“Clear your name of corruption charges, which you have been evading for
nine years after leaving office before seeking another public office”
Chief Orji Uzor Kalu, a candidate for Abia North Senatorial District
re-run election has been counselled.
The advice was given to the former governor in Umuahia, capital of Abia
State, Nigeria by a pro-good governance group, Abia Youths Renaissance For
Good Governance, AYRGG.
In an interactive session with journalists to review the heated campaign
for the re-run election
ordered by a Court of Appeal, the Executive Director, Public Affairs of
ARGG, Mr Chris Onwukwe, decried the emergence of Chief Orji Uzor Kalu for
the election in the first instance.
“In well ordered societies, public officials resign from office to clear
their name of any allegations that may taint their names or compromise
their ability to perform in office, but the contrary is the case in
Nigeria.
“Indeed, it is a sad commentary on our nascent democracy that a man who
after exiting office as governor since 2007 has been exploiting the
lapses in our judicial system to answer to allegations of corruption
charges against him in the court. It is even sadder that the person in
question is seeking election into the distinguished office of the Senate
“From the Federal High Court, Mr. Kalu has gone to the Supreme Court all
in a bid to evade answering questions on the N5.6 billion he allegedly
stole while in office as Abia State governor, Onwukwe, a legal
practitioner argued.
Pressed further to substantiate his argument, Onwukwe referred to a
national daily, The Sun newspaper (owned by Kalu) which on Friday
January 15, 2016 reported that the Supreme Court has fixed March 18, 2016
to deliver judgment in the appeal filed by Kalu, challenging the
competence of the corruption charges of alleged N5.6 billion brought
against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The
former Abia State governor is challenging the propriety of his trial by
the Federal High Court over the charges.
Onwukwe who shared photocopies of the newspaper report, explained that
Kalu has asked the apex court to set aside the judgment of the Court of
Appeal, which upheld the charges levelled against him by the EFCC. He also
urged the trial court to quash the charges as no prima facie case was
established against him.
As a matter of good conscience, we advise chief Kalu to drop his ambition
of participating in the forthcoming Abia North Senatorial election re-run
election.
“The alleagations of stealing of N5.6b belonging to Abia State when he
was the governor of the State, is indeed a moral burden hanging like an
albatross on his neck.
“Chief Kalu should take the path of honour by throwing in the towel
considering the enormity of such heinous allegations especially in this
era of anti-corruption campaign.
“Abia North Senatorial district deserves better. We can’t afford to be a
laughing stock at the national level. Other states presented senators
with impeccable characters, who in turn, have brought honour to their
senatorial districts at the Senate and subsequently able to attract
democracy dividends to their various States.
“We therefore urge Kalu to save the people of Abia North Senatorial
District a national monumental shame by stepping down from contesting a
position that requires a person with high moral standing with requisite
pedigree for the such exalted office and henceforth focus more attention
in clearing his name in his case with Economic EFCC) if he truly want to
be considered for any office by serious minded Nigerians” Onwukwe
maintained.