KALU: 2014 CONFAB REPORT IS BEST ANSWER TO RESTRUCTURING*

Occasioned by the recent political tension bothering on secession in the Abia state , South Eastern Nigeria forbes rated business mogiul and Former Governor of ABIA state Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu in an exclusive interview with few selected Journalists from the South East in Camp Neya his Igbere Country home of ABIA State , Kalu bared his mind on pertinent issues bothering on the political state of Igbos amongst other national issues. This interview was monitored by Genevieve Nwosu of Hot FM Owerri.
Enjoy Excerpts :

*Your excellency sir you are known for not being easily swayed from a political position once you are convinced of the rightness of the cause and despite the challenges you have faced in your political career you have remained undaunted and still growing from strength to strength . What is your secret ?*

OUK: It's is a conviction a conviction that will benefit majority of our people and that is the cause that I fight, it's not my cause it's a cause that majority of Nigerian people will believe in and one which Igbo people will believe in. I'm Igbo by heart and have never had any regret being an Igboman. First I'm an Igbere man before being a Nigerian , before I become an Igbere man I'm a Bende man before being a Bende man and I'm an Abia man then an Igboman . So I have no regrets of being Igbo but we should also be Igbos without sentiments the feelings of others from other parts of the nation must be accommodated.

*Sir as a man of wisdom , insight and outspoken especially in defending the Igbotribe , but sometime ago you did say Igbos have no discipline in terms of politics . In yous words you said "They are good traders; they are goood in anything they do but they do not understand politics and even that they are their worst enemies ". Can you kindly shed more light on this sir?*

OUK : Well you have read about what I said , and it was very simple and it has not changed . I continue to say that Igbos are very good doctors , traders , lawyers , pharmacists and in all kinds of endeavours. But they lack tactics in politics that is why we are in disarray politically . We are good in every other thing we do as a matter of fact we are the salt of the nation without us the nation will not be sweet. But we are not the salt of the nation politically so I will continue saying it and that is the truth . Igbos cannot learn how not to put emotions in politics ,what you want is want what you don't want is not what you don't want, so they need to be tactful in dealing with other parts of the nation.

*Your excellency sir, In a statement credited to the national chairman of the party you joining APC has brought fortunes to the party because of what you do nationally and internationally . What's you take on this?*

OUK : Well since our national chairman said that , then I cannot be in position to contradict him Chief John Oyegun on his assessment. I also think that the Commander in chief President Muhammadu Buhari holds the same opinion and most people who can absorb and believe the truth will also believe that I am a plus to the party but not totally everything ,but I am a plus to what they are doing like every other person is a plus to what APC are doing everywhere . We will continue to come together and build a strong platform that will benefit the Igbo people as well as Nigerians at large and all sections of the country including non-Nigerians that live in Nigeria . We will continue to expand the platform to accommodate more people. to be able to give fruitful and purposeful leadership to our people. His excellency, there are many agitations by different tribes and groups in the country today .

*Can you suggest why it is so what is right to be done to curb these agitations ?*

OUK: I have always insited that People have a right to agitate for what they want . I advice both our people and other people as well to base their agitations on the constitutionally of the country . They should be able to know that we have a constitution . A constitution is our binding factor, it's our binding family book which any agitation should not be far from . Like there is no where in our Constitution for agitations for restructuring and and seceding and so forth. So now the nearest we can go and restructuring is to use the Confab report to be presented to the national assembly to be passed into law and that is they only way it can become our law . Of the 24 states must have two third of 36 states so we must have 24 States to say yes to that and I think if President. Muhammadu Buhari and the APC should be very wise then that is the nearest way of stopping the agitation you're asking me now by implementation of the 2014 Confab report I support that and I would like to go with that .

