Former Abia State Governor, Orji Uzor Kalu has remarked that the All Progressives Congress, contrary to popular belief is not a saboteur party but is indeed providing a healthy opposition to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party.
He made the remarks during an interview when asked if he believed the opposition parties were sabotaging the Federal Government.
His words: “For me, in a democracy, it is good for the government to have a good, healthy opposition. People say APC is a saboteur party, but I don’t agree with that. In a healthy democracy there is supposed to be criticism. So,I want my party, the PDP, to stand up. It is only through the existence of a viable opposition that leaders will stand up. Leaders will be sleeping when there is no opposition. So there is no such sabotage. Even the alleged infiltration of the military by saboteurs or terrorists should be taken as a rumour. Nigerians should have respect for our military. We have good and strong military, which has done well in peace keeping all over the world. The Nigeria military has done exceptionally well to keep peace outside the country, whenever they are called upon to do so.
He called on Nigeria’s business and political elite to take the insurgency in the country seriously so as to nip it in the bud.
“The political class and business class as well as the military, and even some of us civilians must stand up and work for our internal security. Our internal security is more important than anything we have done and I believe that once we are able to come together, Nigeria will be alright. This is not about which part of the country you come from; it is about Nigeria. Nigerian people should take what is happening seriously.
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“What I am saying is that Nigerians should take this matter seriously. Can you imagine how many Nigerians that have been killed by Boko Haram? Can you imagine how many that have been wounded? And how many that have been displaced, rendered homeless, without jobs? These are Nigerians. I want people to be as wise as my grandmother. I want people to take this matter seriously. Anybody’s child can be kidnapped, whether it is in Chibok or in any other place by Boko Haram. Those kidnapped girls are our sisters; they are our daughters. Because none of us have lost anybody to Boko Haram and our daughters have not been kidnapped, that is why some people think it’s a joke. We should stop taking this as a joke and take the matter very seriously in order to move forward.”