Skip to main content

Give Buhari more time, Kalu begs Nigerians

Image
By


Eminent businessman and former governor of Abia State, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu has appealed to Nigerians to give President Muhammadu Buhari more time to deliver on his campaign promises, saying that one year was insufficient to judge an administration that has a four-year life span.

Kalu, who spoke on Tuesday night, when he hosted Catholic Bishops and the diplomatic community at his Abuja home, also revealed Orji Uzor Kalu Foundation was already discussing with credible international organisations and governments on how to end human trafficking and come to the aid of Nigerians languishing in foreign prisons over drug-related offences.

While acknowledging the current economic downturn and its effects on Nigerians, Kalu, however, absorbed President Buhari and recalled that the country entered recession in 2014.

He said:”Im calling on Nigerian youths to be of good use to themselves. Let me be honest with you, I cannot judge Buhari. He has a four-year mandate to turn things around. He still has time and I expect that he will do something.

“Young people might be feeling frustrated. Government must not do everything. The only thing is that government is not paying enough attention to the manufacturing sector. If I am government, I will pay attention to manufacturing and agriculture.

“You pay attention through the entrepreneurs by giving them single digit loans and opportunities. All the enterprise done by government will not work until they see us as partners. When Dangote was starting his cement factory, he was encouraged by the government. Today, he is all over Nigeria.

“The problem is people are envious and jealous; they see Orji Kalu who is rich, but they do not know what I have gone through to get to this level. They want to be like me, and that is not possible.

“Government should grant more incentives to the entrepreneurs. In June 1999, I told President Olusegun Obasanjo how to solve the power sector by doing something differently We brought people and they promised to fix the power problem up to 75 percent. But Obasanjo refused. The amount needed was N14 billion. If Nigeria can fix power and insecurity, the country will move forward”.

On his effort to come to the aid of Nigerians in foreign prisons, Kalu said: “I’m concerned about human trafficking. That is why my foundation is working with Caritas to ensure that we are able to put in more efforts. I have already discussed with the Secretary-General of Caritas worldwide.

“I’ve been working with Ford and Clinton Foundation on the logistics. You see need to how our young girls in Italy and Spain are being maltreated.

“There are many Nigerians in jail in foreign countries as a result of drug trafficking. Orji Uzor Kalu Foundation has visited seven countries, namely, the United Kingdom, Italy, Portugal, Spain, France, Turkey and Indonesia.

“We pleaded with the President of Indonesia on behalf of those Nigerians that were killed as a result of drug trafficking. This is the first time I am saying this. I was in China few days ago and I spoke with Chinese authorities over the plight of Nigerians in their prisons.

“Many Nigerians have taken to drugs. This gives me concern as a Nigerian. They are not driven like I was when I was a young man. The youths are withdrawn these days. They are not doing enough to help themselves.”

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Post

Buhari tells Nigerians to change for a better future

By
President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday set out his vision for a better Nigeria, imagining an incorruptible paradise where drivers don’t run red lights and internet scams are a thing of the past. In Buhari’s Nigeria, police turn down bribes from rich men driving SUVs, militants in the oil-rich Niger delta lay down their arms, rubbish is thrown in bins, not the street, and workers are on time. “I won’t sell my body for marks,” a student is quoted as saying in a promotional video to launch the initiative before a gathering of high-profile politicians in the presidential villa in Abuja. “I no go do yahoo yahoo or 419 again,” says another in pidgin English, referring to the online scams originating from Nigeria that have snared victims around the world. The “re-orientation campaign” conjures up images of social engineering and Big Brother-style state control but Buhari maintained it was first and foremost about a change in “mindset”. “We must resist the temptation to fall bac...
Post a Comment
Read more

Eating a combination of chilli and ginger could help prevent cancer

By
Past studies have suggested that capsaicin (an active component of chili peppers) may cause cancer. But in a new evidence by scientists, it was observed that the spicy compound in ginger, 6-gingerol, could counter the harmful effects of capsaicin. Researchers at the American Chemical Society, Washington DC, USA found out that eating chilli and ginger together could help prevent cancer. The compounds in ginger and chilli – capsaicin and 6-gingerol –bind to the same receptor on cells. They fed mice prone to lung cancer either capsaicin or 6-gingerol, or a combination of the two compounds. Mice fed with just capsaicin alone developed lung tumours, while those fed with 6-gingerol also had the disease. Interestingly, a large part of mice fed with both capsaicin and 6-gingerol didn’t develop lung cancer. Scientists are, however, optimistic that future studies will focus more on how exactly the compounds interact to help reduce cancer risk.
Post a Comment
Read more

Meet Ime Archibong; the Nigerian who runs things @Facebook

By
Looking at Facebook’s Director of Strategic Partnerships, Ime Archibong, one sees the figure of a Hollywood honcho; the type who keeps you glued to the tube in a box office thriller-crime movie. With his huge, tall frame sitting on a well built macho body, Archibong could have passed for another Arnold Schwarzenegger or Sylvester Stallion of Rambo fame. The difference, however, is that Archibong plies his trade in Silicon Valley and not in Hollywood. He directs activities at Facebook and not on a movie set. He leads the team focused on accelerating Facebook’s product strategy by establishing partnerships, driving product integrations and unlocking new business opportunities with leading companies across multiple industries and sectors. Call him Zuckerberg’s deputy and you would not be far from the truth, because they seem to be Siamese twins in fashioning new ideas that have transformed Facebook into something much more than a social media initiative. The fact that they are ...
Post a Comment
Read more