Sen. Kalu sets record straight on N398.8m, faults FIJ’s report on wasted funds
By: Kenneth Udeh from Abuja
The lawmaker representing Abia North Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has responded to a malicious attack on his personality published by an online platform, FIJ, titled ‘How Orji Uzor Kalu, Contractors Wasted N398.8m meant for 3 local roads’.
Responding through his Media office via a statement on Friday, Kalu described the report of the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) that the sum of 398.8 Million was wasted on some road projects as an affront to his personality and an attempt to throw spanners to the wheels of the machines of his good works in his Senatorial District.
The former Abia Governor’s media office described FIJ’s story as a high-level sponsored propaganda taken too far.
Faulting the report the Lawmaker urged FIJ to approach the government agencies who hired contractors and provided the funds used to construct the roads for clarifications.
The statement read;
“The story is a sponsored campaign of calumny against Distinguished Senator Orji Uzor Kalu by people badly intimidated by his towering achievements since he was elected as the lawmaker representing Abia North Senatorial District.
“It is imperative that we educate the sponsors of the malicious story that Senator Orji Uzor Kalu was not the contractor that executed the said projects he facilitated to Umuaku, Amoikpa and Ogwumabiri communities.
“It is disheartening to read malicious and disparaging stories like this at a time when almost all the communities in Abia North Senatorial District are praising Senator Orji Uzor Kalu for doing what he predecessors could not do in decades at the National Assembly.
“We admonish the sponsors of the spurious post to approach the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI), with their frustrations and failed bid to malign the towering achievements of Senator Orji Uzor Kalu—for more clarifications on the projects—if the companies that handled the projects were qualified with the requisite documents to execute federal contracts.
“The general public, especially the people of Abia North Senatorial District are enjoined to disregard the misleading claims especially on Ogwumabiri road.
“The input from Senator Kalu was for a 5km road, which was later reduced to 500 meters by the agency. Even though Senator Orji Uzor Kalu had no business with the contractor, a rational mind would agree with us that N34.7 million cannot effectively execute the job.
“Senator Orji Uzor Kalu is a serial performer and lover of his people who has invested heavily including using his personal money to help execute projects across Abia North Senatorial District. Senator Kalu’s love for his people can be seen through the litany of projects he has attracted to the zone since 2019.
“An attack on his person is nothing but an insult to the masses’ integrity. It is a futile attempt by frustrated and rejected politicians to assess the outstanding performance of Senator Kalu who was adjudged as the best performing Senator in the 9th Senate by the Senate Press Corps for executing massive developmental projects for his Abia North constituents.
Kalu also admonished sponsors of the story to desist from such acts urging to focus their searchlights on other lawmakers who pocket money meant for their constituents.
