“Clear your name of corruption charges, which you have been evading for<\/p>\n
nine years after leaving office before seeking another public office”
\nChief Orji Uzor Kalu, a candidate for Abia North Senatorial District
\nre-run election has been counselled.
\nThe advice was given to the former governor in Umuahia, capital of Abia
\nState, Nigeria by a pro-good governance group, Abia Youths Renaissance For
\nGood Governance, AYRGG.
\nIn an interactive session with journalists to review the heated campaign
\nfor the re-run election<\/p>\n
ordered by a Court of Appeal, the Executive Director, Public Affairs of
\nARGG, Mr Chris Onwukwe, decried the emergence of Chief Orji Uzor Kalu for
\nthe election in the first instance.
\n“In well ordered societies, public officials resign from office to clear
\ntheir name of any allegations that may taint their names or compromise
\ntheir ability to perform in office, but the contrary is the case in
\nNigeria.
\n“Indeed, it is a sad commentary on our nascent democracy that a man who
\nafter exiting office as governor since 2007 has been exploiting the
\nlapses in our judicial system to answer to allegations of corruption
\ncharges against him in the court. It is even sadder that the person in
\nquestion is seeking election into the distinguished office of the Senate
\n“From the Federal High Court, Mr. Kalu has gone to the Supreme Court all
\nin a bid to evade answering questions on the N5.6 billion he allegedly
\nstole while in office as Abia State governor, Onwukwe, a legal
\npractitioner argued.
\nPressed further to substantiate his argument, Onwukwe referred to a
\nnational daily, The Sun newspaper (owned by Kalu) which on Friday
\nJanuary 15, 2016 reported that the Supreme Court has fixed March 18, 2016
\nto deliver judgment in the appeal filed by Kalu, challenging the
\ncompetence of the corruption charges of alleged N5.6 billion brought
\nagainst him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The
\nformer Abia State governor is challenging the propriety of his trial by
\nthe Federal High Court over the charges.
\nOnwukwe who shared photocopies of the newspaper report, explained that
\nKalu has asked the apex court to set aside the judgment of the Court of
\nAppeal, which upheld the charges levelled against him by the EFCC. He also
\nurged the trial court to quash the charges as no prima facie case was
\nestablished against him.
\nAs a matter of good conscience, we advise chief Kalu to drop his ambition
\nof participating in the forthcoming Abia North Senatorial election re-run
\nelection.
\n“The alleagations of stealing of N5.6b belonging to Abia State when he
\nwas the governor of the State, is indeed a moral burden hanging like an
\nalbatross on his neck.
\n“Chief Kalu should take the path of honour by throwing in the towel
\nconsidering the enormity of such heinous allegations especially in this
\nera of anti-corruption campaign.
\n\u201cAbia North Senatorial district deserves better. We can\u2019t afford to be a
\nlaughing stock at the national level. Other states presented senators
\nwith impeccable characters, who in turn, have brought honour to their
\nsenatorial districts at the Senate and subsequently able to attract
\ndemocracy dividends to their various States.
\n“We therefore urge Kalu to save the people of Abia North Senatorial
\nDistrict a national monumental shame by stepping down from contesting a
\nposition that requires a person with high moral standing with requisite
\npedigree for the such exalted office and henceforth focus more attention
\nin clearing his name in his case with Economic EFCC) if he truly want to
\nbe considered for any office by serious minded Nigerians” Onwukwe
\nmaintained.<\/p>\n
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