Kalu: Orji Remains a Political Neophyte

Orji Uzor Kalu

• Calls for release of arrested ABSU students

A former Governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu, has described his successor, Chief Theodore Orji, as a political neophyte despite attempts to intimidate him (Kalu).

Kalu, in a statement Sunday, said the recent move by Orji to revoke his Bachelor’s degrees certificate obtained from the Abia State University is just the latest in the failed attempts of Orji to silence him.

He, however, said that like previous attempts, this has also failed.
In the statement signed by his Special Adviser, Oyekunle Oyewumi, Kalu, who is in The Gambia to oversee some of his multi billion dollar businesses, said that Orji’s intimidation of the Senate of ABSU to purportedly withdraw his certificate does not invalidate the authenticity of the certificate.

Rather, he said the move has only put to test the pedigree of the men and women who make up the Senate of the university, the credibility of the certificate issued by the school and brought to fore the warped nature of Orji.

Oyewumi said in the statement: “What the Senate of ABSU has done amounts to shifting the goal post after the goal has been scored.
“No one can deny the fact that Kalu was in ABSU for lectures and examinations.

“And how do you withdraw a degree that has been duly awarded?
“And to think it is the same Senate that awarded it that is withdrawing it.
“It is obvious where the drummer is playing for the Senate to dance from.
“Must the academic community allow politics and politicians to influence its decision?

“Our answer is no. We definitely will react appropriately to this issue of the withdrawal of a certificate issued alongside those of other students of the institution.”

Kalu said Orji is looking for any straw to hold on to after his failed bids to nail him with trumped up charges of corruption, prevent him from returning to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and run him out of Abia State completely.
The statement added: “Orji has only further ridiculed himself in the eyes of right thinking members of the society.

“First, of the recent moves to discredit Kalu, was the threat to set up a panel of enquiry to probe  Kalu based on a kangaroo report that his tenure was fraught with mismanagement of the state’s resources.

“Till date, despite all the grandstanding by a man who believes he is an emperor but by all standards a weakling, nothing has been heard of that panel.

“After all, he claimed nothing, not even the law courts, can stop him from probing the eight years of Kalu in government.”

“And to think he was an integral part of that government as the Chief of Staff.
“Who can be closer to the chief executive of a state than his personal physician and chief of staff?

“Then followed the attempt to prevent Dr. Kalu from returning to the PDP.
“It appears that Orji has a very short memory.

“How can he so quickly forget the political staying power of Dr. Kalu, which earned him (Orji) the governorship despite the fact he was in the custody of the EFCC when the election was held and a new party had to be registered for him to emerge as the governor of Abia State.

“That same staying power, which only God and forthrightness can grant, is what has kept Dr. Kalu above all foes.

“And if Orji still thinks it is possible for him to run Dr. Kalu out of Abia State, then he should have a rethink.
“Recent events have shown who truly is an Abian among Dr. Kalu and Orji.

“This non-performing governor is challenged to a public walk alongside Dr. Kalu on the streets of Abia State and let us see who will get stoned.

“At least, we have been able to count not less than three occasions when he was stoned by the people of the state despite his huge security apparatus, a situation that did not obtain under Dr. Kalu as the state governor.

“Even now that the man who wants to turn himself into a demigod has declared Dr. Kalu a persona non grata, the former governor still walks the streets of Abia State without a retinue of security details and yet receives standing ovation everywhere he goes.”

Oyewumi said with 2015 around the corner, it had become apparent that Orji has become jittery because he would not be able to produce a successor that would cover his track.

The statement added: “Orji has received more than five times in six years the amount of money that came into the purse of Abia State during the eight years of Dr. Kalu as governor and has virtually nothing to show for it.

“His fear, obviously, must be how he will cover his track when he leaves office.
“With the situation becoming clearer daily that anyone he anoints as his successor would not make it to the Government House in Umuahia, a lily livered Orji has started panicking.
“He will only panic the more as he has set the ground for a battle he cannot withstand and win.

“We rest our case here.”
In a related development, Kalu has called for the release of students of ABSU who were arrested for protesting the illegal withdrawal of his certificate.

Kalu said it is inhuman and unjustifiable to arrest peaceful protesters in a democracy.