Your Imprisonment Is A ‘Badge Of Honour’ – Reps Leadership Tells Kalu

The former Abia State governor and now Chief Whip of the Nigerian senate, Orji Uzor Kalu, has received a solidarity visit from the leadership of the lower chamber of the 9th National Assembly following his release from the Nigeria Correctional Centre in Kuje, Abuja.

Naija News earlier reported that Orji Uzor Kalu has resumed his legislative duties at the nation’s parliament.

The Chief Whip received a warm welcome into the parliament on Tuesday morning as he exchanged pleasantries with legislative staff, security operatives, and colleagues upon his arrival.

However, according to reports, the speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, who was represented by his deputy, Ahmed Idris Wase among other members of the lower chamber during a solidarity visit to the embattled senator said the five months spent by the lawmaker was an honour to his political career.

Wase admonished the lawmaker to see his the occurrence as a “badge of honour” and put aside all that has happened.

He said, “We are here to sympathise with you on what happened and your incarceration. As a politician, I want you to take it as one of those things.

Wase’ statement reads; “First, we congratulate you and urge you to put everything before God and believe it is part of destiny. My leader, the late Chief Solomon Lar, told me not to fear, as a politician, to go to prison.”

“He told me that going to prison is a badge of honour. If you are a good politician, you should be willing to taste prison experience because it will come to you in very many dimensions. That happened to us sometime in the past when we were being chased and humiliated, and he asked us to be resolute and face the issues as they were. He reminded us of how he was sentenced to over 90 to 150 years in prison. He told us that as leaders, there is always a judgement that could be passed.”

“As our leader, we want you to appreciate what God has done for you; use it for the positive development of our country’s judicial system; use it in the interest of humanity.”

In another development, Diana Okonta (South-South); and Ya’ana Talib Yaro (North-East) have been confirmed by the Senate as Non-Executive Directors of the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation.