Posted by From PETRUS OBI, Enugu on
Former governor of Abia State and presidential standard bearer of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) in the last elections, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu caused a stir on Monday, at the Enugu Federal High Court, venue of the trial of former governor of Edo State, Chief Lucky Igbinedion, just as he warned that Nigerians will revolt should the EFCC fail to arraign former president Olusegun Obasanjo.
Former governor of Abia State and presidential standard bearer of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) in the last elections, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu caused a stir on Monday, at the Enugu Federal High Court, venue of the trial of former governor of Edo State, Chief Lucky Igbinedion, just as he warned that Nigerians will revolt should the EFCC fail to arraign former president Olusegun Obasanjo.
Dr. Kalu who arrived the court in time to exchange pleasantries with his former colleague, who is facing 146 count charge of corruption in Enugu was the centre of attraction throughout the court session and was besieged by newsmen immediately after the court session.
Dressed in an all green safari suit, the former Abia governor who was accompanied by his aides and friends as well as the South East chairman of the PPA, Barrister Anslem Enigwe said he came to see how the proceedings were going.
'I also came to show solidarity; what is happening today is what is right; as long as you don't carry people and dump them in a place. As long as they are being tried in an open court it will go a long way to quicken and re-write the process of our democracy. So, I am here to observe and I see that the process is going on fine."
On the delay by the EFCC in prosecuting other governors it alleged were corrupt, the former Abia State governor said that there should be more people arraign to answer for their stewardship. 'They say there are 40 thieves, but where is ‘Ali Baba' that followed the 40 thieves they have to bring Obasanjo and his ministers and some parastatals where these monies are missing to trial.
'I am not afraid of being tried. I am not afraid of going to trial; there are three courts in Nigeria, the federal High Court, the appellate court, and the apex court; any decision, we'll challenge it to the last. So, they should be able to bring others. If they are serious they have to get Ali Baba himself. ‘Ali Baba' is more important than any other thing," he said.
Orji dismissed speculations that the governors under the EFCC probe are liaising with President Yar'Adua as a former colleague to ensure that the cases against them came to nothing.
'I can tell you right here that President Yar'Adua will not do that. I know him very well. There is nobody that is liaising with him, and he will not listen to them; everybody must face justice, and it is only through an open court that we will know who is right or wrong. What we are doing must go round. They must have to bring Ali Baba himself; Ali Baba is more important than other of my colleagues."
He restated that if Obasanjo is not arraigned, 'we are going to call out Nigerians to demonstrate our displeasure. I'm giving Yar'Adua time to get Obasanjo; I've seen, a paper this morning which said, ‘Yar'Adua warned not to probe Obasanjo, which is not true."
After the court session, governor Kalu waited for the former Edo governor to come down, moved to him and called him by his first name, 'Lucky', shook his hands firmly and escorted him to the waiting bus that took him away.