. There are so many factors that can stop you for winning no matter how much you try to and I will cite an example. In 2011, we played 10 matches unbeaten and got to the semi-final and the only match we lost was in Morocco 1-0 and we drew goalless in Aba which stopped us from progressing to the final.

    Dirty tricks against Enyimba

    Many people would be wondering why it is only Enyimba that is winning trophies and there are even tricks here and there in order to stop us from winning but we are used to them because they are mere obstacles that shouldn’t stop us anyway. Of course, we don’t want to forget that clubs pass through phases and life is all about ups and downs; you can win everything, every time but our determination is to continue to give our best all the time. I think it is only Al-Ahly of Egypt that has been able to win the Champions League on three successive occasions and it goes to show that it is not an easy job to win the CAF Champions League. But we are going to give it our best effort this season and probably, this is going to be our time to win it for the third time. We want to go as far as winning the trophy and that is our priority this year. We pray that with luck on our side we can go all the way because we have resolved to bend backward to rule the continent. We have waited for so long and I believe the moment is here with us again. We are serious contender and I believe we have signalled our intention. All over Africa, they are aware of our pedigree because we are not an ordinary team as such; we really mean business this year. It is our hope and aspirations to win it again.

    No guarantee in football

    There is no guarantee in football even if you score 20 goals in the first leg because you can still have an off day at work in the second leg. I’m surprised when I hear people saying that ‘ you should win 3-0 or 4-0 to make the second leg game a mere formality. But that is not always the case because you can still have a low margin score line and still win well in the second game because win or lose, it all depends on your effort. I would give you a classical scenario with the Malian team, Real DE Bamako, we are meeting this weekend: They went to Morocco in the Preliminary Round and were leading 2-0 till the 89th minute when ASFAR scored a goal and went on to get the equaliser during the three minutes added time. On paper, everybody would have thought that the ASFAR would be beaten black and blue in Bamako yet the second leg ended 1-1; that shows that you cannot even get carried away even when you already have a good result. For us, that has given us an idea about how strong Real Bamako can be even on an away ground and we are not going to handle them with kids’ gloves

    My take on home-based Super Eagles

    In fact, I don’t want to be drawn to what I had said in the past, because as an executive committee member of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), I noted that they did very well but their performance could have been better for obvious reasons. My thinking is that we need to appoint a coach for the home-based team who would be working in hand-in hand with the Super Eagles coach. For instance, Coach Stephen Keshi has little time because he’s always busy with the senior national team and I felt there should be an opening for a coach who is familiar with the domestic league for the home-based team. Of course, such appointment would not a permanent one rather when the need arises for the competition. The coach would have the opportunity of paying attention to players in the league and with that we can select the best players to represent the country and I think this would bring about improved performance.

  • Kalu’s opening of old wound

    Kalu’s opening of old wound

    The former governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu, is opening an old wound. He is insulting the sensibilities of the people by daring to remind them of a past they have struggled to forget. In the last couple of days, Kalu, in his characteristic crudity, has been unduly displaying disrespect for the person of the great Ochendo, Governor T A Orji of Abia state. He recently commissioned one of his hatchet men to not only defame the character of Governor Orji but to denigrate the personality of the well-meaning leaders and elders of the state. This is discourtesy taken too far.

    Truth is that Kalu’s name is today inscribed in the hall of infamy. His time and age in Abia state have been swept into the dustbin of history. He is a fallen emperor who is still living in the self-delusion of a kind of self-importance. No amount of insult from Kalu and his commissioned agents against the person and personality of Governor Orji or his son can diminish the towering profile of the governor. The reason is that Governor Orji’s achievements and reputation are well ahead of him. There comes in a century a time when God brings a leader that comes to provide a pathway for the people. Governor Orji is this agent of change.

