From Chuks Onuoha, Umuahia.
Former Abia State governor, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu, has said he would build the Umuahia-Arochukwu road up to Cross River State and build the bridge that links the two states, among other numerous projects, if voted in as senator to represent Abia North in the Senate.
He stated this yesterday in a Vision Africa Radio programme, while fielding questions from newsmen.
Kalu said he would keep to his promise having been made the consensus candidate of all the parties in Abia North and not that of PPA alone.
The former governor said all other candidates contesting with him are inexperienced people who cannot give Abia North good representation in the Senate which he likened to the House of Lords, meant for those who do not look others in the face to tell them the truth.
He advised those contesting against him to wait for few more years to garner enough experience to qualify to go to the Senate rather than waste the people’s precious time now.
He said: “My opponents are merely going there to make a living, but I want to work for the Igbo because the task ahead of us is more than what we are talking about and we need to regroup as a people to be able to reposition the Igbo nation, not only Abia North people. I don’t want to sit in my business thinking that I have done everything when I have a lot to do for my people.
“I can work with the PDP governor here very well to reposition Abia, it is not about party, but about serving the people of Abia North in particular and Abia State in general and Igbo as a people.
“What makes me different from other candidates is my personality, because I am Orji Uzor Kalu (OUK). Buhari sees me and calls me OUK, Obasanjo sees me and calls me OUK, Babangida see me and calls me OUK, the northerners know OUK brand, everybody talks about OUK. The people in primary school, secondary school knows OUK brand, it is not about what you think, it is about who we have, what we are going to get and what we are going to give out.
“Those from Abia, who have been there for seven months, did you hear their voice, have they made any legislation for Igbo or for their constituency?
“Right from day one, I am going to fight for legislation for Umuahia-Arochukwu Road. My opponent was there as a House of Representatives member and he couldn’t do the road. Did he do it?
“I am prepared from day one and I know where we are going to end, and that is to get things done for our people. I am prepared for it because I have the capacity and the knowledge to handle it. I have everything to lobby my colleagues in the Senate to do things for my people, this is the most important thing.
“I was a governor for eight years and I am not a thief and the former governor T. A. Orji knows that where I live in Abuja is close to Aso Rock. If I had stolen any fund, T. A. Orji would have jailed me, considering the kind of hatred he developed for me. When I was governor for eight years, I did a lot for Abians and people are alive today to give credence to my claims. I am calling on the people of Abia North to come out tomorrow and vote for me where hands are put together in prayer, that is where they should vote for tomorrow.
I am not contesting for anything with them; what the Igbo are expecting are so many and it is people like Orji Uzor Kalu that can bring it to them. What we are going to do is to go and get the rights of the Igbos before we start talking about how to enjoy such rights .
“There are so many challenges in Nigeria that need men like us to talk about. Politics is not about going to radio stations to insult people. It is about telling the people what you can do for them. Since I left this state as governor, people have been suffering so much. Teachers, workers, local government staff are being owed; when I was the governor, almost all the local governments were getting N100million each and things were moving monthly. But today, the people are suffering as a result of somebody’s bad governance for eight years.
“It is not right that some radio stations are being used to defame the character of people, the role of the media is to report truth. I’ve been going and coming from Abia. Where I live in Abuja is close to Aso Rock, I don’t have any other residence; how come the EFCC has not arrested me if I have gone foul of the law or committed any crime.
“They told the people that I stopped them from building roads, asked them not to pay salaries and many other lies. People know the truth because the truth can stand the test of time where every other thing fails. I’m a man of history and I’m going to play politics to the highest level in Nigeria, nobody can stop it.
“The army has said they will not tolerate thuggery and the police said the same thing, so those who have such plan should be very careful because they will not have their way as it is no longer business as usual. Nobody can steal votes any longer. It is the same party that brought T. A. Orji into power, PPA is the party, but it is not about party, it is about our people.
“Road, erosion, electricity are our challenges in Abia North and Senate is the job of an experienced person who would be able to get the cooperation of others.
“I also advise Governor Ikpeazu to bring back free education and I know that he will do it.”