He will be 60 years old in three year’s time but many Nigerians would think Chief Orji Uzor Kalu (OUK) has been around for 80 years. Such is the quantum of activities he has packed into his life so far. Yet today you still cannot help but see a life that seems storm-tossed and in eternal conflict with itself. It is called agonistes, a state of inner conflict and spiritual turbulence. Why would a man who has supposedly achieved so much live in seeming agony?
A few days ago, it was reported that OUK had joined the exclusive club of the world’s richest men as compiled by Forbes. It is a circle of those who count their means in multiple billions of dollars. It is an enclave where Nigeria’s industrialist, Aliko Dangote thrives, among a handful of other Nigerians. We were told that OUK has joined that club but curiously, it was not reported how much he is worth.
But OUK is the quintessential human curio. A few days after his entrée into the famous Forbes list was announced with fanfare, he orchestrated another story in which he was once again the star. The ‘big’ story covering entire two pages in the Daily Sun of Monday, November 20, came with a screamer: “Jubilation in South East over PDP’s waiver to Orji Kalu”. It came with a deriding rider: Desperate Gov Orji storms PDP headquarters in bid to stop waiver.
It was of course, a blatant tale in self-glorification. As the story went, OUK had been granted a waiver to return to the People’s Democratic Party, PDP. It said he had also been granted a leave to contest for the Abia North senatorial election. A special screening would be organized exclusively for him at the PDP headquarter in a few days in order to grant him leeway to contest.
Going by the newspaper’s report, it was as if the so-called waiver was a direct ticket to paradise. The so-called waiver was supposedly celebrated across the five south-east states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Imo and Enugu and also in Lagos. The story was complete with the photograph of a rabble that was supposedly “Jubilant supporters of Orji Kalu.”
It was two pages of syrupy stuff with supposed respondents singing the praises of the OUK, the ‘greatest’ political strategist ever born and all that jazz. How could a man who built a house not be allowed into it; meaning that OUK was a founding father of PDP therefore he must never be barred from rejoining the party? Without OUK where would Jonathan and PDP be in the south-east come 2015 election? Barring OUK is a recipe for PDP to lose the zone – some supposed supporters were reported to have said.
Naturally the report picked on and pilloried the incumbent governor of Abia State, accusing him of leading the state’s PDP’s bigwigs to Abuja for the sole purpose of stopping OUK’s re-admission into PDP. The report says: “The governor, it was gathered, met a brick wall as the NWC members raised objection querying why Orji does not want Kalu back in PDP…”
Exactly one week after this elaborate celebration of what seemed like an admission to heaven; on Tuesday, November 25, newspapers were awash with what reads like a letter from a heart-broken lover. It is titled: “Withdrawal from Abia North Senatorial District Race.”
In this agony letter, OUK accused Governor T.A Orji of trying to pull down everybody in Abia; he accused him of making people resign important positions in the quest for elective offices that had all been cornered by the governor. Neglecting his own petition, he reeled out the names of people allegedly misadvised by T. A Orji. It was only at the bottom of the letter that he tearfully let it out that the PDP headquarters would not screen him as promised. He even demanded for a refund of the cost of his nomination form. Did anyone ever hear of such baloney?
Sobbing and sulking, here is his last paragraph:”Permit me to reiterate that I am not angry with the party. I only want peace to prevail. I remain resolute in my conviction, and I will work for the success of all party candidates in the forthcoming polls, including President Goodluck Jonathan.”
Is OUK capable of learning any lessons? Is it possible that he would have learnt some hard truths from all of these or would he remain the incorrigible, know-it-all that he has always been? Would he now ‘condescend’ to recognize that the party is bigger than any individual? That the incumbent governor is the leader of a party at state level? That eminent members like Austin Akobundu, Vincent Ogbulafor, Adolphus Wabara and Senator Uche Chukwumerije are not his houseboys to be derided and pushed around? That he must subordinate to the party if he seeks to rejoin?
Back to the beginning. Why has apparent megalomania driven OUK to a state of perpetual questing after what is not lost? When shall he sit down to some reflection? When shall he have enough? Here is a guy, according to available records, at barely 30 years had set up his first major company, Slok Nigeria Limited, Lagos; Supreme Oil Limited and Slok Industries Limited, Port Harcourt. Here is a fellow who was chairman of a bank before he was 30; who was chairman, Imo State Marketing and Supply Agency Limited before he was 30; among several other boards and government committees.
Most notably, here is a fellow who was a two-term governor of Abia and who was paramount leader of a party that controlled two states (Abia and Imo) for three years. During that period, it goes without saying that he ruled these states like a serfdom leaving them desolate and still reeling from his misrule. Yet he still wants to run for senate.
Now that OUK has joined the gang of world billionaires, perhaps he wants to borrow a leaf from Dangote and face his business and do charity to the people. Dangote has done so much for the people of Kano and Nigerians, let OUK emulate him. When providence has favoured you so much you must reciprocate with a gracefulness of heart and soul; that is the way of statesmen.
- Abia is of the Save Abia Group (SAB) , Aba
