A
recent article on page 14 of THISDAY Newspaper, November 13, 2012, was highly
revealing. It showed that the thick fog enshrouding Dr Orji Uzo Kalu’s foxy
lifestyle and make-believe political prowess is gradually lifting. Recent
posturing of the former Governor of Abia Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu in reclaiming his
chequered political image is laughable. I was actually taken aback as I
wondered if the Igbos can accept the twice-told-tales of OUK. His recent
antic is his Njiko-Ndi Igbo group which he claims will improve the lot of
Ndi-Igbo. The piece by one Eustace Amanwandi which opined that Orji Uzo’s
presence in Nollywood would have made Mr Ibu, (John Okarfor) and
Osuofia (Nkem Owoh), nonstarters in clowning is no exaggeration.
The former governor of Abia State has a career waiting and can assume this
anytime. In truth, Amanwandi’s piece has emboldened me, and I do not hesitate
to support her as most of our men have kept quiet.
The
question people keep asking is, ‘How did OUK make it to such a revered
position?’ The truth remains that he would not have gone this far without the
gullibility of Abians in particular and Nigerians in general.
He was historically elected the Governor of God’s Own State Abia and
spent eight years in a quizzical rigmarole. What did he not indulge in? He,
rather than feed Abians, long thirsty for good leadership, fed them with
cataclysmic falsehood. This is a classical example of a father giving stones
in place of bread to a famished child. He knows Abia’s penchant for veracity
but went to the complete opposite, busy publishing audited accounts and
fabricated documents to fool Abians and Nigerians of his honesty and
stewardship.
It
could be recalled that Orji spent the first few years of his first tenure
defending a certificate scandal. Soon after, he added MON to his name making
people believe that he was actually awarded the Member Order of the Niger.
When the searchlight was turned on him, he hastily changed to “Madu Oha Nile,
a ruse title which means ‘man of the people’ in Igbo Language. His doctorate
degree and university education in Maidugiri opened another can of worms. As
a cover-up, he shamelessly registered as an undergraduate at Abia State
University- explaining to those who cared to listen that he was showing
example to Abia drop-outs to go back to school- drop out indeed. Only God
knows if his admission went through Jamb and if he graduated. Do we talk about
the fake currencies he donated in an occasion in Adamawa some years gone? He
claims to be so rich yet he plundered Abia treasury like a vandal, a case he
is yet to be off the EFCC’s hook.
In his tenure as Governor, there was a quick succession of commissioners,
some actually lasting a few months like Omri in the Bible, including the ones
he recruited from USA. Possibly because of the joker in him, everything was a
joke. Revered statesmen were insulted at will with all ease. Abia was in endless
controversies from oracular Anini to ageless Obasanjo. Most times when he
said yes, his close aids knew he meant no. Most of them fondly called him
Gamji Man. Only God knows what they mean. Government is continuity but our
man had his definitions. Most times we saw him adapting the Idi Amin
personality. ‘Amin knows how to appoint them and remove them.’ The Executive
council was vacant for months, a strategy that allowed people to fall over
each other, lobbying for appointments, kowtowing for recognition, genuflecting
and dropping gifts, money and all to the one called Odi Uko for the spoils of
office. Check his passport, you will realize that he was at best a globe
trotter, somewhat beating Ajala’s record as he jumped in and out of USA and
Europe, forgetting that he had a mandate from Abia people.
He has an unmatched flair for different jobs when he hardly completes any.
Could he be the Jack of all trades that masters none? He loves journalism and
once interviewed a South Africa leader. In his religious classification, he
is known as a Christian but you will be shocked when you see him dressed as a
Muslim and pretends to mime the Koran. He dabbles into issues he knows
little about. The column he runs in the Sun newspaper is alleged to be a well
syndicated piece. It was in a national daily once where he apologized to the
Northerners for the Biafran War. What does Kalu know about the war to render
apologies on behalf of the Igbos he has serially deceived? He has a big
dream of being in the hearts of the people but no genuine efforts thereto.
For instance, during his tenure, he labeled buildings, the Abia Stadium,
Ehimiri Housing Estate and Abia House in Abuja after himself. His overnight
Igbo irredentism did not tell him to name one of these after any Igbo
monument. All these have been reverted. What did Orji Leave as a legacy for
Abia? Is it in roads, estates or mere buildings? The tragedy of OUk’s
political gamble is that he knows the right thing to do, but he irredeemably
and constantly embarks on the opposite.
He
has now taken on a big one of negotiating with Boko Haram for the Federal
Government. Let us watch, he may be part of them as he is known to run with
the hares and hunt with the hounds.
Saying
much on OUK may be mistaken as a sign that we are taking him seriously but
no, there is need to guide the people so that we are not fooled all over
again.
His
Local Government the Bende Local Government in a Caucus meeting of the PDP
has shut the door on him, and the totality of Abia PDP marched to WADATA
house a few weeks ago to protest his entry into PDP. What a persona non
grata?
According
to Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of United States of
America, ‘you can fool some of the people all the time; you can fool all the
people some of the time but you can’t fool all the people all the time.’
Kalu
should tell us another story as we watch out for his next bag of tricks.
CHIOMA
IFEGWU.