*Moving on your excellency sir, you were once the Abia state Governor , do you support restructuring of the country and power devolution ?*

OUK: The 2014 Confab report is restructuring , what they have done is also constitutional than people shouting from pillar to post that they want restructuring and not stating where they actually want the restructuring to come from. I support restructuring based on the 2014 report and also based on giving South East another state . So each South East state comprising of IMO, ENUGU, ABIA, ANAMBRA and EBONYI can come together and contribute half of the peole in their local governments and use a place like eititi as another state for them so this is the kind of thing I would to see and it is possible that we can restructure the nation not seceding . Secession is totally out of the it, because everybody should have their Biafra at heart .
Their Biafra should be; development for the people , good schools, prompt and full payment of salaries to the workers not half salary thr biafra should also be paving good roads for the people ,it should be children having free medical services just like when I was the governor of the state so people can have acesss to medical care that should be the Biafra of what is in our head not the biafra ideology of carrying guns and using violent insulting languages that threaten security and unity of thr nation it is out of fashion. So now the Biafra we would like to see is one which everybody is productive where more youths will go to work , where youths will be engaged in something meaningful not loitering the streets .
So this is the kind of thing we would love to see.

*With the PDP crisis being resolved , some people are jittery if APC will retain power coke 2019 . His exellency do you agree on this ?*

OUK : I see absolutely nothing hindering the APC from winning the elections at both the federal and state levels most especially in our own state Abia. Here Abia is already an APC state when you go round and sample their opinions . Since I declared for the party the place is gradually turning back and they know that this where the truth lies . There is light here in the APC after running through darkness . The Abia people and indeed the Nigerian people will continue to see APC rising very well .

*Sir as an international business Mogul and Forbes rated billionaire who also owes businesses in Nigeria, in Africa and beyond. How was the economic recession affected you?*

OUK: Well truly the economic recession has affected me heavily , because it's a general issue when you had people who were in government and they broke and looted the national treasury then then the Nigerian people would not have money avaiable to work . The treasury was looted by the last administration they opened the Central Bank and looted the money there is nothing to hide about that .Nigerians should also realise that if this current administration did take over we could have been in a very terrible situation like we have in Venezuela today . The money they claimed was available was false , it was already looted . Basically I also support questioning the people that looted the country but I want President Buhari to follow due process in doing that . I don't support going in the night and breaking into the house of the judge of a supreme court , going to break into the house of the juge of an appeal court , going to break into the house of a judge in Umuahia, Enugu, Sokoto or Oshogbo these are justices of a supreme court ,we have within our law how to prosecute these people . If the NJC has investigated and finds them wanting the DSS or EFCC can arrest them but let the due process of the NJC be followed . They should be able to show that we are acting within the contents of our law. Once write go out of our law it means we have a problem.

*Your excellency sir, what inspired you to begin the annual JCI ( Junior Chamber International Conference ) Youth summit ?*

OUK: It has always been my opinion that the youths must have a role to play . They have been in partnership with the Orji Uzor Kalu Foundation and we are very proud of them . That is they can come to Igbere and march for peace and preach that peace is possible and we also believe that peace is possible and this is where we are so I equally believe that what they are peeaching is what every Nigerian whether you are from Yoruba. Igbo , Fulani, Urohbo, Ijaw, Ibibio, Efik, Hausa that they as individuals must also parcipate that peace is possible . That's why I am delighted to start the annual programme with them every year here in Igbere .

*Finally sir, what's your advice to the good people of Abia ?*

OUK : My advice is very simple ans easy to understand They should support the Governor that is on seat now , it's not yet time to judge the Governor . Let us be patient to see who he truly is . Let us see his final leadership on election we shall judge him . Let people judge Leaders by the election day . Let Abians wear their gadgets and be determined that lectionary rigging should no longer be tolerated and existent here in Abia . We are do not get dividend of democracy in Nigeria because few people find their way to rig the election . Once they rig the election they get into power ans once they are in power they are no longer interested in the caterering for the people. So everybody should realise that democracy is a very expensive thing . They should stop thinking that they are doing the man they are voting for a favour , they should see it as doing themselves the favour because they are mortgaging their future for four years on one person. So they must be able to stand up and do what is right.

*Thank you so much your excellency sir for the interview*


OUK : It's my pleasure.

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