By Willy Eya

FORMER governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor- Kalu, yesterday, called on British Prime Minister, David Cameron, to ren­der an immediate and unreserved apology to the Nigerian people and to President Muhammadu Buhari for his embarrass­ing comments on the na­tion.

The prime minister was caught on camera telling Queen Elizabeth II that leaders of some ‘fantasti­cally corrupt’ countries including Nigeria and Afghanistan, were due to attend an anti-corruption summit in London.

But, in a statement, yes­terday, Dr Kalu described Cameron’s statement on Nigeria as “most unfor­tunate and unguarded, given the relationship between Nigeria and Brit­ain, two countries who share very long and deep heritage.”

He advised that, as a responsible government and former colonialist of Nigeria, Britain should handle the matter with the required level of re­sponsibility and prudence to avoid a possible break­down of diplomatic rela­tions between the two countries.

Kalu said the state­ment should be treated with caution especially as the British PM did not state the basis on which he made such assertion which has now become public.

The former governor said: “It is also gross dis­respect and a most un­charitable disposition to the Nigerian people who work hard to earn their living and who have made very positive impact on the lives of the British people and their econo­my.

“Also, such statement, coming from the conve­ner of the summit him­self, just before its com­mencement, suggests that either he doesn’t take the summit serious, or, he is deceptive in terms of his commitment to the Nigerian government in the fight against corrup­tion.”

On Tuesday, a short video footage, published by British television sta­tion, ITV News, showed Cameron telling the queen that Nigeria and Afghanistan are “two of the most fantastically corrupt countries in the world.”

The prime minister was briefing the Queen on countries expected to attend the summit, during an event at the Buckingham Palace, to celebrate the monarch’s 90th birthday.

Other prominent Brit­ish officials present when he made the statement included the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and Commons Speaker, John Bercow.