A stalwart of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief John Okiyi-Kalu, has shed light on his 2027 political ambition, saying that his plan for the people of Abia is to spread tangible prosperity.
JOK, as he is popularly known, said that the future would be very bright for Abia if he emerged the chief executive of God’s own state come 2027.
He assured Abians that he would not only bring about “prosperity that people can see and feel” but also unleash a holistic industrialisation of the state and improve all facets of life through innovation.
Kalu spoke on his plans for Abia after undergoing a successful screening carried out by the PDP governorship screening committee, headed by former governor of Kaduna State, Ahmed Makarfi.
He described the screening exercise as smooth and successful, stating that it was in line with his expectations from a great party like the PDP.
Kalu, who is a former Commissioner for Information, as well as Trade and Investment told journalists that it would be an honour for him to contest the governorship election under a party he trusts so much and has been a member since 1999.
He said that he has consistently remained in PDP, Nigeria’s former ruling party, through thick and thin without defecting to another party, no matter the trials and tribulations.
Kalu took a swipe at the current Abia government led by Governor Alex Otti, saying that achievements ascribed to it were fraught with question marks.
He, therefore advised Nigerians agaìnst falling to cheap propaganda, noting that those resident in Abia already know the reality on ground. According to him, the people outside Abia and in the diaspora tend to swallow the propaganda by Otti administration hook, line and sinker.
He said: “What we have now is a government of 90 per cent propaganda and 10 per cent substance. He(Abia Governor) tells you that he had done 51 smart schools. You can verify from the state account that 54 billion naira was taken away for 51 smart schools, and they do not exist anywhere in Abia State, but you believe him.
“He tells you that he has a rail station, but there is none. He tells people that he built a flyover, but he built none. Just like you believe that Dr Alex Otti did Ariaria International Market remodelling, which I obviously did from scratch to finish as a Commissioner for Trade and Investment.
The PDP gubernatorial aspirant stated that people outside Abia “are free to believe whatever (they) wish” since they’re neither from Abia, nor work in the state.
However, he insisted that “those from Abia know Abia well, and once I move, they’ll all stand behind me” in response to a poser from a newsman who probably does not work in Abia State.
Kalu further stated that he wants to change the narrative of governance in Abia, stressing that he has no stomach for primitive accumulation, which he described as the fundamental bane of good governance in the country.
He said that his people would readily testify that “I served in government for eight years and came out poorer”.
The former Commissioner noted that he was “probed repeatedly by all kinds of agencies in Nigeria without fault, (which) means you’re not a man who’s interested in stealing”.
“I think it is a capital sin to steal from the people in order to become wealthy,” JOK said.
The governorship aspirant also has good news for Abia students as they struggle to cope in their educational pursuits amid dire economic challeges.
“I’m a man who’s interested in making sure that every Abia tertiary institution student gets at least 100,000 naira as an annual bursary from the state.
“I’m a man who’s interested in sending at least 100 Abians abroad every year for academic purposes,” he said.
Kalu also promised to take good care of Abia workers, saying that he would ensure that “our least ranked civil servants earn a minimum of one hundred and twenty thousand naira (N120,000) as an after-tax minimum wage”. , with regular promotion, wage adjustments and allowances, among other benefits.
“I’m a man who’s interested in building more industries, particularly in the garment and shoe clusters, for the employment of young Abians,” he said.
Kalu spoke further on Abia governance, saying that his interest is beyond road construction because in his own rating of governance, road construction is elementary, as it only involves signing a contract for it to be done by others.
He said: “There’s no innovation there. Of course, I’ll build roads and flyovers where necessary. I see the traffic need for a flyover at Waterside Ogbor-Hill, Aba, and I’ll deliver that. I see a need for it at Isi Gate, Umuahia, and of course in my community, Abiriba where people are dying because of Ugwu Enuda.”
On his plans for agriculture, Kalu said that it has always been in his mind that agriculture would be given a pride of place in Abia under his watch, saying that Abia would become a global giant in palm produce.
“If you’re talking about agriculture, I’ll let you know that I’ve always seen how Abia will show Malaysia that there’s nothing special they’ve done with the Tenera palm seedlings that we can’t do much better here.
“We shall put special focus on palm trees and proliferate them so much that people will want to rename Abia Palm State. Palm trees will be in your face when you visit Abia on my watch,” Kalu said.
The health sector would equally receive adequate attention in his agenda for Abia’s good governance because “I understand the need for the health care of my people”
The former government spokesman explained that his plan is that “every senatorial district (in Abia) must have at least two tertiary health institutions that will link up with the primary health care facilities through telemetry”.
On education, JOK pointed out that “Abia has some of the best brains in Africa”, recalling that Abia came first on four consecutive years in the West African Senior School Examination.
However, he lamented that the present Abia government is not being since in its avowed claims of revamping the education sector.
“Look at our schools; the current government is deceiving themselves and not Abians with smart schools’ fake stories. However, we’ll come differently because most of our schools are not good to behold anymore.
“The first move I’ll make is to secure our public schools by fencing them round, building accommodations for teachers, headmasters, and headmistresses to reside in their places of assignments in Abia State, and establishing permanent security to protect the facilities we’ll be putting in place.
“Without securing the schools, you cannot deploy meaningful learning equipment, and our beloved children won’t be safe. I love Abia school children and will surely secure them and their teachers on my watch,” .
Kalu scorned at what the Otti administration is puttjng hp as “Smart School”, saying that it “will be a joke compared to what we’re coming up with”.
He recalled how 11 years ago he had witnessed a graduation ceremony of a primary school abroad, and “I felt ashamed of myself. I told my wife that I want to put up something like that as a private person because I own one”.
“However, I now want to execute my plan in Abia State, and I believe we can do it if we end the stealing of public funds,” JOK assured the people of Abia State.
