Abia State News Special Report
BOMB (N7.2BN FRAUD): HOW CAN I STEAL MONEY THAT ABIA STATE DOES NOT HAVE, OUK TESTIFIES
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Afnews Editor
Aug 27, 2019
Former Governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, has
denied allegations that he stole N7.2 billion while at the helm of affairs of
the state between 1999 and 2007 as the state has no such funds then.
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The former Governor made this known in the continuation of
his testimony before a Federal High Court in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria to prove
his innocence of the allegation of N7.2 billion level against him by the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
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The former Governor, while responding to a question from his
lawyer, Prof. Awa Kalu (SAN) over the allegation, disclosed that there was no
way he could steal what was not in existence.
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"Abia State doesn't have such money; even the day I was
leaving the office, the state borrowed money to pay salaries. Abia State
doesn't have even a billion naira in any account at the time I was governorÔÇØ,
he said.
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To back up his denial of the allegations, the former
governor, who is currently the Chief Whip of the Senate also spoke about the
difficulties he encountered in running the State with allocations from Federal
government.
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"The monthly allocation of Abia State when I took over in
June 1999 was N168 million. It was averaging between N168 million and N172
million monthly. The first month that I came in, there was even no money to buy
diesel. I spent my own money to run the state for six months.
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"In the year 2000, monthly allocation was between N170
million and N189 million. In 2001, it came to about N302 million to about N380
million. I can recollect in 2002, it was almost the same and in 2003 when the
revenue allocation was changed, we were having about N400 million.
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"The highest money I got as Governor came from 2004 when we
have about N1 billion and from that time up till May 2007 before I left, what
we had was N1.6 billion.
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"Throughout my stay in office, I never owed workers and
pensioners. When I took over as Governor and before I left, we moved it up to
N500 million. It was from this that we were able to do a lot of thingsÔÇØ.
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Kalu had earlier in his evidence told the court that he had
been a successful businessman before venturing into politics.
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Speaking on his line of businesses before he began his
political journey, he narrated: "I was running a group of companies under Slok
Nigeria Ltd and I have a big furniture factory in Maiduguri. I was also trading
in cows. The cows were coming from Chad to Umuahia. I also had a veritable oil
factory in Aba supplying to people in Kano and Maiduguri.
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"I was also into shipping activities with major oil
companies. We also have a very big corn farm in the East and Bauchi.
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"We were major shareholder before another shareholder bought
off First Bank. In 1994, the then Hallmark Bank had a problem and I later
bought majority stake in the bank. We also had major interests in Banks in DR
Congo, Gambia, Sierra-Leone, Liberia and the then Sudan before crisis sets in.ÔÇØ
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The former governor also disclosed that he dealt in buying
and selling of property.
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He further disclosed that he made all his statements to the
EFCC under bad treatment from some police officers.
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"When I learnt they were looking for me, I called Ibrahim
Lamorde that I was in the United States and that I will show up upon my return
to the country.
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"However, when I returned to Nigeria, they were waiting for
me at the airport and whisked me away to their office, after I was beating up
thoroughly by police officers, I asked them what was my offence and they told
me I have been insulting President Obasanjo. Mallam Nuhu Ribadu and Ibrahim
Lamorde later came to apologize to me.ÔÇØ
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The presiding Judge, Idris Mohammed has adjourned till tomorrow
for continuation of hearing.
