Abia North: No South East Senator Has Done More Than Orji Kalu
The lawmaker representing Abia North Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, has recorded more impactful developmental interventions than any other senator from the South East, an aide of the former Abia state governor, has said.
The aide, Sunny Idika, stated this on Friday while addressing Ohafia Summit, a prominent think-tank forum comprising eminent scholars, community leaders and international journalists.
According to him, the senator facilitated a foreign direct investment estimated at about 500 million dollars into Abia North, noting that the investment is already yielding tangible results across several sectors.
He explained that projects linked to the investment include the establishment of a cashew nuts processing industry in Igbere, the construction of a solar light manufacturing factory, described as the first of its kind in Abia State, a tricycle (Keke) assembly factory, as well as expansive cassava, cocoa and other agricultural farms across communities in the district.
“These are projects that people can see and feel in their daily lives,” Idika said.
On education, the aide said the senator intervened after observing the poor state of public schools in many communities within the zone.
“If you move round schools in our communities, you will weep,” he said. “There are insufficient classrooms and desks, and many parents struggle to feed their families, not to talk of buying uniforms, textbooks or sandals for their children.”
He disclosed that the lawmaker facilitated the construction of over 120 classroom blocks across Abia North, supplied desks, and ensured the provision of complete textbooks, with emphasis on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects.
Idika further revealed that more than 20 students from the district are currently studying Medicine and Surgery in different parts of the world, with support linked to the senator’s educational interventions.
Addressing road infrastructure, he explained that several projects described by critics as substandard were executed through federal ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) under empowerment and rural intervention programmes.
“Most of these projects were originally designed as small empowerments such as motorcycles or minor grading of rural roads,” he said.
He added that some of the roads were constructed at costs ranging between ₦50 million and ₦80 million, noting that in many instances the implementing agencies did not fully fund the projects.
“That is why many lawmakers avoid such interventions,” Idika said. “They prefer empowerments because they are cheaper and easier.”
He maintained that the senator’s approach prioritises long-term community development, insisting that his record remains unmatched among his South East contemporaries.