The Pacesetter Frontier Magazine

Tag: kalu

  • Senator Kalu Insists SEDC Must Operate From South-East

    The Chairman of the Senate Committee on the South-East Development Commission, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, has urged the management of the commission to relocate its operations to the South-East, insisting that it must be based in the region it was established to serve.

    Kalu gave the warning on Monday during an oversight visit to projects being executed by the South-East Development Commission in Enugu State.

    The senator, who represents Abia North Senatorial District, said the commission must ensure that its activities and interventions reached communities across the five South-East states rather than operating from Abuja.

    He, however, expressed satisfaction with the progress made on the commission’s headquarters in Enugu, commending the management for improvements recorded since the committee’s previous engagements.

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    Kalu said the committee had inspected two facilities during the visit: the commission’s current office and another building provided by the Enugu State Government, which is being completed for its use.

    He said the development had addressed some of the committee’s earlier concerns about the commission’s decision to operate from Abuja rather than the South-East.

    “We were quarrelling about our office being in Abuja. Today, we have seen two offices, one where they are staying and the one they are completing, which the government of Enugu State gave them.

    “So, we are very impressed. Once they are back home to do what they are sent to do, nobody has problems with them,” Kalu said.

    He urged the management to sustain the progress recorded ahead of another oversight visit scheduled for December.

    “Well, so far, we are making very good progress, unlike when we started. I’m sure you, both me and my colleagues, are seeing very serious progress. I hope that the Commission, especially the management team, sustains this progress.

    “We will be here in December to see the progress so far. We are happy now that something is going on. We also want them to go to the grassroots to show the South Eastern people that they are on the ground,” he said.

    The lawmaker reiterated that the commission must operate from the region, warning against using Abuja as its operational base at the expense of the communities it was established to serve.

    “The only problem that I said before, and I repeat, is that they cannot operate from Abuja. They must operate from where they are set up. This is where they are located.

    “Our quarrel before was about being in Abuja and not being in Enugu. So that quarrel is over now,” he added.

    The South-East Development Commission was established to promote development and address infrastructure and other developmental challenges across the region.

    Kalu urged the commission to ensure that its projects and interventions extended beyond its headquarters to communities across the five states, stressing that residents needed to see tangible results at the grassroots.

    Although he acknowledged that the commission was relatively new, he said its management must sustain the progress recorded and demonstrate its commitment to its mandate. Punch

  • 2023 Presidency: It’s shocking South West, South South aspirants in race against South East –Kalu

    Chief Whip of the Senate,  Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, has expressed shock at the number of presidential aspirants from the South West and South South geopolitical zones when equity and justice demand they should be supporting the South East for the presidency.

    He said the right thing to do, as political parties are on the verge of picking their candidates, is for the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to zone their presidential tickets to the South East, which remains the only zone in the South that has not produced the president and vice president since 1999.

    In a statement entitled, 2023 Presidency: The Fairness I Know,” Kalu said although he wants to contest, he would not do so except the APC zones the ticket to South East.

    He said in the absence of zoning to South East, he would seek reelection to the Senate as “the reality is that the North is more advantageous to win elections in this democratic setting.”

    Expressing disappointment that people from South West and South South are jostling for the presidency, after their zones had produced presidents and vice presidents, Kalu said it was “embarrassing that these aspirants (APC and PDP) have no single respect and concern for the South East. I had thought they would think about the South East; I thought they would support us.”

    The former governor said if there was anything like fairness, equity and justice, “it should be the entire South pushing for a president of South East extraction. Anything less than that is ‘hypocritical, unjustifiable and inordinate.”

    He said that there was no difference between South West, South South politicians running to the Presidency at this time and northerners contesting for the position, stating: “What moral justification does a Southerner who refused to be fair to his brothers have against a Northerner running for president? It will be very insensitive, unreasonable and disrespectful for any Southern man to criticise a presidential aspirant from the North on the ground that the North has done eight years and power should return to the South.”

    He thanked elderstatemen, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, Chief Edwin Clark , Deji Adeyanju and a host of others “who have stood firm in their support for their brothers in the South East, posterity will be kind to you.”

    Kalu’s statement reads: “It’s my desire and intention to run for the Presidency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I am committed to this pursuit, but I can’t make an official declaration to this regard  without the full support of other regions.  Everywhere in the world, politics is situational and that of Nigeria is exceptionally situational.

    “The situation in Nigeria is that without the support of other regions, it would amount to a shadow chase for a South Easterner to be president. This is the reason I have been in the frontline of the call that the two major political parties, APC and PDP, should zone their presidential tickets to the South East as they did for the South West in 1999. In the absence of this zoning, I shall return to the Senate and stay away from the presidential contest. The reality is that the North is more advantageous to win elections in this democratic setting.

