Orji Uzor Kalu is the chairman of SLOK Holding and the Daily Sun and New Telegraph newspapers in Nigeria, who served as the governor of Abia State, Nigeria from May 29, 1999, to May 29, 2007.
Speaking to newsmen at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA),
Lagos.
Dr. Kalu urged
Nigerians to work together to ensure a stabilized internal security
system in the country.
He said”Well, when I was travelling precisely on the 26 of April. I
left this airport and I spoke to the airport correspondents and I said
there was a need to collaborate with international organisations.
You see, this issue is not about President Goodluck Jonathan. If we
don’t take time and work together as Nigerians, Jonathan might be the
last Nigerian President.
Jonathan might be the Gorbachev of Nigeria. And that is the truth, so we better wake up.
Political class, business class, military, civilians must now stand up to work for our internal security.
Internal security is more important than anything we have done and I
believe that once we are able to come together Nigeria will be alright.
As of now the country is in pains; the country is in problem and some people are taking it very lightly.
We are suffering from pains of our people; we are suffering from
pains of the Nigerian system. This is not about which part of the
country you come from, it is about Nigeria.
Nigerian people should take what is happening seriously and I am
surprised that the political class and the private sector are still
joking with this matter.
This is a serious matter. Anybody’s child can be kidnapped; whether
it is at Chibok or any other place, Nigerian should take this matter
seriously. Can you imagine how many Nigerians that have been killed; how
many of us that have been wounded. I want people to be as wise as my
grandmother. I want people to take this matter seriously.
Those girls kidnapped are our sisters; they are our daughters. It is
because none of us has lost anybody that is why to some people; it is
looking like a joke. We should stop taking this as a joke and take the
matter very seriously in order to move forward”
“We should not lose what we have. We should be able to come
together as one family and fight because if we don’t take time; I repeat
it for the second time, Jonathan will be the last president of the name
Nigeria” he added.
Commenting on whether the Federal Government should negotiate with
members of Boko Haram on the release of the Chibok girls, Dr. Kalu said
that it was necessary stressing that the lives of the girls were greater
than any other consideration.
According to him, “Government can negotiate formerly or informally.
It can send agents to negotiate on its behalf without getting involved.
The US does this in Afghanistan and other places. It can negotiate
formerly or informally”
He however called for a healthy opposition amongst political parties
in the country noting that it was good for the growth of democracy in
the country.
“It is good for every government to have a good, healthy opposition.
People say APC is saboteurs party, I don’t agree with that. In a healthy
democracy, there is supposed to be criticism. I want my party the PDP
to stand up. It is only in viable opposition that leaders will stand up.
Leaders will be sleeping when there is no opposition” Dr. Kalu
affirmed.
Culled
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