BREAKING: Benjamin Kalu is a Traitor, Beware of Him — Governor Otti Warns Tinubu

Benjamin Kalu is a Traitor, Beware of Him — Governor Otti Warns Tinubu

 

 

The Abia State Government has launched a scathing attack on the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, describing him as a “traitor” and cautioning President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to be wary of his political maneuvers.

 

In a statement issued on Monday by Governor Alex Otti’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma, the government condemned Kalu’s recent criticisms of the Otti administration as “spurious, embarrassing, and infantile.”

 

Ekeoma faulted Kalu’s claims that the state receives ₦38 billion monthly in federal allocations, dismissing them as “barefaced lies” unworthy of a senior legislator.

 

“Abia’s year-to-date FAAC allocation for 2025, including local governments, stands at ₦125 billion. If we were to go by Kalu’s false claim of ₦38 billion monthly, the figure would have been ₦304 billion,” Ekeoma stated.

 

He explained that the real value of federal allocations has been heavily eroded by the sharp depreciation of the naira since Otti assumed office.

 

“As of April 2023, just before Governor Otti’s swearing-in, the exchange rate was ₦460 to a dollar. Today it’s about ₦1,500. This means ₦3.2 billion today is worth what ₦1 billion was in 2023. A project that cost ₦1 billion in 2022 now costs nearly ₦4 billion. Kalu clearly lacks this basic economic understanding,” the aide added.

 

The government further highlighted its key achievements, noting that the administration had raised the minimum wage from ₦30,000 to between ₦70,000 and ₦74,000, while expanding the verified state workforce from 31,000 to over 67,000.

 

“Thousands of workers who were excluded and oppressed under previous administrations have now been reinstated and are being paid. Kalu never raised his voice when this injustice was happening to his people,” the statement read.

 

Ekeoma accused the Deputy Speaker of playing politics ahead of the 2027 governorship race, alleging that his criticisms were part of a “coordinated media attack” against the Otti government.

 

“If Kalu wasn’t a traitor, he would have spoken about the administration of his former boss, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, who received less allocation than his successors,” he said. “He pretends to be loyal to President Tinubu, but Mr. President knows traitors when he sees them.”

 

The statement also dismissed Kalu’s recent remarks at a political gathering in Aba, where he reportedly condemned the Lagos demolitions. Ekeoma described the comments as “a publicity stunt,” insisting that the large crowds at the Aba event were genuine supporters of good governance and not “hired.”

 

Concluding, the governor’s media aide advised Kalu to “take a cold drink, relax, and wait for the right time to declare his governorship ambition,” adding that only those “financially literate” should challenge the administration on economic issues.