Kalu Defends Tenure, Says Otti Got More Funds in Four Months Than He Did in Eight Years

Former Abia State Governor and Senator representing Abia North, Orji Uzor Kalu, has pushed back against critics of his administration, claiming that the current governor, Alex Otti, received more financial allocations in just four months than he did during his entire eight-year tenure in office.

Kalu made the assertion on Thursday while speaking with journalists at a press briefing held at his country home in Igbere.

The former Senate Chief Whip argued that the level of funding now available to the Abia State Government is significantly higher than what was accessible during his time as governor, stressing that this disparity should be taken into account when judging performance in office.

According to him, most of the projects he has observed under the present administration involve refurbishing or repainting infrastructure originally built during his tenure.

“What I see largely is the rehabilitation and repainting of roads we constructed when I was governor. I have not seen major new roads comparable to what we did,” Kalu said.

He insisted that his record as governor is clear and verifiable, noting that his administration introduced free education and healthcare services for residents of Abia State.

On his role in the National Assembly, Kalu described his legislative performance as outstanding, particularly in rural development. He pointed to the construction of new rural access and farmland roads across Abia North, saying the projects have had a significant impact on local communities.

“In the Senate, the roads I am constructing are entirely new farmland roads. In two years, I have achieved what many thought could not be done,” he stated.

Kalu’s comments come amid sustained public debate over governance and infrastructure development in Abia State, with the senator maintaining that both his time as governor and his current legislative work should be assessed within their proper context.