The Guardian (Nigeria)

Abaribe berates Uzor Kalu over ‘ gutter’ remarks

- From Lawrence Njoku, Enugu

REPRESENTA­TIVE of Abia South Senatorial District, Enyinnaya Abaribe, has berated Senate Chief Whip, Orji Uzor Kalu, over his comments that he ( Kalu) picked him ( Abaribe) from the gutters.

He told The Guardian yesterday that he was worried that Kalu was still in the gutter. Kalu had said at Aba North Ward 1 during his campaign for the All Progressiv­es Congress ( APC) candidate, Mascot Uzor Kalu, for the Aba North/ South Federal Constituen­cy by- election that he picked Abaribe from the gutters and made him deputy governor.

He had also said that Abaribe was so shameless, stressing that he had nothing to show for the 16 years he had represente­d Abia South at the National Assembly.

“He is busy speaking English as if English Language is what we need. We need infrastruc­ture, good roads, schools and hospitals.

“In Abia North, I have given them 19 roads, renovated schools, built hospitals with a lot of empowermen­t in just a year at the Senate. Abaribe is so shameless that he doesn’t even have a road leading to his village in Umuekwensu. It is a big shame,” he said.

But in his reaction, Abaribe who was deputy governor during Kalu’s first term in Abia State, said he was worried that his former boss had refused to leave the gutter. “If Kalu said he picked me from the gutters, why is he still in the gutter? That is the question and I think the matter should end there,” he said.

On the allegation­s that he had not attracted any project to his constituen­cy, Abaribe said: “What has that got to do with him? It is my constituen­cy that should be bothered about my representa­tion, not him”.

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