A chieftain of the All Progressive Congress(APC) Honourable Nurudeen Adebayo has applauded the Senate Chief whip and former Governor of Abia, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu for the exemplary leadership he showed to his former party , the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 1998.
He hailed Kalu for his long time contributions to the enthronement and strengthening of democracy in Nigeria
The Statesman made this known in an interview with Newsmen in Eko Hotel, Lagos . He acknowledged Kalu’s humility not to had weighed in, to control the affairs of the PDP , following his moral, financial and other numerous contributions he rendered as one of the pioneer statesmen of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in 1998.
The APC Chieftain was reacting to the recent interview of the National Chairman of the Zenith Labour Party and former member of Board of Trustees of the PDP, Chief Dan Iwuanyanwu.
Adebayo, recounted the building blocks upon which the PDP was formed, having Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu, to be a financial muscle that sustained the PDP, in 1998,as he said.
“It’s true that Senator Orji Uzor Kalu did not interfere with the affairs of the People’s Democratic Party. His non interference was very surprising to many of us in the party then.
“For a man that gave Five hundred Million Naira (#500,000,000.00) to run a political party, when the party was crawling and struggling to stand? He should have had that capacity to dictate to the party the ways to go, who would be, and who would be nothing.
“Rather than raise shoulder, Orji Kalu was submissive to the decisions of party’s executives, the constitution of the party and also to the commitment of the party towards the promotion of Federal Character. These are the kind of leaders Nigeria need to grow. A Selfless gestures for common goals, driven towards nation building.
“Orji Kalu is a man of goodwill, he is supportive. He contributed and uplifted President Olusegun Obasanjo, at the time he was released from prison, when nothing was left with him to live by. I remember, Orji Kalu aided Obasanjo with one hundred million to start life afresh. These gestures by Orji Kalu as a youth in support of our elders in politics were geared towards building a nation ”. He said.
Adebayo further said that he enjoined with the call by General Ibrahim Babangida, the former head of states, in his thoughts that the kinds of the Senate Chief whip, Orji Kalu and many other Nigerians of his age circles and exposures are needed to run the affairs of the nation, saying such thoughts are most welcomed for a better future of the nation.
“ Why not, if not, like the words of Gen. Babangida. For me also, it’s a big YES. The nation at this time need sound minds like Orji Kalu to solidify the existing architecture of President Buhari’s administration. Ideas from Orji Kalu’s sort can redefine so much for this nation.
“I don’t even think Nigerians are prepared to have another above 70’s, to run this Nigerian project. This project need sound brains of diverse experiences. The nation need people that have the vision, the tenacity and those that have nurtured democracy to thrive.
“People like Orji Kalu will bring to the table ways forward to the economic imbalance of the nation and if the economy is balanced , crime rates would reduce because the youths would be engaged. There would be rooms for investors to move in, thereby creating job opportunities. His sort, in their Exposures would be a motivation and ethos in building this nation. I See no reasons why caliber of Orji Uzor Kalu and many other Nigerians of same range of age to be deprived to stir the country into a more workable nation, he concluded.
