OPINION:Can Benjamin Kalu Be Trusted? Part I

By Ndimele George

There once lived a farmer who found a venomous viper while walking home after a busy day at his farm. The snake was freezing to death in the cold evening harmattan breeze. The pitiful snake pleaded with the farmer, begging to be let into his warm coat, where it could rest until it had regained its strength.

The farmer thought himself a kind man, so he picked up the innocent looking viper, and wrapped it within his coat to make it warm. The viper, revived by the warmth, bites his rescuer, who dies realizing that it is his own fault.

Suffice I to say that one should never expect a reward or any act of good from the wicked, no matter what you do for them. The farmer knew that there was enmity and natural antipathy between his kind and the snake’s, but he was moved by empathy. He failed to realise that a serpent in the bosom, a mouse in a bag and fire in a barn gave their hosts an ill reward.

This diegesis is an analogy of the man – Benjamin Okezie Kalu, chief manipulator number one deceiver and betrayer of trust.

Recently, Kalu, publicly declared that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will take over the governance of Abia state in 2027. This pronouncement is laughable and anyone who knows Kalu would never take a man who betrayed his political godfather, seriously.

Isn’t this the same Kalu who was accused by Ikechi Emenike of sowing seeds of discord among APC party members and using propaganda and blackmails to disunite the party for his own selfish interest, during the 2023 elections?

Who would take a mole like Kalu who was busy hobnobbing with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seriously? Of course, he’ll always do what he knows how to do best – betray – just as he did to Ikechi Emenike.

A man who instigated a lot of crisis in the APC and even went on to discourage Ikechi from reconciling with other factions in the party.

Kalu has always been known as a man whose belly is his god. No wonder he accepted the offer to be Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives which is the 6th position in the hierarchy of office and position of power in the nation, against the collective decision of Ndigbo.

Kalu has constantly brought nothing but insults and ridicule to not just Abians, but the entire South-East, by agreeing to play second fiddle to other zones. A dishonest man who is constantly at war with his party men over his selfish interest cannot determine who becomes what in Abia State.

As is typical of a deceiver like Kalu, he crept into Alex Otti, who gave him warmth, only to turn around and betray the people’s governor. You claim to be friends, what kind of friend are you, Benjamin “Brutus” Kalu? It’s quite unfortunate that Otti trusted a scoundrel like Kalu and allowed him within his circle. Kalu’s actions towards his ‘friend’ Otti is as a chill and wily snake that was cherished in the governor’s bosom.

His track record and actions suggest that his trustworthiness is questionable. His sudden confidence in the APC taking over Abia state in 2027 is nothing but a desperate attempt to cling to power. His statements come across as more of a rallying cry for his party than a genuine concern for the people of Abia state.

Kalu’s commendment of Otti’s performance as governor while simultaneously stating that Abia should be governed by the APC reeks of political opportunism. Is he genuinely interested in the welfare of Abia state or just trying to score cheap political points?

If he really cares about the people, then his assertion that the APC will determine who becomes the next governor of Abia state without considering the will of the people is deeply troubling. Does he believe in democracy or is he trying to impose his party’s will on the people?

Can he be trusted to prioritize the interests of the people over his party’s ambitions? Only time will tell, but for now, his trustworthiness remains in question.

Asides recruiting the same crop of kleptocrats who looted Abia’s treasury, into APC, what other achievements does he have?

Kalu’s arrogance and sense of self-importance led him to betray his former boss and mentor, Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu, demonstrating a callous disregard for loyalty and friendship. His ruthless ambition and desire for power drove him to turn against Orji Uzor stabbing him in the back with calculating precision. Kalu is nothing but a man with no integrity and honour left, trying to get relevant and recognised by the central government.

Like the viper in the farmer’s coat, Kalu’s true nature has been revealed, leaving a trail of destruction and chaos in his wake. Abians now knows who the real Benjamin Kalu is, a man whose thirst for power and self-interest has led him down a path of destruction, leaving his reputation in tatters.

Abians must demand integrity, honesty, and transparency from those in power and reject those who would seek to exploit and deceive us. Only then can we build a brighter future for ourselves and for generations to come.

To be continued…