Why Nigerians Thought I Was Into Money Rituals, APC Senator Reveals, Says He Bankrolled PDP with N500m
- Orji Kalu, the senator representing Abia North in the National Assembly has spoken about his wealth in a Facebook post
- The former governor of Abia state said many people thought he was into money rituals when bought a a beautiful and costly car he bought in 1982
- Kalu said he became an employer of Labour at an early age, noting that he bankrolled the PDP in 1998 with N500 million and also gave the party's presidential candidate N100 million
Senator Orji Kalu says Nigerians thought he was into money rituals because of a beautiful and costly car he bought in 1982.
The lawmaker representing Abia North, in a Facebook post on Saturday, July 23, said the car was the “latest” Mercedes Benz at the time.
Source: UGC
He said:
“The then President Shehu Shagari was the only Nigerian using the same car as at that time.
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“I recall that whenever I drove the car, some would look at it with admiration while a few were spreading rumors that I was into money rituals.”
I am not in politics because of money - Kalu
The chief whip of the Senate said Nigerians should “stop entertaining the blackmails” that money is motivating him in politics.
“If it’s actually about money as propagated, then I already have all I would ever need,” he said.
“While I was governor, I never bought a new home. I have lost more money being into politics. I took over from a military administrator and those who knew the condition of Abia before 1999 will have a better understanding of the level of work we did before leaving government in 2007.
“As of today, I can decide to even resign as a senator because I spend my private money to make up a lot of things while serving the people.
“Nigeria is unfortunately a country where people who have done no business except holding public office are hailed while those who have worked hard all their lives creating wealth and employing people are called names.”
I bankrolled PDP in 1998 with N500m - Kalu
Senator Kalu also mentioned he bankrolled the then ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 1998 with N500 million and also gave the PDP presidential candidate, Olusegun Obasanjo, N100 million.
"Imagine expecting a man who bankrolled PDP in 1998 with five hundred million naira to the party and one hundred million naira to the presidential candidate of the party to be hungry?
"I became an employer of Labour at an early age and have steadily continued to be. I have worked hard all my life and the best you can do is to study people and try to be better than them.
"For the life we live is not for ourselves alone but for God and to then accommodate other people," the former governor of Abia state said.
Reactions trail Kalu's post
Okoye Francis said:
"I was born in Abia State in 1982. I attended Primary and Secondary School in Umuahia. I met you first in 1995 as a teenager. So I can attest to most of what you have written here as true.
"But our problem was flaunting the house yesterday because we never asked you if it was your house."
Amb Sunday Chibuzo Okereke said:
"Your Excellency, I agree with most of the things you said. I also respect that aspect of you. But, I think you don't need to worry about what people say about you, especially about your personal wealth or how you choose to apply it."
Akinola Babatunde Adeniyi commented:
"I have a newspaper here where you granted an interview many years back.In the newspaper,I read about how you spent 500million naira to sponsor PDP, you talked about your shipping business in the paper and you also said your blood pressure always go up each time the month is coming to an end because you must pay 9000 workers or thereabout."
Okoro Emmanuel said:
"You've failed to understand why people call you names despite you not embezzling government money as you asserted. people call you names mostly the Igbos that you represent at all level because you've failed to speak the mind of the masses you represent knowing quite well what the people are yawning for daily and this is not only applicable to you but to every politician who's not represent or presenting the people's rights at the federal level."
N7.1bn fraud: EFCC sues to move Orji Kalu’s trial to Lagos
Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that the counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) filed an application to the Federal High Court in Abuja to transfer Senator Kalu’s N7.1 billion alleged fraud case to Lagos.
Oluwaleke Atolagbe, who serves as counsel to the EFCC, filed the application marked FHC/ABJ/CR/56/2007 for Kalu to be retried in the Lagos state high court.
Atolagbe’s application was based on five grounds and one of those is that the Abuja division of the court does not have the obligatory stance to trial the accused in the charges.
Source: Legit.ng
