I set up Umunneochi cattle market to drive revenue ― Kalu

The Senator representing Abia North at the National Assembly, Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu has explained that his purpose of setting up the Umunneochi cattle market was to drive revenues.

Kalu disclosed this today (Tuesday) during his ongoing mid-term constituency report tour and town hall meetings within localities in Item in Bende Local Government Area of the state where he engaged community stakeholders to analyze the impact of his legislative representation in their communities.

Kalu, who is the Senate Chief Whip said “Like I explained when I visited Umunneochi, the purpose of setting up that cattle market was to drive revenues.

“According to the law, 10% of the revenue obtained from the “Lopkanta” cattle market was divided in two and shared to both the state and local government authorities at 5 per cent each.

“The proceeds were what I used to fund security operations in Abia and you are witnesses to how crimes were curbed in Abia.

“Security remains the constitutional responsibility of both the state and local government.

“When I was the state Governor, I didn’t wait, complain or blame anybody. I used my security votes to fight crime. I even created the Bakassi Vigilante in Abia to augment the activities of the Police and other security agencies in the state to fight crime.

“I also ensured that their activities were restricted to fighting crime and not to meddle in domestic or communal disputes.”

Kalu who said he was not yet on campaign regretted, “only a failed and petty politician is using the insecurity incidents at Lopkanta against me. Anybody coming to meet you must tell you what they have done for the people and their plans, rather than promoting mischievous narratives.

Speaking on infrastructure Kalu disclosed that he has changed the narrative that Legislators cannot construct infrastructure in their rural communities.

“I have shown my colleagues that they must construct projects for their rural communities. Has any Senator in the history of Abia State till today, facilitated the construction of any project except me?” Kalu queried.

Kalu notified that the current projects in their various communities were those captured in the 2019-2021 budgets, disclosing that the projects for 2022 and 2023 were yet to be executed and urged the communities to be optimistic about more developmental projects.

According to him, apart from other completed projects in their various communities, the delay in the execution of other projects is a result of the current economic inflation which has led to the increase in the price of construction materials as against their initial price as listed in the budget when the budget was drafted.

“For instance, at the time we submitted the budget, the price of asphalt used to be N28,000 but now it is N65,000. Likewise the price of diesel and other materials. So that means that we might need to limit the scope of our projects to meet up with the change in prices” the Chief Whip, emphasised.

Kalu further explained that since the provision of infrastructure is the constitutional duty of the state and local government, it will require some requisite influential skill for legislators to attract federal presence to their communities as possessed himself.

In their speeches, the traditional rulers in the area, Eze J.O. Akaliro, Eze Jerry Akpala Igwe, and Eze Silas O. Igwe enumerated infrastructure works done by Kalu, describing the projects as a reference point for election campaigns, assuring that the electorates in their community and the entire Bende will ensure his return to the Senate in 2023.

Speaking during the occasion, the President General of Item Development Association Chief Ogba Nwokoro thanked Sen. Kalu for the road which he constructed during his tenure as Governor and the distribution of empowerment materials, while the community Youth Leader, Comrade Igwe Kalu drew the attention of Sen. Kalu to other areas his intervention is needed.

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I set up Umunneochi cattle market…    I set up Umunneochi cattle market…