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By Chukwuma Umeorah
Chairman , Senate Committee on Privatisation and former governor of Abia State , Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, has said President Bola Tinubu is fully aware of the economic hardship Nigerians are facing and is taking decisive steps to address the situation.
Kalu, who made this known during a television interview, praised the president for making tough decisions aimed at stabilising the country’s economy.
He said “President Tinubu is aware of Nigerians’ suffering and hunger. Tinubu sometimes drives around Abuja at night with one or two cars to observe what is happening firsthand. He is not a president locked away in a room, but one who is actively engaged and aware of the situation on the streets.”
Senator Kalu said the President was committed to rebuilding Nigeria’s institutions which he noted have been weak for decades. He added that although the current policies may cause discomfort, they were crucial for long-term progress.
Kalu dismissed allegations that senators and lawmakers were receiving exorbitant benefits, including luxury vehicles. He clarified that the vehicles in question were Senate committee vehicles and not personal or official vehicles for individual senators.
“Senators were not given personal vehicles, but rather, the vehicles provided were for committee work, and any member of the committee could use them. No lawmaker was officially handed personal vehicles.”
He disclosed that his total earnings as a senator amount to N14 million per month, including his salary, overhead, and staff salaries. He explained that the amount covers various expenses, such as fuel, travel to his constituency, and maintaining a constituency office.
On alleged plots to remove Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, Kalu firmly denied any such plans, stressing that the Senate remained united.
“Nobody wants Godswill Akpabio out. The Senate is one, and if there were any reason to remove him, it would be done collectively, but there is no such reason.”
Senator Kalu also revisited his long-standing proposal for a six-year, single-term limit for public office holders and argued that the system would help politicians focus more on governance than on re-election campaigns, thereby improving leadership quality. “Do six years, one term,” Kalu suggested, stressing that this approach would reduce the cost of elections and encourage leaders to prioritize national interests over political ambitions.
