From Kenneth Udeh, Owerri
Senate Chief Whip, Orji Uzor Kalu, has attributed the release of Auxiliary Catholic Bishop of Owerri Archdiocese to divine intervention.
Fr. Moses Chikwe was kidnapped by gunmen on Sunday, December 27, in Owerri, Imo State.
Kalu spoke during a special Mass at Mater Misericordia Catholic Church, Umuzomgbo Ihechiowa, Arochukwu to mark the first Sunday of the New Year.
The former governor said the incident informed his decision to boycot the recent meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Owerri, as protest.
He urged Nigerians to imbibe the spirit of love and national unity, saying it was most needed now in the country. On the state of infrastructure in Abia-North, Kalu said the delays in the execution of some of the road projects was due to impasse between the Senate and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
“The contracts for the construction of the roads in this community has already been awarded, however, the project is being funded by NDDC and the commission was having running battles with the National Assembly.
“Now, the issues have been resolved and I assure you, works will soon commence on those roads in the next few months,” he said.
On his achievements as governor of the state (1999-2007), Kalu said: “When I was governor, we never owed workers and pensioners. I assure you it shall be well again in our dear state. As governor, we dealt with criminal elements, there was nothing like kidnapping. In fact, you dared not kidnap. You cannot even try it because I will deal with you ruthlessly. My duty as governor was to protect lives and property; we flushed criminals out of Aba, Umuahia and other parts of the state.
In his remark, the presiding priest, Rev. Fr. Samuel Okondi, thanked Kalu for his interventions in the infrastructural and political development of the community.