Kalu: The epithet of hypocritical grandstander

By Dr. Sylvester Obiajulu

What other word sufficed the latest treachery and wanton betrayal of the Igbos and their collective political aspirations and goals than the latest proclamation by a former governor of Abia State, Mr. Orji Uzor Kalu that “THE IGBOS ARE BETTER TRADERS THAN POLITICIANS” published in Punch newspaper of Tuesday November 1, 2016 under the headline: IF FASHOLA WERE IGBO, HE WOULD HAVE LEFT TINUBU.

This inexcusable blunder has not only exposed his hypocritical disposition but also made nonsense of his already questionable political image which his cronies and newspaper organizations have labored to project by incessantly bringing him into comparison with our illustrious Igbo sons and Pan-Africanists such as, the late Owelle of Onitsha, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, the late Dr K.O Mbadiwe, the late Mazi Mbonu Ojike and the late former premier of the eastern region, the late Michael Okpara just to mention but few despite his pending corruption case and possible prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In his deceptive political strategy which underpin the OUK persona (which majority of us were familiar with), Kalu had tried to wheedle the Igbo youths into accepting his false personality during his unfortunate campaign for president in 2010 when he was quoted to have said in an interview he granted the Nigerian Tribune published on October 6, 2010, that:

“I am running for President to represent the oppressed people of Nigeria and the deprived and marginalized Igbo people living in Onitsha, Aba, Enugu, Ebonyi and all parts of Nigeria who were still feeling that the civil war had not formally ended going by their alienation in the national scheme of things.”
But then when President Muhammadu Buhari’s All Progressives Congress (APC), led federal government made public their intention to reopen the corruption case files of ex governors and public office holders, the nervous Orji Kalu on December 6, 2015 at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport Abuja said thus to journalists to pacify Buhari and probably circumvent arrest, “IF I WERE BUHARI, I WILL KILL EVERYBODY IF YOU KILL ONE OF MY SOLDIERS.” The fact that Kalu never disowned that statement despite the dust it raised then confirmed its verity.

It is in fact tantamount to double dealing and extremely inappropriate for a man who (in his mission to win over the support of the Igbo youths), had previously used the marginalization of Igbos and the agitation for the actualization of Biafra to wipe up sentiment to utter provocative word which incidentally encouraged the security agents to shoot at and killed defenseless protesting youths at Onitsha head bridge few weeks later.
It is criminal and sheer wickedness for Kalu to score cheap political goal using people’s agitation. His latest statement has proven that his pledge to make the agitation issue formal and seek ways for amicable resolution and reconciliation of the Biafran agitators with President Buhari published in the Sun Newspapers of February 18, 2016, during his senatorial campaign was nothing but a practical joke meant to cajole voters and nothing more.
Kalu was reported to have said, “Agitators, whether they are in MASSOB, IPOB or any other group, have their sentiments and if I get to the Senate, I will establish a proper dialogue between them and the Federal Government so that the problem will be settled amicably.”

Can you imagine? Little wonder he has failed woefully in all the elections he had participated in Abia State since 2007 when his tenure as governor ended. One had expected Kalu to change this unacceptable political strategy which has caused him more heartache than success after it was rumoured that the main cause of former President Jonathan’s coldness towards him leading to his snub by the presidency was the double role he (Kalu), played during the quandary that ensued after the death of President Yar’ Adua when some northern cabals were alleged to have wanted to undermined the constitution by opposing the conferment of Jonathan President.

Patience Jonathan was alleged to have approached Kalu to use his so called northern connection to persuade them to allow the constitution to prevail but was tossed around by Kalu who anticipated otherwise and wanted to trade cautiously to create the impression of not taking sides.
Of course his so called political weight and connection were demystified prompting Jonathan to keep faith with the Abia PDP led by the then governor T.A Orji who with other South-east and South-west members rallied behind him. Kalu was subsequently snubbed and sidelined.
With the realization that he was fast sliding into political oblivion, Kalu, in a manner that underpin his persona suddenly declared support for Jonathan’s administration leveraging on the several criticisms that administration was subjected to, when he quoted to have said on Sunday, January 15, 2015, “I have watched with curiosity and dismay as events leading to the presidential election unfold.

“Initially, I had resisted the temptation to join the fray as debates between the supporters of the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), President Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan, and that of the All Progressives’ Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Okechukwu Buhari heat up.

“But I had to change my mind when mischief-makers and political jobbers resorted to pouring invectives on and telling bare-faced lies against President Jonathan despite the good works his administration has done.

“Anybody who has followed the trend some of these unsolicited and uncomplimentary commentaries have assumed in recent times will be greatly awed and repulsed. I have been left wondering why our politicians consistently engage in running each other down and fail to acknowledge the goods done by other people.

“All of us are sufficiently aware of the past history of our nation – how politicians misused the ample opportunities available to them to develop Nigeria. The semblance of achievements we have had before now was exemplified by the military through fiats and decrees. The era between the second and third republics was characterized by non-performance and ineptitude. Forget all the noise politicians make, there was nothing tangible achieved in that period.

“From the deepest part of my heart I wish to state unequivocally that it is only a Jonathan that can salvage this nation from the grievous malaise eating it up. A vote for Jonathan is a vote for continuity, good governance and equitable leadership anchored on the fear of God, respect for human dignity, and the good and welfare of all Nigerians.” http://www.flatimes.com/2015/01/orji-uzor-kalu-invidious-misconceptions-jonathan.html.

Then suddenly when Buhari and the APC emerged victorious, in what lend credence to the rumour that he wants to decamp to the APC to add impetus to his tribunal case against the PDP candidate, Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, Kalu again made a dramatic U-turn and publicly disowned Jonathan with this nauseating statement during a programme on Channels TV titled, “View from the Top,” that out of the five states in the South-East, the PDP only won elections in Ebonyi and Enugu states.
He said it would, therefore, be unfair to accuse the Igbo of voting en masse for the PDP adding that the people of Abia State voted against the PDP because of their feelings towards Governor Theodore Orji and the overbearing nature of the President’s wife, Patience Jonathan. http://www.nigerianmonitor.com/how-pdp-massively-rigged-elections-in-the-south-east-says-orji-kalu/

The reason he has perpetually criticized his successor Sen. T.A Orji despite not being a better administrator is gradually beginning to unfold. It is absolutely undesirable for one to become famous in a notorious way. Everything Kalu has always been suspicious, even the multiplicity of media hypes given to him have done little or nothing to earn him respect in Igbo land and Nigeria as a whole.  Only a visitor will be surprised by his latest attempt to get himself off the hook using the Igbo nation.

Majority of Ndi Igbo were aware that he is a chameleon; a trait he exhibited in 2003 when he was shouting it was turn of the Igbo man to become president all over the media but worked against Dr. Alex Ekwueme secretly thereby betraying the Igbo presidency which he told the whole world was his raison d’etre. What a shameful way of becoming popular!

Dr. Sylvester Obiajulu writes from Awka, Anambra State.