From: Okey Sampson, Aba

Former governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, was in Abia State recently where he delivered lectures at the 2017 Nigerian Bar Association ( NBA), Aba Law Week and also at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU), after which he fielded some questions Journalists.

Some Nigeria leaders including you have been calling for restructuring of the country, what does it mean to restructure the nation?
When we talk about restructuring, we don’t mean dividing the country, we are thinking of restructuring some social, political and local indices of the structure called Nigeria. This is because the 36 states are fairly looking as if they are not viable. And if they are not viable, what do you do? Is for you to either go back to regions or leave the six regions and go for eight to 10 regions and make them points of administration of the nation. So, I believe that when we say restructure, people who think we are questioning the unity of the country are not getting it. This country’s unity is not negotiable by any part; nobody can negotiate the unity of this country.

You have also been an advocate of state police, but a lot of people are afraid that it could be abused by state governors. What’s your take on this?
No, when we talk of state police, we mean those that will be democratically elected by the people, particularly their leaders. The leader must not necessarily be a police officer, the police officers will be there, but their leader will be democratically elected by the people. The Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) in the local governments will be democratically elected by the people. The laws of the land should be amended to accommodate this. Go to the United States of America (USA), New York police chief is not a policeman, and a policeman can also contest to be elected into the office. By this, running the police will become a professional thing in that any lawyer, any mechanical engineer, any medical doctor can run to become a police chief in Abia, Imo or Rivers States. So, they will be directly elected by the people.

How would they function effectively since they are not trained policemen?
It does not make any meaning since there will be trained policemen under them, they are just there to make policies for the police. It has been tested in America, it has been tested elsewhere and it is working, so, they are not supposed to be trained policemen. Somebody like me for instance who has been governor might come back to run for chief police officer, it happens everywhere.

IPOB has come out to say there will be no election in Anambra State if a date for referendum for Biafra was not given. What’s your reaction?
It will not be fair for IPOB to say that, it is unconstitutional. They have the right to agitate for Biafra, but have no right of disrupting people’s process of registration or electing their leaders. IPOB people have every right to agitate, after all , we have free speech in the country, everybody has right to agitate for what he feels is right for him, but that should follow due process.
You know, I went to prison to see Nnamdi Kanu when he was there and I spoke with him. I also almost at the same time visited his parents at their Afara Ukwu, Umuahia country home and I also spoke with them. That does not mean I’m in support of what he is doing as some people many tend to believe. At the same time, I’m not against his agitation, he has that right, but like I said earlier, it must follow due process. I wish they will understand where the world is going; none of the world powers supports the division of Nigeria.
What I think we should do as a people is to come forcefully and demand for our rights, right of being president of this country, right of having equality, right of social justice and right of being treated with the same law; these are what we should be asking for.

Recently, Arewa youths gave Igbo in the North quit notice to leave by October 1, what’s your take on this?
I have spoken on this several times, I think that is not the right thing to do; you cannot ask a Nigerian citizen to leave from where he or she is living and I also believe that people who gave that order are not serious , so, people like us cannot lose sleep over that because the unity the country is non negotiable.

About a month ago, you told Nigerians that you saw President Muhammadu Buhari in London and that he was doing well. But days later, Gov Ayo Fayose of Ekiti said the president was on life support, what actually is the true position?
Gov Fayose made his statement on June 6, but I saw the president on June 2, so, I can’t say what happened after I saw him. All I will say is that the man was in good condition when I saw him.

What’s your assessment of the acting president?
No, I cannot assess the acting president, but he has full presidential powers when the president is not around, but I will not be able to assess him for now.

As the vice chairman of the APC committee on Anambra governorship election, what are the chances of your party winning that election in November?
We are working very hard, the chances are high and Anambra people have realised that they need to belong to the mainstream of Nigerian politics. The people also have realised that APC is not a Hausa or Islamic party, but a political party for all of us. Anambra people have also realised that it is good for their state to be genuinely with the federal government instead of staying where they are not supposed to be.

Picking candidates for elections of this nature has of late posed problem which most times leads to imposition, will this be different?
The party primary is going to be very easy because the election will be transparent and if election is transparent, he that wins is the candidate of the party. The most important thing is that both the national chairman and the national working committee are committed to holding a very transparent primary in Anambra State.

What are the chances of APC winning the election proper in Anambra State?
There is no doubt APC is going to win because the people of Anambra State know that APC is very popular there now, APC is the party everybody wants to join and APC is where they are suppose to be.

2019 is drawing nearer; do you have the intention of contesting for any elective position?
The answer is yes and no, depending on what my constituents want me to do. I come from Abia North senatorial district and they are in dare need of my service and I come from a larger polity called Nigeria, they are also in dare need of my service, it depends on which one comes first then I will show interest.

Some people are calling for a president of Igbo extraction in 2019, are you in support of this?
I still think the Northerners have four more years to do after 2019, but if they are not ready to do it, whoever that will be ready will come up, but I’m sure they will be ready to do it, to complete eight years of Buhari’s administration.

You are into many businesses, but people are wondering why you’ve not established Radio or TV stations in the country. What’s happening ?
I wouldn’t like to answer that question, investment is by choice, whenever my mind directs me to do that, I will do it.

I know you built a university here in Igbere, what is holding its take off?
It is also on the card, the buildings are ready, everything ready to go. We’ve been working on it; I don’t want to establish a university that after five years, will still be having 500 students. I want to establish a university that after just one year, it will have about 10, 000 students. So, I’m still working on it, if I can succeed on the plans I have, I will do it, if I can’t succeed now, I will still keep it in the cooler.

APC is waxing stronger by the day in Abia State; would that give it an edge in the governorship in 2019?
Definitely, APC will win Abia State. You see what is happening on the Streets of Abia, people desire APC to come to power here and we will present a formidable candidate to be able to win that election.

There is this rumour making the rounds that the present governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu may join APC. If he joins, will he be given the ticket to run?
Gov Okezie Ikpeazu is a Nigerian citizen; he is free to join any political party he likes including APC. Once he joins, he will follow the due process of anybody joining APC to run for governorship. If he wants to do that, I don’t think he will be stopped from running.

We gathered that you met your successor in office at an event recently for the first time since you left office and he did not come to greet you, how did you feel about that?
I didn’t feel any how, I didn’t even notice he was there. I felt it was not too kind of him to see his former boss and didn’t come to greet him. I will not do that to my past bosses myself.

Recently you delivered a lecture to students of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU), what informed that ?
It was to arouse the students to be leaders of tomorrow, to let the students learn how to do things for themselves, and remain focused.
Although education is key to success, it cannot give you where you want to be in life if you do not think of discovering other areas. Discovery and curiosity are the major indices that you can use to succeed. So, I wanted them to think loud and know that they could do things they did not study in the university and succeed in life.

At another lecture you delivered during the 2017 NBA Law Week in Aba, you condemned the manner EFCC handled cases involving some Judges, where exactly did they err?
No, no, I did not condemn them out rightly, but I want them to follow due process in whatever they do. When they follow due process, whoever is found guilty should go to jail and those who are not guilty should be allowed to go home. This is what I said and I stand by it.