- Orji Uzor Kalu has described his Supreme Court victory as justice for truth
- The former Abia governor said his victory indicated that there is trust in the judiciary
- The lawmaker was earlier convicted for alleged corruption during his terms as Abia governor
Orji Uzor Kalu, former governor of Abia state, has
reacted to his victory at the Supreme Court
following his release from the prison on Friday, May
8.

Legit.ng earlier reported that the lawmaker and former governor cruised to a shocking victory after
the apex court set aside the court judgment that sentenced him to 12 years in prison.
Senator Kalu, who was jailed in December 2019 over alleged stealing of public funds, described his
victory as justice for truth over attempts to bring his
political career into disrepute.

Full statement:

"Today, the Supreme Court of Nigeria gave a judgement in my favor, quashing the conviction
which the lower court had entered against me. By
today’s judgment, the Apex court of our dear
country affirmed my right to fair hearing and equal
protection of the law. "The past five months have been quite a profound
period for me. As challenging as that period has
been, it has provided me an opportunity to learn
invaluable lessons about our country, our peoples,
our justice system and the true meaning of love. I
mean love for family, love for our country and love for humanity. "I want to use this moment to thank my family, my
colleagues, my friends, my supporters, the people
of Abia State, and all Nigerians for their unflinching
and unwavering confidence and trust in me
through the very testing period. We all know today
that their prayers have not been in vain. I also use this opportunity to express my gratitude to the
Nigerian Correctional Service for the unalloyed
professionalism and sincere humanity extended to
me by its staff while I was in their custody.
"I must accord a special mention to the Justices of
our Supreme Court for their unwavering
commitment to rule of law. We all stand reminded of
the consistent and strategic relevance of the
Nigerian Supreme Court in holding this country
together, even in moments of great peril. As far back as in the 1971 case of LAKANMI V. ATTORNEY
GENERAL OF THE FEDERATION, (the Ademola
Adetokunbo-led Court) the Nigerian Supreme Court
has severally rescued this country from the
precipice. "Also throughout the dark era of military rule in
Nigeria, the Supreme Court neither wavered nor
flinched in its commitment to justice and fairness.
And despite some moments of distraction and mass
hysteria, the Nigerian Supreme Court has remained
the veritable compass to the highest ideals of justice attainable in this country. This long tradition of the
court was exemplified in today’s judgment. I was
humbled by the court’s boldness and sense of
justice as shown in my case.
"Overall, my experience tested and reaffirmed my
belief and confidence in our country, Nigeria. My
case is a true Nigerian story with a bold MADE-IN-
NIGERIA stamp on it. It is a story of initial injustice
that was caught and ultimately corrected. It is a
story of restoration. It is a story of how a wrong was righted and how justice and truth prevailed in
the end. It is a story of the power of hope. My case should teach us all that even though we may not
get things right at the first attempt, with patience
and dedication, we shall get them right eventually.
That is the lesson of my case and that is the lesson
of our country – that with dedication and patience,
we shall place Nigeria in its rightful place eventually. "Before I end, I would like to let it be known that
the events of the past five months gave me an
added perspective on matters of justice and
injustice in Nigeria. I have come to know that the
course of justice will not be complete if it stopped at
my case. It must continue until it touches the lives of millions of Nigerians who face injustice anywhere in
this world. I shall be dedicating my time henceforth
to ensuring there will be justice for all Nigerians
whether they are in Sokoto or Akwa Ibom or in Lagos or Maiduguri or in Jos or Enugu, or wherever
they may be.

"Justice for one man or for a few people will no
longer be enough in this country. A system
whereby over 70% of all prison inmates population
is made up of people awaiting trial cannot be
allowed to continue. Situations where innocent
people are falsely charged with murder just to get them out of the way does not dignify our country
and cannot continue. Justice must now mean
justice for all. That is my pledge to Nigerians. "I look forward to rejoining my colleagues in the
Senate as soon as possible."
https://www.legit.ng/1328159-orji-uzor-kalu-senator-reacts-victory-supreme-court.html