Executive Director of Igbere TV, Emeh James Anyalekwa says the visit of former Abia Governor Senator Theodore Orji to his predecessor and Senate Chief Whip, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu was commendable.

T. Orji, who served as Chief of Staff to Orji Kalu when he was governor, had on Wednesday paid a visit to his former boss at his Abuja residence following his release from the Nigeria Correctional Service, Kuje, Abuja.

He was accompanied on the visit by his wife, his former Chief of Staff and younger brother to Sen. Orji Kalu, Mascot Uzor Kalu and a family friend popularly known as Emma Custom. This is the first visit since 2010.

Reacting in a statement made available to journalists on Friday, in Calabar, the Igbere TV boss said the visit is a show of “political maturity in maximum display”.

Recalling how the Senate Chief Whip, Sen. Orji Kalu had declared putting the past behind him, shortly after receiving his INEC Certificate of Return in 2019, Anyalekwa said the former governor has again walked his talk.

“I wish to say that the visit of Senator T. Orji, former governor of Abia to his former boss and Senate Chief Whip, distinguished Senator Orji Uzor Kalu is a welcome development.”

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“Both in private and public, I have been a passionate advocate for true reconciliation between the two former governors because of my deep conviction that resounding peace between the two most influential leaders in Abia, who are now both key members of the senate, will undoubtedly usher in a period of unprecedented prosperity in the state.”

Anyalekwa, who doubles as National President, Online Media Practitioners Association of Nigeria (OMPAN), subsequently urged the two Abia senators to imbibe Christ’s teachings of forgiveness as true Christians, and continue to work harmoniously both in and out of the Senate in the interest of the state and ndigbo at large.

Anyalekwa also called on political actors in the state who had been fueling the decade old crisis to have a rethink and give peace a chance.

He said Senator Orji Kalu must not lose focus, but rather continue on his path to working assiduously to re-write the history of representation in his (Abia North) senatorial district.

“There are a lot of work to be done in the state (Abia) and across Nigeria, and we all need each other this time and must continue to work together in unity and harmony,” the Igbere TV director concluded.

President Muhammadu Buhari says his administration has “considerably downgraded” security threats such as Boko Haram insurgency and banditry.

Buhari, who said this in his Democracy Day nationwide broadcast on Friday, added that all forms of crimes across the country had also been reduced.

But the president said he regretted the recent attacks in Borno where at least 80 were reportedly killed by Boko Haram insurgents, saying the attackers took advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Ending insurgency, banditry and other forms of criminality across the nation is being accorded appropriate priorities and the men and women of the Armed Forces of Nigeria have considerably downgraded such threats across all geo-political zones,” the president said.

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“All the Local Governments that were taken over by the Boko Haram insurgents in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa have long been recovered and are now occupied by indigenes of these areas who were hitherto forced to seek a living in areas far from their ancestral homes.

“The total collapse of the economies of these areas, which constituted a threat to our food security, has also been reversed with the gradual recovery of farming and other economic activities.

“I regret recent sporadic incidents with the tragic loss of lives in Katsina and Borno States as a result of criminals taking advantage of COVID-19 restrictions. Security Agencies will pursue the perpetrators and bring them to swift justice.”

The president asked states and local governments to revamp their intelligence assets to enable security agencies to “nip in the bud any planned attacks in remote rural areas”.

Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji, has congratulated the Government and people of Abia State on the occasion of this year’s Democracy Day, saying the future is bright for the State.

In a statement signed by the Speaker and made available to newsmen on Friday, Rt Hon Chinedum Orji said: “Democracy remains the best form of government and that is why a majority of the nations of the world prefers the system to any other”.

“We must not forget to seize the opportunity which a day like this provides us to also celebrate our heroes past whose sweat and blood gave birth to our democracy. As leaders, we must use this opportunity to reappraise and recommit ourselves to providing dividends of democracy to our people”, he said.

The Speaker further urged Abians to keep faith with the Government of Dr Okezie Ikpeazu and pray for leaders at all levels. He assured, “that despite the challenges being faced, the future is very bright”.

https://abntv.com.ng/2020/06/orji-kalu-salutes-abn-tv-boss-on-his-birthday-describes-him-as-professional/

The President, Muhammadu Buhari, on Friday, assessed his regime as the nation commemorates Democracy Day and returned a verdict that he has recorded “notable achievements.”

Buhari made the declaration in his nationwide broadcast to the nation.

The President said, “We have recorded notable achievements in the course of implementing our nine priority objectives and are establishing a solid foundation for future success.

“On the economic front, our objectives have remained to stabilise the macroeconomy, achieve agricultural and food security, ensure energy sufficiency in power and petroleum products, develop infrastructure, fight corruption and improve governance.

“We have witnessed eleven quarters of consecutive GDP growth since exiting recession. The GDP grew from 1.91% in 2018 to 2.27% in 2019 but declined to 1.87% in the first quarter of 2020 as a result of the decline in global economic activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”