News -- Make public declaration of your assets, Kalu tells Obasanjo

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Make public declaration of your assets, Kalu tells Obasanjo

By Sufuyan Ojeifo
Thursday, December 2, 2004

ABUJA—Governor Orji Kalu of Abia State has thrown a fresh challenge to President Olusegun Obasanjo to declare his assets as contained in his 1999 asset declaration form with the Code of Conduct Bureau for Nigerians to know what he was worth. Kalu’s challenge came about the time the Code of Conduct Bureau reportedly refused to make public President Obasanjo’s assets as declared.

He said the onus lies on Obasanjo and not the Code of Conduct to make public the assets he declared before he assumed office in 1999 like he (Kalu) has done.

He spoke in an exclusive interview with Vanguard on Monday in Umuahia at the residence of a member of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Benjamin Apugo who hosted a reception for friends and political associates in commemoration of this year’s Ibeku Cultural Day.

According to Kalu: "It was in line with the principle of honesty and transparency that I publish my accounts every quarter. No other governor in Nigeria publishes his account every quarter; and I publish it, not because it is a constitutional requirement, but because of my consideration for the people of Nigeria.

"I want to serve. I am not here because I am looking for money. I had multi-billion naira business before I became governor and I was the only Governor who made my asset declaration public. I challenge the president to declare his assets openly to Nigerian people before 1999.

"I declared my asset at N2.9 billion before 1999 and I also declared that I had foreign accounts, because I am a U.S. resident. I have no reasons to tell lies with what I have. This is why I declared both foreign accounts because those foreign accounts take care of my insurance scheme, my life policy insurance, my credit cards and my mortgages in the United States. I live in Potomac, Maryland, which is one of the costliest real estates in the world.

"I live in Fichlings, Northwest of London, which is also one of the costliest real estates and those houses were purchased far before I became governor. I live in Victoria Island, which President Obasanjo used to visit. 191A Adeyinka Adedoyin. So, I do not see anything wrong. I am not looking for money for anything. I was crowned with money.

"I want to thank people who have moulded my life all through like Professor Jubril Aminu and President Ibrahim Babangida. I believe that life is a stage. I had money before I became governor and I want to give service. I have built more roads that any other Governor in Nigeria and I want them to say it".

Governor Kalu was responding to the allusion by President Obasanjo weekend during a Radio Nigeria programme: "The President Explains" to the issue of morality in the action of a governor floating an airline while in office. He responded thus: "The President himself should also underscore the issue of morality in his action of running a university and building Otta Farm. I have been a businessman all my life. I am not a civil servant.

"Slok Airlines was registered in 1994 and Jetran International, the company that leased the planes said they were not prepared to deal with military regime. And by the time they were able to deal with civilian regime, I was already elected as Governor in 1999.

""So they were dragging their feet, saying they wanted to see a second election and if you read all my interviews, I have always been saying that Americans are ready for second election to see that, really, this democracy will last.

""They brought those aircraft; they were ten aircrafts, which were 737 800 series with each costing not less than $15-20 million. So, it could not have been public funds. It was a lease purchase.

""The President was just being deceived; and I want to tell Mr. President that he should mind his words because in my presence, the President was signing, as President, Otta Farm cheques of First Bank, which anybody can cross check. He signs Otta Farm cheques till tomorrow.

""So, I want the President to be as wise as my grandmother. I have been a businessman. It is from that business that I donated N100 million in 1998 into his campaign"".

He also accused the President of being a hypocrite and advised him to stop his hypocrisy, which he said had resulted in the total loss of confidence by Nigerians in the government.

He said that this sorry state of affairs motivated him to declare for the 2007 presidency as he was committed to restoring Nigeria back to Nigerians. He pointed out that all obstacles on his way would be overcome because the mission is anchored on God’’s unfailing prophecy.

According to him ""the obstacles are there but the prophecy of God does not fail. God has never lied to me and God will not lie to me. I will overcome all obstacles. There will be obstacles, but I will overcome those obstacles. I am a comeback kid; this State is a comeback State and our team Eyimba Football Club is a comeback team. So, I have no problem in coming back or wondering what to do in 2007.

"" I want to return Nigeria to Nigerians because it is a mark of sincerity to restore back Nigeria to Nigerians. People do not understand that Nigerians have lost confidence totally. I want the President to stop being a hypocrite. As far as I am concerned he is a hypocrite. He is building an international factory in Otta; he is building so many factories. He is the owner of the factory that is making juice in Ibadan.

""He has been building so many factories in Ibadan. After all, he ran a failed farm before becoming the President. So, why should he be jealous of me? I want him to be as wise as my grandmother and be a statesman. He is a statesman. After Nelson Mandela, he should take the next position in Africa and he should maintain that level and stop being petty.

""The President has been too petty to be President of Nigeria. He should be open-minded. A king is not supposed to be angry among his subjects. President Obasanjo has been very, very angry among his subjects. I did not jail him. Abacha jailed him. I am not from Kano; I am not from Abacha’’s family. I have not done anything to the President to be angry and vent his anger on me. I have always been telling him the truth. I have never insulted the President.

""He came here and christened me the ""Action Governor"". I am still the Action Governor he christened me. So, as far as I am concerned, the President should address the in-house problem. He gets about N100 billion a month; I get less than N1 billion. So he should explain himself. I am not a thief"".