    “I am even shocked with the number of aspirants coming from the South West and the  South South . It is embarrassing that these aspirants (APC and PDP) have no single respect and concern for the South East. I had thought they would think about the South East; I thought they would support us. The amount of money being spent by these aspirants is alarming and they have forgotten that money alone cannot buy the presidency.

    “It has become a joke to an ordinary Nigerian who hears  southern commentators and aspirants rooting for a southern president on the premise of fairness, equity and justice. How can you talk about these morals when you are not even fair to your own brothers?

    “If there is anything like “fairness”, “equity” and “justice’’, it should be the entire South pushing for a president of South East extraction. Anything less than that is “hypocritical”, “unjustifiable”and “inordinate”.  Some persons are even claiming God’s anointed choice  in 2023. Unfortunately, it is not all prayers that God answers; at least not inordinate ones.

    “What moral justification does a southerner who refused to be fair to his brothers have against a northerner running for president? It will be very insensitive , unreasonable and disrespectful for any Southern man to criticize a presidential aspirant from the North on the ground that the North has done eight years and power should return to the South.

    “The South West and the South South have successfully completed their tenures as ‘President and Vice President’.They should have the courage to support their brothers from the South East. If the next president after President Muhammadu Buhari does not come from the South East , there would be nothing unfair and unjust if he/she comes from Daura.

    “This country belongs to all of us and the unity of the country should be paramount . If not for selfishness and greed, how can you say that where a president comes from does not matter simply because you don’t want to support a president of Nigeria from the South East, but turn around to clamor for a power shift to the South? How do we explain this to the younger generation?  Let the wise and courageous stay firm on their convictions and not swing on the two sides of the Atlantic .

    “If you are convinced that where a president comes from does not matter, let Nigerians not hear you clamour for power shift. Be brave to encourage everyone to run , including President Buhari’s kinsmen. But if you have conscience and believe in equality, then you should support the South East region that is yet to produce a president. That is what I consider as fairness .

    “The two regions that are yet to produce a President are South East and North East. If this means anything to Nigerians, the APC and PDP should be fair enough to prioritize these regions. If power should come to the South and not the South East or North and not the North East, the essence for which the six geopolitical zones were created is long dead.”

    (Sun)

  • Kalu, an asset to Nigeria –Senate President

    Senate President, Dr Ahmad Lawan has described the Chief Whip of the Senate, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu as an asset not only to Abia North Senatorial District and the South-East, but to the entire Nigeria.

    Lawan poured the encomiums on Kalu in Abia State while commissioning some of the numerous projects the former governor attracted to the Abia North District which he represents in the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly.as Senator.

    Some of the projects commissioned include the Agbaja Nkporo Road (7.5KM) in Ohafia LGA, Uturu road (2 km) in Isuikwuato Local LGA, Obi Chima road (2 km) in Isuikwuato LGA, Umu Imenyi road (2KM) in Bende LGA and Amankalu Alayi road (2 km) in Bende LGA.

    Lawan also commissioned three boreholes in Agbaja, Amuri and Enugwu Nkporo in Ohafia LGA, the four-kilometre Ukwu Rubber Amaokwe-Item road and another road at Igbere in Bende LGA.

    He described Kalu as a transparent and honest politician whom he has worked with for some years and added that Kalu is one of the leaders in Nigeria who does not joke with the interest of his constituents.

    The Senate President praised the people of Abia North for voting in a worthy representative in Kalu who he said has been able to utilise his three years in the Senate to achieve what others before him could not do in the past 20 years.

    He called on the people of Abia North to use the massive achievements of Kalu in just three years to imagine what the zone will look like if he is given another opportunity to serve.

    The Senate President stressed that he is willing to work with Kalu more for the betterment of Abia North and the entire country.

    Lawan who was honoured with the prestigious chieftaincy title of “Nwanne di na mba” of Item Town, commended the people for the title, adding that with it, he now sees himself as a bonafide son of Item Ancient Kingdom.

    (Sun)

  • CSOs back Kalu, Abaribe, Elumelu reelection

    CSOs back Kalu, Abaribe, Elumelu reelection

    CSOs back Kalu, Abaribe, Elumelu reelection

    Ahead of the primaries of various political parties for Senatorial and House of Representatives seats in the 10th National Assembly, a Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Nigeria, have called for the reelection of 14 out of the 469 serving federal lawmakers.

