Orji Kalu: Even Obasanjo went to prison — I’m not ashamed of my experience

Orji Uzor Kalu, chief whip of the senate, says he is not ashamed of his six months stint in prison.

Kalu spoke at the campaign rally of Mascot Uzor Kalu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Aba north/south constituency in the house of representatives.

The senator was responding to comments credited to Okezie Ikpeazu, Abia governor, and Enyinnaya Abaribe, the senate minority leader.

They reportedly said Kalu had not recovered from his prison experience after he asserted that roads in Abia were either funded by the federal government or Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

But the former Abia governor said God allowed him to be imprisoned because “it is part of my life script”.

“This is 10pm and I am here with you, can the Governor or Abaribe come here? That is why in leadership, you have to be with the people you are leading,” Kalu said at the event held Monday night.

“But they don’t understand this simple technique, all the projects they claim to be doing are all on radio, nothing on the ground. Joseph went to prison, even Obasanjo went to prison.

“My going to prison is part of my life script and I am thankful God allowed it.”

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned Kalu and Ude Jones Udeogu, a former director of finance and account in Abia, for alleged N7.1 billion fraud.

While the former governor bagged 12 years imprisonment in December 2019, Udeogu was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

The supreme court had on May 8, 2020, voided the trial and ordered a retrial after an appeal was filed by Udeogu.