    Instead of Kalu’s new-found preoccupation of throwing invectives on Governor Orji and using his paid agent to insult Ikuku, Kalu should rather embark on a self and critical post-mortem to understand and learn from the errors that led to his downfall. He should re-examine his life to know when and how he contravened natural justice. He should strive to identify that point of departure when he transcended the borders of decency and transgressed against the heavens. The 2011 elections for him was a strident demystification of a self-styled master strategist, the unmasking of the masquerade, and the humbling of the enfant terrible. Kalu did not only lose the election for the senatorial seat of the Abia North, his brother, Nnanna Kalu also lost his seat in the House of Representatives, and yet another brother who was the Chief of Staff to the former governor also lost out in the power games that culminated in the liberation of the state from the stranglehold of their family’s political dynasty.

    Today, Kalu is a dimming star who has descended into political limbo. In the days of his pomp and power, he had been celebrated as the quintessential political Maradona. And, indeed, he was. He deployed a combination of street intelligence, desperate manipulations, outright deceit and selective generosity to build a cult of loyalists and a fortress of power under the banner of the Progressive People Alliance (PPA). Confident that he has conquered the state and consolidated his regime, he then boasted that his structure would rule Abia for 50 years and that his daughter was going to be the youngest governor in Nigeria.

    Thus, having conquered the state, he became the very personification of power. At the national level, he courted controversy as a way of gaining cheap popularity. This was benchmarked by his open confrontation with the then President Obasanjo whom he called names. Kalu’s popularity was later to soar when he took up the populist posture of a self-appointed advocate of Ndigbo. But, following from his pedigree of controversy and inconsistency, many discerning Igbos were not deceived. They were proven right when he suddenly somersaulted as his second term bid came under serious threat in 2003.

    However, his demystification was essentially a gradual process which started with the self-assertion of Governor Ohakim, who quickly extricated himself from the PPA fraternity and abandoned Kalu mid-way. Indeed, to everybody’s shock and bewilderment, the lesson of that incident did not crystallize on him, for before long, it became obvious that this self-acclaimed strategist was not even a good student of the history of power. In his illusion of being in control, he tried to humiliate a sitting chief executive of the state with his deputy. He dared to query a man who has power in his hand. This was the last straw that brought him to his ruins. It was a tragic error with consequences that have been terribly devastating than he had imagined.

    From that moment, Governor Theodore Orji took the bull by the horns and orchestrated the liberation of Abia out of the captivity of the Kalu dynasty. Today, Kalu has been stripped naked at the market square. The once enfant terrible of Abia has been de-robed. All the simulations that created the Kalu mystique have been unveiled. He is today a loner, denigrated and deflowered. He is as lonely as an orphan, abandoned by even his greatest die-hard followers.

    What is obvious is that Kalu is now coming to grips with the bitter lesson of the aphrodisiac of power. The self-acclaimed master strategist is now a wandering minstrel, with no political worth or value. His fate is the lamentable story of the classical tragic-hero. He should pause and re-examine his life to identify the critical point of departure and not to insult a man that God has used to bring succour to Abians.

    For the entire state of Abia, it has been celebration and jubilation galore. For the eight years of his reign and the first three years of his successor, the master strategist held the state by the jugular. From the leadership of the Okada Riders Association, traditional rulers, market associations to every political appointment from local government councillors to even the aides of his successor, he held a suffocating grip on the state. Power started and ended at his doorstep.

    His first casualties were the elite. He rubbished the elite by marginalizing and sidelining them out of power, and elevated commoners and miscreants as a way of insulting the intelligence of the well-meaning elite of the state. The strategy of the elevation of the commoners was to have a congregation of sheepish loyalists. These men were to forever deify him as their “maker”, and as the man who brought them out of the dark abyss of hopelessness to the daylight of hope.

    In this mission, also, he deconstructed the entire Abia society, reduced the revered traditional institution into a calling for commoners and ridiculed even the political class. He balkanized many ancient kingdoms and appointed miscreants as traditional rulers for these new communities. In his own Igbere community, he created 21 communities out of a single community.

    Thus, Abia inherited from Kalu, a burden of a societal anomie that resulted in the regime of crime with many youths taking to kidnapping and all manners of vices. He created Frankenstein monsters that later came to haunt the peace of the land. This is why, to Abians, his demystification amounts to liberation. It is a well-deserved end of a dark era and the dawn of a new society.

    • Adindu is the President-general of the Abia Renaissance Movement (ARM)