The Senate Chief Whip, Orji Uzor Kalu broke down weeping yesterday as he recalled his experience in the past four years as a member of the upper chamber of the National Assembly.
Kalu, a former governor of Abia spoke at the valedictory session to signal the end of legislative activities, which began on June 11, 2019. The former governor became emotional when he recalled that soon after he was jailed after he became a Senator during which he spent about a year in Kuje prison.
Recall that Kalu was in December 2019 sentenced to 12 years in prison for N7.65 billion he allegedly stole from Abia State when he was governor. However, he was set free on May 8, 2020 when the Supreme Court ordered a retrial of the case.
Recalling his prison experience during the valedictory session on Saturday, Kalu thanked his colleagues for giving him unalloyed support as Chief Whip for four years, and also thanked his colleagues who visited him while in prison.
Orji-Kalu said his election to the Senate gave him a better opportunity to continue to fight for a united Nigeria. He stressed that he was not a thief before he took to politics, saying that he never lacked anything and could buy anything money could buy.
According to him, Nigeria is not fair to people like him and that those who put him in prison had their reasons to do so, adding that they also took over his businesses. He said he built factories and manufacturing companies to employ Nigerians and all he got was to be labelled a thief.
Present at the session were Vice-President Kashim Shettima, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, Malam Ibrahim Hadejia, Deputy Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu and Gov. Uba Sani of Kaduna State.
Also in attendance were the Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Dr Akon Eyakenyi and former Deputy Governor of Zamfara State, Hassan Muhammadu. They were members of the ninth Senate, before their election into new positions on March 18.
