₦airaland Forum

Former Governor of Abia State, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, has shared some of the challenges he faced at the inception of his administration in 1999, citing extremely limited financial resources, ABN TV reports.

In an exclusive interview, Kalu revealed that the first federal allocation to the state under his leadership was only N68 million, a sum he described as “barely enough to run a ministry, let alone a state.”

Despite the fiscal constraints, he said he remained undeterred in his commitment to the people of Abia. “I didn’t govern from a distance,” he noted. “I often traveled late at night between Igbere and Umuahia to ensure that I was hands-on with the affairs of the state.”

Kalu said it was that spirit of dedication and physical presence that earned him the trust of the people and allowed him to execute meaningful projects in the face of limited funds.

Source: https://abntv.com.ng/news/from-n68m-allocation-we-built-abia-orji-kalu-reflects-on-1999-challenges/

“I didn’t govern from a distance,” he noted....but his mother did!

This is laughable, you built what ,thank for Alex Otti who God sent to deliver Abia state from over 20yrs of captivity .

Apart from reviving enyimba football club to be a force to reckon with in Africa during his time, I count him as a failure.
Most of the roads constructed by his administration were sub standard and this was continued by Theodore orji and Ikpaezu.

What's the exchange rate and minimum wage in 1999? #68m is massive in 1999.

Kalu earned the trust of Abians even with the Dubai roads he built. He reformed football, a sport which Abians are most passionate about. It led to Enyimba FC lifting the champions league back to back. Meanwhile ,OUK is still what he is, a tricky politician who dribbles the people.

Some politicians don't even have shame. He still has mouth to talk

I have heard a lot of reports about him but if this statement of his is actually true, then I think he deserves to be celebrated and not condemned.

OUK was an Ok governor or rather a below average, but his successors were horrible, they were the worst set of governors ever seen in SE, until Oti...

Build which state? Or you stole public funds and destroyed the state.

Metrix147:
Source: https://abntv.com.ng/news/from-n68m-allocation-we-built-abia-orji-kalu-reflects-on-1999-challenges/

What did you build? Very foolish politician.
Haven't you been to cities in the world that is built ?is it anything close to abia ?

fabolouz1:
Apart from reviving enyimba football club to be a force to reckon with in Africa during his time, I count him as a failure.
Most of the roads constructed by his administration were sub standard and this was continued by Theodore orji and Ikpaezu.

Nobody is hearing about Theodore orji ochendu again. Where is the criminal? Kia these men suck abia state dry

Metrix147:
Source: https://abntv.com.ng/news/from-n68m-allocation-we-built-abia-orji-kalu-reflects-on-1999-challenges/

Did he build the state with water supply available in all households?

Or he looted the money that should have employed technicians, engineers, administrators etc to make sure water was flowing through pipes into homes?

Are Abians drinking shitty water like 20 million smart Lagosians because progreThieves failed them on this basic government utility

Lawmaker scores Lagos Water Corporation low

A Lagos State lawmaker, Mr Saka Fafunmi, on Thursday expressed dissatisfaction at the performance of the state Water Corporation.

Fafunmi, a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly (LAHA), said in Ikeja that the corporation had not been able to justify statutory allocations to it.

The lawmaker, who represents Ifako-Ijaiye Constituency 1 at the assembly, spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

He said that the corporation had the capacity to generate much fund internally through water rates but had relied solely on government funding because of poor performance.

'' Anyone that is using water will be willing to pay for it; the corporation has not been giving us water.

"Is there any new community that Water Corporation has given water? People depend on boreholes; even government estates have industrial boreholes.

"Why do we keep pumping money into an agency that does not give us the desired results?'' he asked.

He noted that the Adiyan Waterworks was located at Ifako-Ijaiye, where many of the residents had resorted to digging boreholes as a means of getting water.

''A lot of people are falling sick because they don't drink clean water.

''In the same compound, where you have sewage, is where you have a borehole.

''There is no way you can manage the sewage that it will not leak and pollute the water; everyone drinking such is drinking contaminated water,'' he said.

The lawmaker urged the corporation to increase water reticulation and supply to residents.

From: http://www.punchng.com/politics/lawm...rporation-low/
https://repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1056&context=mes_capstones;Ensuring

Brendaniel:
That's about 4.6 billion naira in 2025, thanks to all the destroyers of the naira who came in as presidents especially Tinubu and Buhari, also OUK should stop acting as if that money was too small compared to what is being collected now, though he has some truth in it.

The exchange rate wasn't 22.5 in 1999.

From 1995-1988, the exchange was $1- N80. This was the real market rate. There was another for $1 to N22 but that was only accessible to the well connected.

By 1999., they had completely discountinued the $1-N22.

It was in the early 90s, between 1991 to 1993, it was around that rate.

I remember clearly in August 1993, the day Babangida stepped down, I was at CMS, opposite First Bank headquarters, I enquired from a moiney changer for the exchange rate and he said 37.50. The official rate was probably 22.

Brendaniel:
That's about 4.6 billion naira in 2025, thanks to all the destroyers of the naira who came in as presidents especially Tinubu and Buhari, also OUK should stop acting as if that money was too small compared to what is being collected now, though he has some truth in it.

Thank you for taking the time out to research the exchange rate.

These guys are too tricky

grandstar:
The exchange rate wasn't 22.5 in 1999.

From 1995-1988, the exchange was $1- N80. This was the real market rate. There was another for $1 to N22 but that was only accessible to the well connected.

By 1999., they had completely discountinued the $1-N22.

It was in the early 90s, between 1991 to 1993, it was around that rate.

I remember clearly in August 1993, the day Babangida stepped down, I was at CMS, opposite First Bank headquarters, I enquired from a moiney changer for the exchange rate and he said 37.50. The official rate was probably 22.

AI did the extraction of data and the calculation for me, so official rates is which the government itself uses...

E clear say this one brain dey pain am.... 68 million the was worth so much then

Dem use lies swear for all Politicians but Nigerian own na devil lies

Kalu is so stupid, dat amount of money then is equivalent to 700 billion now. Dat 68 milion is a very big money den

Agugbadin:
This is laughable, you built what ,thank for Alex Otti who God sent to deliver Abia state from over 20yrs of captivity .

Dey play

Alex Otti said he's using OUK's infrastructure template.

You built what?
Which Abia?
Maybe mamacracy sha
Orji, shame no dey catch you?

Akinpresident:
Dey play

Alex Otti said he's using OUK's infrastructure template.

And what does that mean? You didn't read that the template he is adopting is "building Aba first" ?