Their is news going around in various news platforms that described the reality downing the jailed former Governor of Abia state Orji Uzor Kalu. The former governor who recently entered the register of convicted former governors is lamenting how his friends and Associates abandoned him in Prison.
The list of ex-governors includes Joshua Dariye of Plateau State, who in June 2018 was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment for ‘breach of trust and N1.6 billion money laundering. Another being late former governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha of Bayelsa state who was in July 2007 handed a 2 years imprisonment for 6 counts of N1.6 billion naira money laundering.
Another ex-governor who is in the list is the strong man of Niger Delta politics Mr. James Ibori of Delta state who in April 2012 convicted and sentenced to 13 years imprisonment for 10 counts of conspiracy to defraud and money laundering $77 million. Joining the club is ex-governor Jolly Nyame of Taraba state who in May 2018 received 28 years imprisonment for 41 counts of different crimes and N250 million misappropriation.
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Orji Uzor Kalu was governor Abia state from 1999-2006, Abia state is one of the states in former Eastern Nigeria and one of the oil-producing states in Nigeria. During the period he introduced a dreaded security group known as Bakassi boys. This group operated a system of justice best refers to “jungle justice”; relying on their charms to ascertain the guiltiness or innocence of a person accused of evil. He is also known to be at loggerhead with the former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo during and after his time in office. Orji Uzor Kanu in 2006 founded a political party known as Progressive People Alliance (PPA) but later resigned his membership. He was sentenced to twelve years in Prison by Justice Mohammed Idris of Federal High Court with his aide, Jones Ude who was the Director Of Finance in the Abia State House was sentenced to a five-year jail term.
The former governor who is now a Senator under propagandist, manipulative and dictatorship styled party, All Progressive Congress-APC, which is the party currently in power in Nigeria. He, like almost every other Nigerian politician is known for party prostitution having joined the party after his time in other political parties. Orji Uzor Kalu is currently serving a 12 years sentence for over 7 billion naira ($19.6m) fraud with two others.
The fraud was committed between 1999-2007 the court document say. His conviction was welcomed by many though with reservation. Pointing out that his conviction was done to convince the international community of the seriousness of the government in fighting corruption which many still find hard to believe owing to the fact that the Economic and Financial Crime Commission has refused to attend to many corruption allegations against some members of the current government. A report by Punch Newspaper it was shown that at least eight politicians working with this government have a total of N232 billion naira corruption cases to answer. They include the senator representing Nasarawa West at the National Assembly, Abdullahi Adamu; the senator representing Sokoto North and former Governor of Sokoto State, Aliyu Wamakko; ex-Senate Minority Leader and former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio, who is currently the Minister of Niger Delta. Others are the immediate past Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal; the former Governor of Rivers State and Director-General of the Buhari Campaign Organisation in 2015, Rotimi Amaechi; the Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari; and former National Chairman of the PDP, Ali Modu Sheriff who is a senior member of APC.
Thereby many Nigerians having welcomed the judgment believe that Orji Uzor Kalu is a scapegoat sacrificed by the government in order to save face and prove their seriousness in the corruption fight.
Currently, Abia state is suffering bad leadership as workers are owed months of salary and the sate of infrastructure dilapidated in the state. This has been linked to the bad precedence laid by the states first democratically elected governor of the state in the person of jailed Orji Uzor Kanu was found guilty and sentenced to 12 years imprisonment by Justice Mohammed Idris of Federal High Court. The Judge described money laundering offence as a crime against humanity
The jailed former governor had filed for an appeal to challenge the 12-year jail term slammed him early December of 2019 but its unlikely he will get a favorable judgment.
– By Nonso Ekwunife
AFRICA DAILY NEWS, NEW YORK