Frontline politician and former governor of
Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu believes that
Nigeria’s problems would only be solved
when a southeasterner is given the
opportunity to spearhead the affairs of the
country.
The Igbere-born business mogul in a recent
interview disclosed that former president;
Olusegun Obasanjo drove him and Atiku
from PDP and completely out of political
scene.
He said: “South-east has not been fairly
treated. That is why when I see some Igbo
people say they are waiting for Jonathan to
decide whether he would run or not, I look
at them as very stupid. Nobody should decide for anybody. As far as I am
concerned, it is either you give Igbo the presidency or nothing.
“Almost 48 years after the civil war, you are telling people they are not
entitled to rule Nigeria. Unless an Igbo man rules this country, the country
would not be well. That is the truth because we are the salt of the nation.
Whether you want to believe it or not, that is the truth. Anywhere you go in
Nigeria and you don’t see an Igbo man living there, nobody lives there. So
why don’t you give them the opportunity to rule their country? They have
given Obasanjo, Yar’Adua, and Jonathan room to rule. Now is the South-east’s
turn, it’s either the South-east or nothing.”
On Jonathan’s Performance, Kalu says, “I will give the President the benefit of
the doubt as he had said he would do most things and deliver by 2013. Let’s
wait and see, though I have not seen anything in terms of concrete
performance, especially in the areas of security and infrastructure.
“The fundamental issue is the rule of law. Any president who wants to rule
this country should respect the rules and give people justice. If there is no rule
of law, there will be no society. The most fundamental issue in any good
society for the people is the rule of law. A minister’s son who violates traffic
law, for instance, should be penalized like any other Nigerian. Political armed
robbers who took the country’s money should not be allowed to walk free”.
“I know the national appeal is there,” he says. “I am going to play a leading
role within my community to organize people for what Igbo are going to do. I
wanted to be totally out of politics, but I’m going to sit back in my house and
be part of their planning.
“I will plan for them and give them to go and execute. Awolowo wasn’t a
president but he was a very important man in Nigeria. I’m sitting back to help
give the Igbo what they don’t have: planning. I’m going to reconcile those who
are quarreling and get one of them to lead. We will get it right this time.”
Kalu believes the the leaders; the candidates from the zone would emerge on
their own. “But give me some months to be able to consult. The most
important thing is the process that gets who would run for president. The
president is just a by-product of unity. What I’m talking about is to kick-start
the process. I have to go back to the drawing board, go back to the
academics, traders, politicians, etc, and re-energize them to move forward.”
“I’m not perfect, even Jesus Christ was not perfect. I’m human. I must have
made several mistakes in Abia as a young man. I wasn’t 50 years old when I
was governor. Today, I’m 50 and above. So I know more things that are right
and wrong today.”
Quote: “Why should I ask him to sell property to me? I was governor for eight
years when they were doing privatization. This is a man I told that there was
no need to sell government property. If I wanted to buy government property,
I could have bought it. But it wasn’t my desire.”
“I am going to play a leading role within my community to organize people for
what Igbo are going to do. I’ll sit back and help give the Igbo what they don’t
have: planning. I’m going to reconcile those who are quarreling and get one of
them to lead. I’m not talking party politics now. I want to energize the base.


Source : www.dailypost.com.ng/2012/09/09/2015-unless-igbo-man-rules-nigeria-country-well-orji-kalu/