Tag: Kalu

“I’m not a thief”, Orji Kalu cries at valedictory session to mark end of 9th Senate (Video)

The Chief Whip of the outgoing 9th Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, on Saturday, during the Valedictory session to mark the end of the 9th Senate cried out for being called a thief in the country despite his contribution to nation-building, saying that Nigeria has not been fair to its leaders and citizens. The former Abia State governor thanked the 9th Senate for standing by him during his difficult times.

Chief Whip of the outgoing 9th Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu He said, “When I had a problem, most of the Senators stood by me. We went through a difficult period,” Kalu said during an emotional speech. “Before I went into politics, I can buy anything I wanted to buy. I am not a thief. “People I gave transport money to Victoria Island (VI) are now in wealth and living as saints while I am being called a thief. The 9th Senate having completed its four-year term is at the moment carrying out a Valedictory session where the Senators are having the opportunity to speak their minds on their stay in the Upper Chamber The President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan who declared the event opened said that the session was a special one against the backdrop that it would be used by the Senators to make remarks on the journey that started on 11th June 2019 and ended today. The motion to begin the process was moved by the leader of the Senate, Senator Ibrahim Gobir, APC, Sokoto East to start the valedictory session to mark the end of the 9th Senate, the motion was seconded by the Minority leader, Senator Philip Aduda, PDP, FCT. Leading the presentation, the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, APC, Delta Central who urged the returning Senators to support the incoming leaders of the Senate to achieve good governance, said that he is satisfied with his conscience that the 9th Senate returned the annual budgeting cycles from January to December, passed the Petroleum Industry Act and ensured that the Electoral Act 2023 is there for the conduct of credible elections. In his remarks, Vice President Kashim Shettima, APC, Borno Central told the Senators- elect to have in their minds that the stability of Nigeria was greater than the stability of their pockets and asked them to vote wisely during the election of Presiding officers for the progress of the country.

Vice President Kashim Shettima Shettima said, “As we bid farewell to this chapter, let us remember that our journey has just begun. For some of us, a new chapter beckons. As the mantle of leadership passes into fresh hands, those who will continue this noble calling, I extend my sincere congratulations. “To my colleagues who will depart this chamber, I address you not as colleagues left behind, but as friends who have become an integral part of my history. “We have served shoulder to shoulder in the face of adversity and worked relentlessly for the betterment of our nation. “To my incoming colleagues, I will leave you with a parable, ‘the stability of this nation is superior to the stability of our pockets’. On Tuesday, let us vote wisely, let us vote for the Nigerian nation.” Watch Orji Kalu’s video below: 9th Senate: Orji Kalu cries out “I am not a thief, this country is not fair to some of us” pic.twitter.com/VutdoOee9e — AIT (@AIT_Online) June 10, 2023

Orji Uzor Kalu handed my convoy to his wife after swearing-in

Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, a federal lawmaker representing Abia South senatorial district has shared his experience from serving as Deputy Governor to Orji Uzor Kalu, before resigning from the position following a third attempt to impeach him in 2003. Addressing journalists at an interactive session in Umuahia, Abia state’s capital on Thursday, June 8, Abaribe narrated how Orji Uzor Kalu allegedly took away his convoy and handed it over to his wife, shortly after they were sworn in as Governor and Deputy Governor.

Former senate minority leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe. Source: Web He said; “I was sitting at the podium in Umuahia stadium, there was a flashback, I remembered exactly what happened to me as a deputy governor. “I went to shake the now deputy governor, Emetu, and I looked at him and I just laughed you know why? On the day I was sworn in, I took the oath first, the governor, Kalu, took the oath, after everything was done and we were to go to Okpara auditorium for lunch, I couldn’t find my vehicle. “The vehicle was given to me by the departing colonel Obi, a convoy, and we stood there, I and my wife, and we were looking, where is the convoy? Eventually, we managed to scramble into a relative’s vehicle to take us to the event centre.

