As the tussle for the Speaker of the 7th House of Assembly in Abia State continues and members from Abia Central zone are on with their campaigns for speakership position, nobody is worried about that, it is normal.
However, we are greatly constrained to query why Mr. Chikwendu Kalu would be sponsoring some people to write or speak on the media against the Ikwuano/Umuahia emergence of the next Speaker and more particularly, the Ochendos.
Apart from deploying social media, Chikwendu Kalu sponsored one David Chidi Ezindu to abuse the Ochendos on Magic FM Aba, instead of focusing on his Speakership campaign. This is too bad of him! To be candid, projections and marketing of Mr. Chikwendu Kalu in this form calls for one to ask which Chikwendu Kalu they are really talking about that wants to emerge as the Speaker of the 7th Assembly.
This his estranged strategy, calls for questions. Is Chikwendu so ungrateful to have forgotten how Ochendo made him and he is behaving in this unbecoming manner? Who is Chikwendu that desires to retain the position of the Speaker? Does Chikwendu wants to be reminded how he failed in the Primary Elections before he was rescued to avert shame that a sitting Speaker failed a Primary Elections during the October 2018 Primaries of the PDP in Abia State.
We are ready to publicize the stories behind his Primary Elections saga, including how the Primary Elections venue was later changed that made him to be presented as PDP candidate for Isialangwa South State Constituency. Come to think of it, has Chikwendu any reputation in his Local Government Area? Or has he any political clout?
If he claims he has, what can he say that happened in his last Primary Elections? His unpopularity made his last Primary Elections to be shifted to umuahia, may be to save him from the political calamity that would have befallen him. This is a prove that he is not even in tune with his people. No wonder his election victory is seriously being challenged by an APC candidate.
The Chikwendu Kalu they are talking about, is it not the one his kinsmen, under the aiges of The Ukwa-Ngwa Collective, an association of progressive minds of the Ukwa-Ngwa extraction, while faulting the impeachment of the former Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Martins Azubuike spoke of him thus;
“Chikwendu Kalu is currently indicted for massive fraud and stealing by his peers and colleagues in the Legal Profession. He was debarred, de-robed and banned from practicing law by the Disciplinary Committee of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) after trial for several incidents of fraud and stealing. Although the people of Isiala Ngwa South LGA decided in their wisdom to overlook these serious flaws and elected him to the ABHA, the position of Speaker is an office for the entire State.
Indeed, the Ukwa-Ngwa people when given an opportunity to put a candidate forward for that office will put forward its first eleven to ensure that the credibility and good name of our people is guarded; surely, an avaricious character like Chikwendu Kalu can never represent the Ukwa-Ngwa nation” The above assertion is not from OLD BENDE DIVISION o! Certainly, it is from OLD ABA DIVISION that he is championing lately.
The Chikwendu Kalu, who became an opportunist Speaker, was he not the one his constitutuents wanted to recall? Is he not the one that granted telephone interview to the News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN) on 23rd Mrach 2017 with this statement “ I’m not aware of plans to recall me,”? Of course NAN reported that six people from Chikwendu Kalu’s constituency: Messrs Victor Irondi, Otuonye Alozie, Ngozi Udo, Sunday Onyendi, Udo Mba and Bridget Abel, spearheaded Kalu’s recall, in a three-page petition made available to journalists in Umuahia, where they stated that Chikwendu was involved “in a matter of stealing and theft” in 2013.
The petitioners stated that the speaker, who was practising law then, was given N1.2 million naira by his clients to assist them to buy a piece of land in Aba and two weeks later, he turned round to accuse his clients of breaking in and stealing the money from his office.
The Chikwendu Kalu being talked about is still the one whose election is under serious challenge by the APC candidate for Isialangwa South State Constituency, Chief Nnaemeka Emmanuel Otagburuagu. The key issue of the case in the Tribunal according to Mr. Ugochukwu Ogbonna, an APC chieftain which was published online explained thus;
“I want to bring to your notice that this man called Mr. Chikwendu Kanu lied on oath. Draw back a little to 2014/2015, he told INEC, by extension he told the whole world that he had no case with anybody, when he was asked if he has been sentenced before“.
Mr. Ogbonna also accused Chikwendu Kalu of having been convicted and debarred by legal practitioners’ legal committee of Nigerian Bar Association as a lawyer over corruption related matter. He still insists that the disciplinary action on Chikwendu still persists contrary to his claims that a court of competent jurisdiction has voided the disciplinary action. He further reviewed that his party, APC has evidence that will finally drive Chikwendu out of the State House of Assembly. Well, time would tell! This is the Chikwendu we are talking about. He who goes to equity must come with clean hands.
One should ask these hired writers and emergency spokesmen of Chikwendu Kalu to explain to the public and those he wants to continue to be their Speaker in the State House of Assembly whether it is this particular Chikwendu Kalu that they are campaigning for or may be there is another. Just bear in mind that IKUKU OMA ABIA is taking over the leadership of the House by God’s grace! He is credible and would perform.
Arc. Joseph Onuigbo wrote from Umuahia.
