Senator Orji Uzor-Kaluhas alleged that he picked Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe from the gutter.
Both Uzor-Kalu and Abaribe are members of the 9th Senate. While Kalu
represents Abia North, Abaribe is the representative of Abia South.
Abaribe was the deputy governor when Kalu governed Abia in 1999 but he
was impeached before the end of Kalu’s first term.
In his book entitled, “Made in Aba”, Abaribe had said he was removed
because he did not bow to Kalu’s mother who was very powerful in the
government.
Abaribe said he started having trouble with Orji Kalu when he failed to
join the league of “Egusi” peelers that thronged his mother’s abode “for
whatever reason”.
He said: “I lasted exactly three years and nine months in office, before
I threw in the towel. The bumpy ride ended on 7th March, 2003, when I finally
resigned and switched parties.
“The one tenure was characterised by three attempts at impeachment. The
one thread that runs through them all is that government can make no error.”
However, both men renewed their hostilities in the buildup to
Saturday’s bye-election in Aba North and Aba South Federal Constituency.
Kalu has been campaigning for his younger brother who is the All
Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the election.
Last week, Abaribe had attacked Kalu, saying he is yet to recover from Kuje prison experience, and may find it difficult to understand the new changes in Abia.
But in his own response, Kalu said Abaribe was little-minded to think he
is ashamed of his prison experience, adding that it is strange that the senator
he “picked from the gutters” and made Deputy Governor supplied petitions
to his conspirators.
“My conspirators thought I would be President in 2023, so they decided
to cut my journey short at all cost. Abaribe continued to supply petitions. But
you see, these people are not God.
“They think I am ashamed to have gone to prison. I am not and I don’t
blame them because they don’t know my relationship with God… 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.
“They are little minds and wicked people who have refused to do any
project for their own people. They have kept a centre table for you and called
it bridge.
“You can’t even pay common salaries and you are here swearing to God,
‘na me build this road’. The only road the state is constructing is the 600
meters road in Eziukwu which they have been building in the last six years;
that’s one year 100 meters.
“Compare my village and these people’s village and you will see how shameless
they are. If you can’t build your own village, is it my own you will build?”
Kalu, who was jailed for fraud in 2020, spoke at a campaign rally in Aba
on Monday night.
The supreme court had overturned his conviction six months after.
Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo has been ruled out of Sunday’s Serie A game against Champions League rivals Atalanta with a flexor muscle issue.
Coach Andrea Pirlo said the
36-year-old Portuguese striker, the top scorer in Serie A this season with 25
goals, would rest to avoid risking a more serious injury.
“We have an important
absentee. Unfortunately, Cristiano will not be taking part in the match due to
a problem with his flexor,” Pirlo told a pre-match press conference.
“Over these past few days, he
has not been able to recover from the problem sustained after last Sunday’s
match against Genoa.
“He hasn’t been able to push
himself this week. It would be too risky for us to bring him to Bergamo
tomorrow.
“We have decided to leave him
in Turin to rest and we will try to have him back for Wednesday’s match against
Parma.”
Champions Juventus are third,
12 points off leaders Inter Milan, with their nine-year reign looking set to
end.
They play fourth-placed
Atalanta who are just a point behind, with next week’s game at
relegation-threatened Parma.
Pirlo blamed the five-time
Ballon d’Or winner’s problem on fatigue.
“Cristiano has always been in
excellent condition,” said the Juventus coach.
“Unfortunately, the three
matches in the national team have led to an accumulation of fatigue which is a
problem for everyone.
“Cristiano also told me that
in the national team he should only have played two games, but then that goal
not given against Serbia led him to play the third as well, otherwise he would
have been back at Juve’s disposal before the third game.
“An accumulation of
everything, travel and games, can lead to fatigue. (Manchester City manager
Pep) Guardiola also said it, there have been too many matches and the squads
are too tight and these are the consequences.
“We also saw it in the
Champions League, with (Bayern Munich’s Robert) Lewandowski who was unable to
play the Champions League quarter-finals League due to an injury picked up in the
national team.”
Juventus can however count on
Argentina striker Paulo Dybala who will start for the first time in over three
months, after a long knee injury layoff, partnering Alvaro Morata upfront.
Italy defender Leonardo
Bonucci has recovered from Covid-19 contracted while with the national team but
will start on the bench.
The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, on Saturday morning, met with Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, at the Government House, Oke Ayoba, Ado Ekiti, the state capital.
Speaking after the meeting, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Yinka Oyebode, said the 79-year-old cleric paid a courtesy call on the governor.
The Yoruba self-determination rally organised by the Ilana Omo Oodua is underway in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Hundreds of members of the
group whose leader is an 86-year-old Emeritus Professor of History, Banji
Akintoye, had initially scheduled the take-off of the rally for the ancient
Mapo Hall but the heavy presence of armed policemen forced them to change the
venue.
They are addressing people at
Mapo Roundabout but they were not disturbed by the police in any way.
The agitators are armed with banners and Yoruba nation flags while leaders of the group addressing the people are saying Yoruba people are tired of staying with Nigeria.
One of the leaders of the
group, Basorun Kunle Adesokan, said Yoruba were no longer part of Nigeria and
the people want to be an independent nation.
He condemned the insecurity in
Yorubaland, saying the people could no longer stand the injustice in Nigeria.
Adesojan said, “We are no
longer part of Nigeria. Yoruba people are determined to stand alone. We are
starting the rally here in Ibadan because this is the capital of the Yoruba
nation.
” Our brothers in Kwara,
Lagos, Kogi, Edo, Delta and other states are here. We are not going to use
violence, we want the Yoruba nation. No retreat no surrender. Let Hausa go
their way, let Fulani go their own way and Igbo people should also go.
“The rally has taken off, we
won’t stop until we achieve our aim.”
One of the leaders of Itsekiri
youths present at the rally, Isaac Ajatitan, said Itsekiri people were part of
Yoruba and would support them to achieve this aim.