Former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, has described the administration of former Abia State Governor, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, as a defining period in the state’s political history, saying Kalu put Abia firmly in the national conversation and made the state punch above its weight.
Chidoka also observed that the momentum recorded during the Kalu era faded after he left office, with infrastructure deteriorating and Abia’s national standing diminishing in the years that followed.
The former minister said Kalu understood the political realities that confronted Abia State and the South East at the beginning of Nigeria’s Fourth Republic and provided the assertive and visible leadership the moment demanded.
Chidoka, who was guest speaker at the Abia State 35th anniversary celebration, stated this while reflecting on critical moments in the state’s history and the role of leadership in shaping its development and national standing.
“At the beginning of the Fourth Republic, the South East was searching for voice and relevance in the new democratic order. Orji Uzor Kalu understood that moment. Young, assertive and politically visible, he put Abia firmly in the national conversation. Abia punched above its weight,” Chidoka said.