Former Governor of Abia state, Orji Uzor Kalu. Source: Web “We found out that from the field there, somebody had given instruction for the convoy to move and that they were no longer my convoy and it was now designated as the convoy of the wife of the governor. “When I confronted the governor the next Monday, I said what happened? he said “I didn’t know, they just told me it is my wife’s convoy and I said ok, let them move it. This is the kind of things that people see in politics. “There are two ways to react; you lie back and take it or you strongly protest and then you are tagged a trouble maker.” Orji Uzor Kalu who is currently pushing to become senate president in the 10th assembly, is yet to comment on the allegation.

convoy handed Kalu Orji swearingin Uzor WIFE

Izunaso, Kalu and South East’s Quest for Senate Presidency

Following the successful swearing-in of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his vice on May 29, 2023, Izunaso Kalu and South East’s Quest for Senate Presidency. The leadership of the two chambers is at the centre of issues that are gathering traction and that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has been struggling to settle since the president’s inauguration. The party’s candidates are likely to be the primary officers in both chambers. However, attention is focused more on who holds the job of President of the Senate, the country’s third highest position.

Izunaso Kalu and South East’s Quest for Senate Presidency. Photo Credit: @thenigeriansenate: Instagram If the zoning arrangement given by the party is any indication, one of the senators from the South-east or South-south geopolitical zones will be appointed. ALSO READ: “Akpabio will be next senate president” — Governor Ganduje The competition is already getting traction, with contestants from both regions exhibiting interest in the seat. Former governors of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Godswill Akpabio of the South-South, Orji Uzor Kalu of Abia State, and Senator Osita Izunaso of the South-East have all expressed their intentions to run for the position. While Akpabio and his supporters have argued that the zone has never held the position since the current administration and that the South-east has held the position for four years, the Southeast has insisted that taking the position away from the zone would mean deepening the party’s alleged marginalization of the zone. Proponents of this position refer to an established structure that has always permitted the zone to produce the President of the Senate whenever the Presidency has moved to the Southwest, as well as the need to integrate the zone within the party. They further argue that since the party’s formation, the South-South has produced the national leadership, among other coveted positions. This school of thought also believes that permitting the South-east to produce the next Senate President was the quickest method to entrench the party in the region, especially given the region’s rejection of the PDP in the past elections and the Labour Party’s breakthroughs. They say that because the party now controls two states in the zone, it is necessary to continue encouraging the region. READ MORE: Presidential Tribunal : Obi tenders 136 exhibits from 6 States Including Lagos and Edo However, there are strong indications that Izunaso will win the office if it is assigned to the Southeast area. This is because, unlike Kalu, he has been with the party since its start and hence appears more sellable. According to sources, the Imo West senator, a former journalist, is a seasoned politician. He was a Special Assistant to former Governor Achike Udenwa on media and information when he became the APC’s first National Organising Secretary. Following his appointment to the Udenwa administration, he was elected to the House of Representatives to represent the Oguta/Ohaji Egbema/Oru West federal constituency on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) platform. Udenwa allegedly used him to block Senator Arthur Nzeribe, who had served the constituency since 1979, from remaining in the Senate after only one term in the Green Chamber. He served as the senator for Imo West from 2007 until 2011. He attempted to reclaim his Senate seat but was denied because the Supreme Court declared that the current governor of the state, Hope Uzodinma, was the genuine candidate of the PDP in the election. Angered by the situation, Izunaso abandoned the PDP in 2011 to form the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) alongside Chief Rochas Okorocha. He was one of the key figures who followed the Okorocha side to the APC merger. As a result, he was elected as the party’s National Organising Secretary, a position that enabled him to re-launch his Senate bid in 2015, however, he was beaten by Uzodimma. He also ran for the seat again in 2019 on the APGA platform, finishing third behind APC’s Okorocha and PDP’s Jones Onyereri. Following his defeat, he returned to the APC to help Uzodinma expand the party. In 2023, his commitment gained him the senatorial ticket of the party, and he was proclaimed the winner of the Imo West senate election. Another element that may increase his chances of being apprehended is that he has no cases with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) or any criminal cases at all. His state, Imo, is also one of the two APC-controlled states in the South-east. Akpabio and Kalu’s states, Akwa Ibom and Abia, are controlled by the PDP and the Labour Party, respectively. The lawyer-turned-politician, who was born on October 30, 1966, is reported to have a close working connection with Uzodinma. According to the analysts, Uzodinma will pull the necessary strings on his behalf to highlight his importance in the party as well as his leadership of the APC in the Southeast area. They also stated that knowing how popular and consistent Izunaso has become in Imo State politics over the years, Uzodinma would have to mobilize support for him, knowing that victory for him would help his re-election chances in the state’s governorship race in November. He was chosen chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) last Wednesday. The Forum is made up of governors elected on the APC platform, and it acts as a forum for collaboration, policy creation, and experience sharing among members. What this will do to Izunaso’s senate presidency aspiration is create an opportunity for Uzodinma to rally his colleagues behind the cause.

