A group Concerned Abia Professionals has accused the former deputy governor of the state, Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe of losing the opportunity of contesting as the running mate of Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu for a second term in 2003 governorship election in the state as a result of his involvement in what it called criminal forgery of revenue receipts and diversion of public funds to personal pocket.
According to the group, the Abia South Senator while he was deputy to Sen Kalu during his first term in office played an ignominious role and act of criminality that lead to the ouster, stating that he and his cohorts forged the revenue receipts of the state and fraudulently diverted the state’s purse to their personal purse.
The group in a statement signed by Dr. Andrew Chukwuma was reacting to the book titled Made In Aba, authored by Sen. Abaribe in which it accused him of deliberately attempting to malign the character of his former boss, Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu, Abia North, and other illustrious sons of the state.
Concerned Abia Professionals described Senator Abaribe as an ingrate, recalling how Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu allegedly picked him from obscurity and made him a deputy governor.
It says Sen. Abaribe was allegedly languishing in Lagos and struggling to get a ticket to contest for House of Assembly in Abia when he ran into Sen. Kalu who as of then was already made and was the front line candidate for governorship election In Abia.
They say it was when Abaribe ran into Sen. Kalu that his political fortune changed as Sen. Kalu offered him on a platter of gold the deputy governorship slot without previously knowing who Abaribe was.
The release further read, “Indeed Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe owes all his political success to Senator Orji Uzor Kalu and family, who brought him from obscurity and gave him a political future
“The group who is not holding brief for Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu or family stated that they are concerned because Orji Kalu is one the biggest lights from the South East Zone therefore they wouldn’t fold their hands and watch his reputation stained especially since they were privy to what lead to the fall of Enyinnaya Abaribe as deputy governor of Abia state.
“Finally the group enjoins Abains and indeed Nigerians to jettison the masked attempt to tarnish the image of Senator Orji Uzor Kalu whom they hold in high esteem especially when the false assertions vituperated by senator Enyinnaya Abaribe did not in any way directly indict Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu rather he was merely chasing shadows
“Furthermore the group stated that the book ” made in Aba” is incoherent, shallow and empty, and more like a forged memoir of a rabble-rouser.”
