Kalu expresses regret for helping Orji become governor

A former Governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu, has expressed regret over the role he played in the emergence of his former chief of staff, Theodore Orji, as his successor

During an interview with Channels Television, Kalu, said he fell out with Orji, who is the current governor of Abia, because he cautioned him (Orji) privately about excesses of his government barely 18 months into his first term.

Kalu said infrastructural developments in the state were grounded in spite of the fact the governor was running the state with multiple loans from banks.

He said, “The time I made that decision (to make Orji governor) it was a right decision. Eighteen months after he became governor, I called him privately and told him ‘look, you can no longer do this job.’ If the governor is an honest, man he will tell you this is true.

“The problem started when they (Abia government) were quarrelling with Oyema Ugochukwu (former Niger Delta Development Commission boss) and co. They brought a paper to me that he borrowed over N11bn. I called his commissioner for finance and he confirmed to me that they borrowed from multiple banks.

“I asked him what they were doing with the money but he didn’t give me any explanation. I reminded him that as commissioner for finance he worked with me for eight years and the only money I borrowed was N2bn and I paid back before I left. I didn’t borrow money to run Abia; the $680m that our state owed during the old regime; joint regime of Imo and Abia, was deducted by President Olusegun Obasanjo.”

The former governor denied attempting to play ‘godfather’ to the incumbent governor saying his only grouse was that Orji was not doing enough for the people.

On the controversy over his membership of the PDP, Kalu insisted he was a member of the party, noting that nobody had the right to bar him from leaving or joining the party.

He said his return to the PDP had nothing to do with contesting for elective position and expressed his support for a second term for President Goodluck Jonathan.

Kalu said, “I am back in my party, must I run for any position? My mission is to be in the party and I’m in the party. I believe in rotational presidency. The Igbo cannot be seeking the presidency now that President Goodluck Jonathan is running. It is not our turn. Jonathan is the President, every President has gone for eight years. It would have been our turn if he didn’t run.

“Our party, the PDP has used rotational presidency to stabilise the country and it cannot be now that it is the turn of the Igbo that you say there should be rotational presidency. After Jonathan we will discuss, the people of the North and the people of the South within the same party to determine the way forward.”

He also threw his weight behind the call for the next governor of Abia State to come from the southern part of the state.