By Kenneth Cole

YOUNG, ebullient and en­terprising Orji Uzor Kalu (OUK) is an enigma mean­ing different things to differ­ent people. He was born on April 21. His rise to national and international limelight was quite meteoric, making him one of the most visible businessmen, politicians, philanthropists and human­ists in Nigeria today.

He attended Christ the King School, Aba for his primary education, Eziama High School, Aba; Govern­ment College, Umuahia for his secondary education and had his tertiary education at University of Maiduguri and Abia State University, Uturu where he obtained a B.Sc in Political Science. He also at­tended Harvard University Graduate Business School (AMP 153) Boston, USA and was awarded an IEA Certificate by USAID. Kalu is a custodian of honorary doctorate degrees in Law bestowed on him by the University of Port Harcourt, Abia State University, Uturu and City State University, Los Angeles, USA.

A thoroughbred in com­merce, industry and admin­istration, he became chair­man of Borno Water Board at the tender age of 25 years where he initiated policies aimed at the provision of potable water for over 5 mil­lion Borno State indigenes in a guinea worm endemic area. He also served as the chairman of Imo State Mar­keting and Supply Agency, where he evolved strate­gies for the formation of policies for the procurement and distribution of essential commodities. He created a record not yet equaled when he became the chairman of Cooperative and Commerce Bank Limited in 1987 at the age of 27, making him the youngest person till date to assume such an elevated po­sition in Nigeria.

OUK is widely traveled and has his fingers in many pies including banking, oil, telecommunication, insur­ance, publishing, real estate, shipping and manufactur­ing. Prior to holding public offices, he had built his busi­ness empire, SLOK Group, which comprises Ojialex Furniture Company, Slok Nigeria Limited, Slok (UK) Limited, Adamawa Publish­ers Limited, Slok Vegetable Oil, Aba, Slok Paper Fac­tory, Aba, Slok USA Inc., Slok Ghana, Togo, Cotonou, Guinea, South Africa, Libe­ria, Botswana, Slok Korea, Supreme Oil Limited, Slok Airlines, First International Bank Limited, International Insurance Company Lim­ited ( Gambia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Democratic Repub­lic of Congo and Liberia) , the Sun Publishing Limited (Nigeria and Liberia), Metro Energy (Guinea) Ltd, Daily Telegraph Publishing Com­pany (Nigeria and Liberia) Ltd, Cecoon Oil and Gas (Nigeria) Ltd, Bende Ex­port- Import Ltd amongst others.

In politics, he is a house­hold name. He served as a member of the Federal House of Representatives from 1992 to 1993 and held two key positions of deputy chairman of the Finance and Internal Affairs Committees . He moved the famous Du­al-Citizenship Rights Bill in the House. He was elected the governor of the mineral-rich Abia State in 1999 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a political party he co-found­ed and financed with others. His achievements as a gov­ernor astounded even his most vitriolic critics.

His administration built over 300 roads in both urban and rural areas, renovated 820 schools; planted 510 hectares of rubber, 2 million pineapple suckers, 5 million palm and cocoa seedlings; distributed over 10 million day old chicks to civil ser­vants, schools churches and cooperative bodies to boost the protein intake of the people of the state. Added to these was the establishment of a free medical scheme that saw about 1.5 million persons treated; introduction of tuition-free education in both primary and second­ary schools, distribution of free computer sets, text­books, mathematical sets, desks and regular payment of workers salaries. His poverty eradication package was about the best in Nige­ria. Apart from creating em­ployment opportunities for thousands of youths, he em­powered many indigent per­sons through interest-free loans, motorcycles, buses and cars. It is also on record that his government paid ar­rears of pensions and gratu­ities owed retired workers by past administrations in the state since 1991during his tenure as governor. His achievements when he was at the helm of affairs in Abia State is endless and fetched him the acronym The Action Governor of Nigeria within six months in office in 1999 by then President Oluse­gun Obasanjo who was on a state visit to Abia State on February 26, 2000.

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In 2007, Orji Kalu con­tested the presidential elec­tion on the platform of Pro­gressive People’s Alliance (PPA) founded by him and came third. The party went ahead to win the governor­ship position in two out of the five states (Abia and Imo) in the South-East re­gion.

A sports enthusiast par ex­cellence, he is the Chairman, Nigeria Judo Federation. He was able to change the for­tunes of the once comatose Enyimba Football Club of Aba. The club won the Na­tional League back to back. Enyimba Football Club, for the first time in the more than 38 years history of the African CAF League Cup Competition won the trophy for Nigeria. It repeated the feat in 2004 when it defeat­ed Esperance F.C. of Tunisia to win the trophy the second time. It crowned this feat by winning the CAF Super Cup back to back in 2004/2005.

Kalu has won many lo­cal and international awards including the Industrialist of the Year bestowed on him by the Nigeria Chamber of Commerce, Trade and In­dustry; Humanitarian Award by the Humanitarian Club of the prestigious University of Nigeria Nsukka; Volunteer Award by the International Association of Volunteers and the National Merit Award of the Member of the Order of the Niger (MON), Youngest Bank Chairman Award by the famous Top Magazine when he became the chairman of Coopera­tive and Commerce Bank in 1987, a special award by the European Union in Brussels, Belgium and a special award by the Enugu Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He’s a Fellow of Bauchi Polytechnic, Insti­tute of Certified Manage­ment Accountants and the custodian of the prestigious Leon Sullivan Award by the World Bank, Washington. He is also a visitor of Miami Daid County in the State of Florida, United States of America.

He belongs to many pro­fessional and trade bodies including Nigerian Institute of Directors, Nigerian As­sociation of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Ag­riculture, Manufacturers’ Association of Nigeria, Nigeria-Philippines Cham­ber of Commerce and In­dustry, Nigeria Importers and Exporters Association, Nigeria-British Chamber of Commerce, Nigeria-Israel Association, Spartansburg Chamber of Commerce S.C, USA and Association of Ni­gerian Products Exporters. He was a member of the National Sports Commis­sion under the chairman­ship of Chief S.B. Williams between 1989 and 1990 and Federal Government Com­mission on the Re-grading of Traditional Rulers.

OUK is a renowned phi­lanthropist and humanist. This is evident in the schol­arships his foundation has awarded to thousands of in­digent students from all over the country. His milk of hu­man kindness is fathomable from the bridges of friend­ship he has built across cul­tures, races, and religions. His intimidating political profile, stupendous wealth, international connections, acceptability among his fel­low politicians, transparent leadership, crusade against social injustice, corruption and inequity and above all divine anointing are some of the qualities that distinguish him. Orji Kalu has over 200 traditional titles to his hon­our and several books to his credit.

He is at present, the Co­ordinator of Njiko Igbo, a non partisan political move­ment for the actualization of the dreams and aspira­tions of the people of south east extraction of Nigeria and G37, a group of like minds committed to the en­thronement of good gover­nance in Nigeria. Orji Kalu is a role model and mentor to the younger generation who see him as the face of a new Nigeria.Orji Kalu is happily married and blessed with children. My team and I wish him a prosperous and happy birthday.