    The group under the aegis of Coalition of Media and Civil Society Organisations in Nigeria, made the call on Friday at a press briefing held at the Senate wing of the National Assembly.

    According to the national coordinator of the group, Mr. Alex Enemanna, advocacy for re-election of the 14 serving federal lawmakers will be taken to their political parties before the conduct of primary elections slated for next month on the basis of right of first refusal as far as party tickets are concerned.

    The 14 Federal lawmakers as announced by the coalition are Senators Ali Ndume (APC Borno South), Orji Uzor Kalu (APC Abia North), Smart Adeyemi (APC Kogi West ), James Manager (PDP Delta South), Enyinnaya Abaribe (PDP Abia South), Abiodun Olujimi (PDP Ekiti South), Sani Musa (APC Niger East ) and Olamilekan Adeola ( APC Lagos West).

    Others are the Deputy Speaker, Hon Idris Wase (APC Plateau State), Hon Ndudi Elumelu (PDP Delta State), Hon Ado Doguwa (APC Kano State), Hon Muktar Betara (APC Borno State) , Hon Nkiru Onyejeocha (APC Abia State ) and Hon Sergius Ogun (PDP Edo State).

    He explained that the advocacy was being done to avoid legislative brain drain, since the 14 lawmakers performed creditably well as far as legislative activism and development -driven legislations are concerned. When asked to explain how the 14 lawmakers were adjudged to be the best out of 469 federal lawmakers, the National Coordinator of the group said their findings were based on three months intensive and thorough research carried out across the 109 Senatorial Districts and 360 federal constituencies.

    (Vanguard)

  • Kalu announces that he has all that it takes to match Tinubu grit for grit in the APC presidential race

     

    Former Abia State governor and Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has said he will be ready to contest the All Progressives Congress, APC, Presidential ticket with former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu if the party zones it to the South.

     

    Speaking in an interview, yesterday, Kalu said that while he has nothing against the aspiration of Tinubu, he believes that his own South East is ripe for the Presidency and that it should be the turn of the region to produce the next President and that should be him

    Kalu said that he has all that it takes to match Tinubu grit for grit and campaign for the campaign if need be for the APC ticket in 2023.

     

    Tinubu had on Monday, declared his ambition to take the reins of power as Nigeria’s next President; a move many believe may have foreclosed the clamour for Igbo Presidency.

     

    Tinubu had last November visited Kalu in his villa mansion where he intimated the federal lawmaker about his Presidential ambition.

     

     

     

     

    Source: www.vanguardngr.com

     

  • Kalu re-arraigned by EFCC on N70bn charge,

     

     

    A former governor of  Abia State and Senate Chief Whip, Orji Uzor Kalu on Tuesday asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to stop the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission from prosecuting him on the same offence of allegedly laundering N7.1 billion.

     

    According to him, having been tried once by EFCC, convicted and sentenced in the same charges FHC/ABJ/CR/56/2007, it would amount to double jeopardy for him if subjected to a fresh trial on same charge.

     

     

    Kaku in an ex-parte motion moved before Justice Inyang Ekwo by his counsel, Prof. Awa Kalu (SAN), pleaded with the court to rescue him from double jeopardy.

     

    The politician further sought for an order of court stopping the Federal Republic of Nigeria, through the EFCC, its officers, servants, others, agents, privies and any other person or bodies from retrying him in the case with charge No. FHC/ABJ/CR/56/2007.

     

    The ex-governor also applied for an order prohibiting the EFCC and other agencies of government from retrying, harassing and intimidating him with respect to the charge with Ref. No. FHC/ABJ/CR/56/2007 between FRN Vs Orji Kalu and two others or any other charge based on same facts as he need not suffer double jeopardy.

     

    Kalu further asked that should his application be granted, it should operate as a stay of proceedings until the determination of the application or until the Judge otherwise orders.

     

    Meanwhile, his arraignment slated for Tuesday was suspended as EFCC applied that his trial be transferred from Abuja to the Lagos Division of the FHC.

     

    When the matter came up, the prosecution counsel, Chile Okoroma told Justice Ekwo that the EFCC had written two letters to the Chief Judge seeking for the movement of the trial to Lagos in compliance with a Supreme Court judgment.

     

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    While insisting that prosecuting Kalu in Abuja would amount to an exercise in futility and disobedience to Supreme Court order, the EFCC sought for an order that would ensure his arraignment at any time to allow the transfer of the case to Lagos, based on the letters to the Chief Judge of the Court.

     

    But Justice Ekwo declined to grant indefinite adjournment and fixed June 7, 2021 for report of the Chief Judge on the transfer request.

     

     

     

    Source: www.punchng.com