My bone of contention with Obasanjo is my N500m - Orji Uzor Kalu

Nsukka: – Former President Olusegun Obasanjo
has been described as the worst leader ever
produced in the country since the advent of
democracy in 1999.
The former governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzo Kalu
made this known at a lecture on youths
empowerment and good governance at the
University of Nigeria Nsukka, UNN, Tuesday, adding
that there was no transparency in government
through out the eight years of Obasanjo’s regime.
Kalu noted that his problem with Obasanjo started in
1999 when he single handedly financed the People
Democratic Party, PDP, lending the party N500
million which he borrowed from the defunct
Hallmark bank, but which the former president
asked the then PDP National Chairman, Chief
Barnabas Gamade not repay.
Orji Uzor Kalu
”As if that was not enough, the former president
closed Slok Airlines (owned by me) as it landed at
the Akanu Ibiam International (then Enugu) Airport
without explanation; shut down Hallmark bank. It
was then that I know the problem had begun,” he
said.
He further said that re-payment of the N500 million
loan formed the major reason for his disagreement
with Obasanjo till date, pointing out that he was
arrested by Economic and Financial Crime
Commission, EFCC, immediately he stepped out of
office and charged with money laundering before
both the United kingdom and America came to his
rescue.
Kalu pointed out that despite all the setbacks faced
by the Slok Group of Companies, it had no fewer
than 13,000 in it’s pay roll and planned to employ up
to 25,000 Nigerians within the next two years.
According to Kalu, youths unemployment was the
biggest social problem in Nigeria today as only
about 50 percent of the people were gainfully
employed.
He noted that it was only in Nigeria that thousands
of graduates remain unemployed years after
graduation, saying that institutions get licensed
without commensurate provision for employment of
youths. Earlier in his opening remarks, the Vice
Chancellor of the UNN, Prof. Bartho Okolo said that
the country had 23.9 per cent unemployment rate,
implying that every 30 people out of 100 were
unemployed.
Okolo was represented on the occasion by the
Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic), Prof Polycarp
Chigbu
Okolo, said that the situation was worse for the
youths because unemployment which stood at 50
percent in 2013 indicated bleak future for the ever
increasing graduates of tertiary institutions in
Nigeria.