Ex-Abia govs Kalu, Orji at war

UMUAHIA—FORMER Governor of Abia State, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu has sworn that he would have nothing again to do in his life, with his estranged successor and political godson, Senator Theodore Orji, but said he bore no grudges against him as he has no reason to envy him at all. The former governor also explained that he has nothing against the incumbent governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu as he has no reason to quarrel with him.

Kalu who spoke in Umuahia, Friday, when he was hosted by the traditional prime minister of Ibeku, Chief Uche Akwukwuegbu, said that during his time as governor, he showed love and care to Ibeku people because he does not discriminate. Kalu spoke while responding to pleas made by paramount ruler of Ibeku Kingdom, Eze Samuel Onuoha, and others who spoke, that he should forgive them for the alleged maltreatment given to him by his successor and kinsman, Senator Theodore Orji. He assured them that he has nothing against Senator Orji but insisted that he would have nothing again to do with him. “One man cannot run government; I believe in free society. I can’t hate Okezie (Gov. Ikpeazu) because of T. A. I have nothing against Okezie. I had case with T. A. not Okezie. I cannot transfer somebody’s sin to the governor. He has not offended me amd I have nothing against him. “Since I left office, I have been on my own. I never owed anybody throughout my tenure as governor. I paid everybody, both indigenes and non-indigenes because we are all Igbo and Nigerians. Since I left as governor, I have never bothered anybody but they told lies against me that I collected all the money from the state. A liar is a liar and will remain so till end of life. But I urge Abians to hope for good. Things will be better again,” Kalu said. Replying, Senator Orji dismissed Kalu and the people who hosted him as unserious people, saying he has also forgiven his former political mentor. He attributed the political woes afflicting his estranged political mentor to punishment by God, saying that Kalu played God. According to him, “Kalu has unconsciously brought the wrath of God upon himself by his constant assumption of God”. In a statement signed by his Media Adviser, Mr. Don Norman Obinna, Senator Orji told Kalu “that nobody has the power to make anybody governor if the plan was not the will of God as God is the only being that has the power and the ability to change a man’s status. “If Kalu claimed that he made me governor, who then made him governor in 1999 or did he make himself? “If Kalu has the magic wand to make people governors as he often claims in his laborious effort to garner sympathy, how come he has not been able to make himself Senator, one of the positions he craves for and has contested on three occasions,?” Orji queried. He said that he has also “forgiven Kalu but will not forget how he acted as de-facto governor for three years and almost deprived the good people of Abia State the dividends’ of democracy through his excessive demands and family burdens. “A liar will always be a liar no matter what. I am not taken aback by Kalu’s antics; he is the one that needs all the attention, propaganda and media coverage, having the desire to become the President of Nigeria, CAF and FIFA. My responsibility is to provide qualitative representation to the people of Abia Central and that I am committed to doing and not competing with Kalu,” Senator Orji said.   Nigeria is overdue for restructing—Kalu In another development, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu, has thrown his weight behind those calling for the restructuring of Nigeria, saying that the country was overdue for reassessment. Kalu has also expressed support for President Muhammdu Buhari to be given special emergency power to tackle the current economic recession, saying that it is the best way to handle the problem. The former governor who spoke to newsmen, weekend, in Umuahia, where he was hosted by some prominent Umuahia people said that the recession started back in 2014 when he said the Federal Government was borrowing money to pay civil servants. “We don’t even need to be talking about restructuring. The country is due for reassessment which also is restructuring. It is the right thing to do because we are over growing. When a man over grows his shirts, he tries to have new measurements; he goes back to his tailor to take new measurements to fit him. “That is why we are saying that the country should have a new arrangement, to look for new solution for the political and economic survival of the country,” Kalu said. On the current economic recession in the country, the former governor said that it started back in 2014 and that when he raised alarm, he was abused by those in power then. “The recession started in 2014. It is just that Nigerians are biased. When I shouted in 2014 when Federal started borrowing money to pay civil servants and I said there was recession, they abused me, but I saw it coming because I am an employer of labour with over 9000 Nigerian workers, so I am an authority. “I believe that President Buhari needs emergency laws to tackle the recession. The President has to design special law and send to the National Assembly to grant him emergency powers to tackle the economic recession because we have no two ways to go. We need to know that our belts should be tightened very well”, Kalu maintained. He called for greater support f0r artisans who he said are the greatest force in the nation’s economy today and for special attention and support for manufacturers. “The moment the manufacturing sector attains full-capacity production, there will be less dependence on importation and this will shore up the value of the naira”, Kalu explained and blamed the activities of Niger Delta militants for continued dwindling of the national revenue which led to a full-blown recession.