-Uchechukwu Okoroafor,Abuja.
The Chief Whip of the Senate and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared winner of the Abia North Senatorial district election, Senator Orji Uzor-Kalu, has said it’s his turn to be the President of the Senate.
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He told reporters that it was his turn to become Senate President being a ranking lawmaker and from the South-East, adding that he will work for Nigeria.
He also declared that he would not be comfortable with Muslim Senate presidency in the 10th National Assembly, saying that choosing a Christian Senate President would ensure balance in the polity and give other faith-based religion a sense of belonging.
First his seeking for senate presidency is wrong footed. He is coming with an entitlement mentality. He had not told Nigerians that he deserved the position based on his integrity, transparency, accountability and character in previous positions held. He even made many Nigerians laugh and portrayed himself as unserious when he said that he is the only former governor who still retains his old MTN line as if that is a virtue and criteria for the high position he was seeking.
He also claimed that he would not be comfortable with the Senate electing Muslim senate president, but this is the same Kalu who saw nothing wrong with Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket but because he is seeking a position now, he is no longer comfortable with a Muslim Senate President. Recall what Orji said about Muslim-Muslim ticket. “I know the church I go to, the Catholic secretary may not be happy about this but what is wrong with Muslim-Muslim ticket? I don’t see anything wrong with it.” His new position on Muslim becoming Senate President is the height of hypocrisy and many are not buying into it.
Secondly, he has a serious corruption baggage that makes him unfit for the high office of Senate President. Recall that a Lagos Division of the Federal High Court, sentenced him to 12 years in prison for N7.65 billion fraud in 2019.
Justice Mohammed Idris who delivered the sentence had earlier declared him guilty of the charge in the case that had been ongoing for 12 years. Kalu was tried alongside his company, Slok Nigeria Limited, and Udeh Udeogu, who was Director of Finance and Accounts at the Abia State Government House during Mr Kalu’s tenure as governor.
In an amended 39 counts charge, they were accused by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission of conspiring and diverting over N7 billion from the coffers of the state. In one of the counts, the EFCC alleged that Mr Kalu, who was Abia State Governor between 1999 and 2007, “did procure Slok Nigeria Limited – a company solely owned by you and members of your family – to retain in its account, domiciled with the then Inland Bank Plc, Apapa branch, Lagos, an aggregate sum of N7,197,871,208.7 on your behalf.”
The prosecution claimed that the N7.1 billion “formed part of the funds illegally derived from the treasury of the Abia State Government and which was converted into several bank drafts before they were paid into the said company’s account.”
Umahi and KaluHowever, in 2020 the Supreme Court nullified the conviction of Orji Uzor-Kalu, who had been jailed for corruption. The court also quashed the conviction of Ude Udeogu, who was the director of finance and accounts at the Abia State Government House during Kalu’s tenure. Delivering judgement, a seven-member panel of the apex court in a unanimous decision set aside the judgement of Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court in Lagos which convicted and sentenced Messrs Kalu and Udeogu.
The apex court’s judgement delivered by Justice Ejembi Eko, declared the conviction of the appellants as null and void on the ground that Mr Idris was already a Justice of the Court of Appeal as at the time he delivered the judgment sentencing the appellants. Justice Eko further held that a Justice of the Court of Appeal cannot operate as a judge of the Federal High Court.
Take note of this. The apex court further ordered the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to reassign the case for trial. So, the apex court did not exonerate Orji Uzor Kalu of the corruption allegation, rather it reassigned the case, which means that the case filed by the EFCC subsists. It would therefore be risky for the South East to throw its weight behind Orji Uzor Kalu who is at the risk of being jailed again.
Thirdly, what former President Olusegun Obasanjo said about him in his book, My Watch, which Orji had not challenged by taking the former president to court and stopping the circulation of the book again call to question his capacity for a high office and dims his chances of getting picked for the position. On former Governor Orji Uzor Kalu, Obasanjo wrote, “He had earlier tried to be close to me and even set his mother at me. But having known his background, bad reputation, ignoble behaviour in Maiduguri and the mother as a shameless accomplice, I maintained distance from him as a state governor of the PDP. With the benefit of hindsight, if the PDP had checked the background and track records of its gubernatorial candidates thoroughly in 1999, Orji Uzor Kalu should not have been a qualified candidate, even for a local government chairmanship let alone a governorship candidate. “-My Watch, 2014.
Fourthly, Uzor Kalu’s victory in the election still have K-leg, as there is high probability of rerun, because the difference between his votes and the next candidate is a mere 2000 votes and there were over 80,000 voters that were disenfranchised and the call for a rerun election is already before the court. And to make matters worse for Orji Uzor Kalu the rerun election would take place at the stronghold of his closest rival. It would therefore be foolhardy for the APC to consider him for Senate Presidency with his shaky mandate and for the South East to support his aspiration which seems dead on arrival.
Another South Easterner, Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State has declared interest in becoming president of the Senate in the 10th National Assembly.
He made the declaration in Abakaliki during the State Executive Council meeting recently. He called on the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, and the APC to consider zoning the position to the South-east. His chances of making it are very slim because he is a first timer in the Senate and such position is strictly reserved for ranking senators.
Since it is very obvious that the Senate Presidency slot would most likely elude the South East, it will be better for the concentration of energy in getting the speakership position in the House of Representatives where the zone has an eminently qualified candidate in the person of Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu.
Hon Ben Kalu-House of Reps SpokespersonHe is a ranking lawmaker and is presently Chairman, Committee on Media and Public Affairs and official spokesperson of the Ninth House. As Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, he launched the first ever magazine publication of the Assembly called, “The Green Chamber Magazine”, which is a tool of transparency for reporting all activities of the House. He has been ranked among top 10 members of the House by bill sponsorship. He has also attracted various projects to his Bende constituency including road rehabilitation, construction and rehabilitation of schools and medical centres, and distribution of educational material.
The lawmaker moved the first motion of the 9th Assembly. He has since then sponsored several motions. The House Spokesman has also sponsored over 40 bills.
Some of the Bills include: Federal College of Education Bende, (Establishment, etc.) Bill 2020, Industrial Development (Income Tax Relief) Act (Amendment) Bill, Counterfeit Currency (Special Provisions) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2020, Dangerous Drugs Act (Amendment) Bill 2020, Acts Authentication Act (Amendment) Bill, 2019, Nigerian Meteorological Agency Act (Amendment) Bill, 2019, Nigerian Communications Act (Amendment) Bill, 2019, Internal Loans (Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Development) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2019, Public Accounts Implementation Tribunal Act (Repeal) Bill 2019, Official Secrets Act (Amendment) Bill, 2019, among others.
Hon Kalu making contribution in the Floor of the HouseHon Kalu has met the requirement in terms of character, capacity and transparency to be considered for the House Speakership position, even as his leadership credential has never been in doubt. It is also our considered opinion that the South East deserves the position of the Speaker of the House of Representatives. In APC’s first eight years in power South East was totally marginalized. That should not be the case this time around as APC has made serious inroads into the zone, and is now controlling two states in the zone and has many federal lawmakers. There is no justification to deny the zone the position of the Speaker of the House of Representatives. And South East has a man eminently qualified for the job. For justice, fairness, equity and capacity, Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu should be the Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives.
Uchechukwu Okoroafor is Writer, Columnist and Public Affairs Commentator. He is also the CEO of UNITY TIMES.