The former governor of Abia State and current lawmaker representing Abia North, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, has commended President Bola Tinubu for removing obsolete empowerment items in the proposed 2025 budget.
He shed light on his recent discussions with Abia State Governor Alex Otti and President Tinubu, emphasising his commitment to constructive engagement with both leaders.
Kalu, who serves as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Privatisation, visited Governor Otti at his Ngwa residence on Tuesday. This visit comes just weeks after a similar engagement with President Tinubu in Abuja.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Kalu revealed that his conversation with Otti focused on governance, including areas for improvement. However, he reiterated his policy of not publicly critiquing or praising sitting governors.
“As the first democratically elected governor in 1999, my duty is to play a fatherly role,” Kalu said. “I met the governor to discuss privately with him and to know his problems. I also told him areas he is doing well and other areas he needs to improve on.”
He added, “I did the same thing when former governors T.A. Orji and Ikpeazu were in office. I can never talk about the governor publicly. The 45 minutes I spent with him was enough to tell him what I needed to tell him. He remains the governor and the political leader of our state, just as I was during my tenure.”
Kalu clarified that his relationship with Otti transcends politics, recalling their long-standing association. “Dr. Alex Otti is a very close friend. He was my banker and is now my governor, so we have a relationship that is way bigger than politics. As a father of this state, it will be out of place to discuss any governor who is still in office. I have access to him, so I can easily reach him.”
Kalu also disclosed details of his recent conversation with President Tinubu, particularly his advice to exclude outdated empowerment methods, such as distributing tricycles and motorcycles, from the 2025 budget.
“I told him that we cannot be doing empowerment through items such as *keke Napep* and motorcycles. It’s no longer modern,” Kalu stated. “We should build roads, schools, and other infrastructure that align with current realities. I know Nigerians are suffering, and President Tinubu knows this too. They are working on it.”
Kalu expressed gratitude that the President heeded his advice, noting, “I am very impressed. The President removed those items from the budget, and this shows he is listening to sound advice.”
Kalu highlighted his unfettered access to President Tinubu, stressing that he would not hesitate to criticise the President if necessary. “I never pretended to President Obasanjo, Goodluck Jonathan, or President Yar’Adua, and I won’t pretend to President Tinubu. Once he’s wrong, he’s wrong, and he knows it.”
On the proposed tax reform bills, Kalu described them as “very progressive,” though he criticised the lack of adequate consultation.
“The focal point of the proposed amendments is to fast-track productivity competition between states, which will bring Nigeria closer to par with nations like China,” Kalu explained. “The 36 states of the federation need to face competition. That’s what the tax reform is all about, but we need to discuss it with other regions of Nigeria.”
He acknowledged the need to modernise Nigeria’s laws, calling them “obsolete.” “We cannot compete in the 21st century with the laws we have. If you look at China, they seem like superstars, but they are not. It’s their commitment to competition that sets them apart.”
Kalu concluded by affirming the flexibility of legislative processes. “Any law made by the National Assembly can still be amended. If we make a bad law, we amend it; if we make a good one, we leave it. Nigerians need to embrace progressive change. There’s nothing wrong with tax reform.”
