Former Gov. Orji Kalu of Abia State says it is more beneficial for the
South-East to join the All Progressives Congress (APC), in order to
benefit from being in the mainstream national politics.
Mr. Kalu said this during an interaction with journalists at his “Camp
Neya” country home at Igbere in Bende Local Government Area of the state.
He said the victories recorded by APC in the Edo and Ondo general
elections proved that the APC had become acceptable to Nigerians.
He, therefore, argued that the people of the South-East would benefit more
if they quit the opposition camp and stood with the decision makers in the
ruling party.
“Ndigbo should join APC to enable them to sit where other Nigerians are
seated to decide on how to move the nation forward.
“The APC electoral victories in Edo and Ondo clearly showed the popularity
of the party.
“So, I did not make mistake in taking the Igbos into national politics,
where other Nigerians are seated; that is where I want the Igbos to sit.
“So, there is nothing wrong in our joining APC for us to be able to sit
where other Nigerians are seated. That is more important to me.”
He said it was imperative for other prominent Igbo politicians to swell
the number of people from the South-East region in APC.
He identified other APC members of South-East extraction to include the
Minister of Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu, the Minister of Labour and
Employment, Chris Ngige, and Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo, among others.
Mr. Kalu commended President Muhammadu Buhari for fulfilling his promise
to resume work on federal roads in the South-East.
During my visit to the president, he made a promise to me and other
leaders three months ago that all the contractors would be back to the
federal roads before the end of November.
“Today, if you go to every federal road in Eastern Nigeria, you will see
that all the contractors are back fully and this is why I joined APC.
“I didn’t join the party on selfish basis; I joined because the president
made a promise and I have seen that the contractors are back to site.
“And if they are back, why can’t I believe him? He will do more,” Mr. Kalu
said.
He said his interest was for the South-East to have good roads, security
and opportunities to trade and achieve prosperity.
On the current economic recession in the country, Mr. Kalu, who is also a
renowned businessman, said: “All nations of the world are going through
recession; Nigeria is not an exception.
“I am an international businessman; I am crying in all the countries I am
doing business.
“From one country to the other, the story is the same; so we are crying
there as we are crying in Nigeria.”
Mr. Kalu urged the president to pay attention to the economy as he had
done to security.
(NAN)