Youth sack Kalu’s meeting in Enugu

Posted by admin Abia, Enugu, Headlines, State News Monday, October 8th, 2012

Some youths on Saturday in Enugu, Enugu State sacked a political meeting that was to be addressed by the former governor of Abia State, Chief Orji Kalu.

The PUNCH learnt that Kalu had planned to use the platform to address some Igbo youths and women leaders on his plans for 2015 general elections.

Justifying the disruption of the meeting, the youth accused the former governor of pursuing a selfish goal that would not be beneficial to Ndigbo.

The youth, mainly members of Concerned Igbo Youths, accused Kalu of poor performance during his reign as the governor of Abia State.

Speaking to our correspondent on Sunday, the CIY National Leader, Mr. Okechukwu Kalu, said the former governor had nothing new to offer the Igbo politically.

He said, “The angry youths have warned Orji Kalu and any of his types that want to take Ndigbo for a ride only as a smokescreen for playing second fiddle in the next political dispensation to desist from such acts as Igbo youths have now known their antics.”

Another CIY leader, Mr. Gregory Okafor, alleged that the former governor was just scheming to be a vice-president in the next political dispensation.

He said, “Orji Kalu is aspiring to be Vice- President to a northern presidential candidate while grandstanding to be pursuing the Igbo Presidency Project in 2015. The youth have agreed that they would this time around deal ruthlessly with any Igbo political actor that would try to take Ndigbo for granted politically.”

Efforts to get the reaction of the former governor or the organisers of the event proved abortive. Kalu particularly did not pick his telephone calls.

Meanwhile, reacting to the matter, the National Organising Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Mr. Okechukwu Isiguzoro, said, “What happened to Kalu on Saturday in Enugu is just a tip of the iceberg. We know all those Igbo men who are claiming to be running for the presidency whereas they are actually looking for a northerner whom they would run with. If any of them eventually comes here (South-East) to campaign, we would deal ruthlessly with such person. In fact, the would-be culprit would get a worse treatment than Orji Uzor Kalu.”

“In 2015, it is either we run for the presidency or we stay away. We would not allow any Igbo man to be a running mate to any Northerner. As it stands now, we know those Igbo men we can trust to run for the presidency, and not those who would sell out at the end of the day.

“We are tired of the greed and self-centeredness among Ndigbo and that is why we are shopping for credible candidates who will not sell out our mandate but run and win the elections in 2015. We can’t trust Orji Uzor Kalu and his likes, he has always betrayed us.”

Isiguzoro explained that a larger meeting of Ohanaeze Ndigbo had earlier agreed to adopt a consensus Igbo candidate for 2015 presidential elections.wp_posts