Kalu Denies Links with Okija Shrine
From Emeka Osondu in Umuahia
Abia State Governor, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu, has denied the claims by one Mr. Chijioke Okoro alleging that he and his mother, Mrs. Eunice Uzor Kalu took aides to Okija shrines in Anambra State to take oath of allegiance.
In a release signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Onuoha Udeala, Kalu denied knowing Okoro who claimed that he was a former aide of the governor.
Kalu added that he has never taken any of his aides - former and serving - to any place to swear to any form of oath.
According to him, "the only person I have with me who bears the name Okoro is Isaac Okoro, an Assistant Superintendent of Police. In our state, nobody has been killed politically since we came to power, not even a fight after a political meeting. Nobody has gone to anybody's home to make trouble for political reasons. I don't encourage such and I will not tolerate such. I am a man of peace".
He challenged the petitioner and his "faceless sponsors" to produce proof of all his claims and urged the police high command to launch a full scale investigation to get to the root of the orchestrated campaign to malign him and rubbish his image and reputation.
" The only shrine I know in my life is the shrine (Grotto) of the Virgin Mary, revered in the entire Catholic Church. I am a devout Christian, God-fearing and I wish to state categorically that I do not have any business with the Okija shrine. I challenge the accuser to make available to the Police, his letter of employment, identity card, payslip and other such accoutrements of legitimate employees to substantiate his claims," he said.
He noted that the disgruntled elements behind the plot have tried and failed in other attempts to discredit him. He said the same group came up with this scheme in order to cash in on the hype created by the police raid on the Okija shrine to link him with the gory discoveries at the shrines. Scores of headless bodies and skulls were discovered following police raids of Okija shrines.
Kalu noted that the recent proclamation by the Police Headquarters, backed by similar sentiments expressed by other security agencies, adjudging Abia as the safest state in the country, makes nonsense of the claims of the petitioner that people were being killed for political reasons in Abia State.
He reiterated his resolve to shun every distraction in his bid to provide sound leadership to the people of Abia State.
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