Easts Izunaso Kalu PRESIDENCY Quest Senate South

Ex-Gov. of Abia State Orji Kalu loses wife

Senator Orji Kalu, the former Governor of Abia State, shares the sad news of the death of his first wife, Mrs. Ifeoma Kalu, at the age of 61.

On his official social media page, the former governor and Chief Whip of the Senate posted a message expressing his grief and describing Ifeoma as a woman of integrity who devoted herself to serving God and humanity. During this challenging period, Orji Kalu appealed to the public to keep Mrs. Ifeoma and her family in their prayers. “With a heavy heart and pain, we announce the passing on to the eternal glory of Mrs Ifeoma Ada Kalu aged 61. “She was a woman of virtue who was committed to the service of God and humanity. A memorial service in her honour is scheduled to hold in the United States of America,” he wrote.

ABIA ExGov Kalu loses Orji State WIFE

“She denied me sxx and poured water on me while I was asleep” – Kalu Ikeagwu drags estranged wife to court

Veteran Nollywood actor Kalu Ikeagwu has taken his wife to court for allegedly deserting their matrimonial home as well as denying him sxx after welcoming their child.
The hearing of the petition seeking the termination of Kalu Ikeagwu’s six-year marriage to his estranged wife, Ijeoma, commenced yesterday, 30th May 2022.

Ikeagwu informed the court that his spouse moved out of their marital home and wrote him a mail saying she was on her way to her father’s house in Enugu while being questioned by the respondent’s counsel, Mrs S.I. Amedu.
“I got back home from a trip on August 4, 2021 to find out that my wife had left our matrimonial home with the children to an undisclosed location. I tried to contact her when I got to the house and found it empty. I sent her an email on that same day and she replied that she had gone to her father’s house in Enugu.
She told me she was at her father’s place in Enugu and four days later, I saw her at the airport in Lagos, heading to God knows where. In the mail she sent, she said she was In Enugu.”
Kalu Ikeagwu also demanded custody of his kids while refuting claims that he had kicked them out of his house and failed to care for them.

He added that his wife had denied him sxx and had poured him water while he was sleeping
He told the court:
“After the birth of our son, she has refused to have sxx with me. I was not aware she lost the pregnancy due to an infection as I did not give her any infection. Till date, I have not seen any report attached to a document that she lost a baby through STD. Though I did not ask her why she lost the baby.”
The actor also stated that he had stopped sending money for the kids upkeep because his estranged wife had refused him being dad to his step daughter and this was after the wife had accused him of trying to sleep with the step daughter.
He said:
“The last time I sent money to them was in November 2021. I stopped sending money because my wife denied me being a father to my step-daughter and she also accused me of wanting to sleep with her,”
When questioned why he wants the custody of the step daughter whom he had initially looked for revocation of guardianship, the thespian stated he had information that his estranged spouse wanted to move the kids.
“I want custody of the two children. The reason I sought for revocation was because my wife had turned my step-daughter against me and at that point, I got a hint that she wanted to fly the children abroad. I have never been married to any woman before I got married to my wife. I married her after she had her daughter.
I earlier said the issue of revocation was because I felt she wanted to use me. My Lord, look at the precedence on how I have treated the girl from the very beginning.
I am an actor by profession and I travel to locations within and outside Nigeria in which I can spend five days to one month.
At the moment, it may be difficult but I am thinking about the future when I remarry and get a stable wife.”
Justice Christopher Balogun, the sitting judge, had initially ordered the kids to play with their dad in court and the respondent to submit receipts for the kid’s tuition payments.
“According to the Child’s Right Act, you can not deny the children the best education even if you’re quarreling with your wife. If I should as a judgment grant you a divorce, and if your wife is in Enugu and you stay in Lagos, why should I give the custody of a 10-year-old girl to you while her mother is alive?
The Supreme Court ruled that it is not the wealth of a father that the children of that age need, they need the care and attention of their biological mother.
The only reason the girl child should not be in the custody of the mother is if the mother is mentally derailed or the issue of infidelity is involved.
Assuming the girl starts her monthly period, you as a father do not know what to do. You will be scared of the blood. A female girl is delicate. Your own case is worse because an accusation has been leveled against you.”
The case was adjourned by the sitting judge to 23rd June.