- By Kenneth Udeh, Abuja
Come November 5th 2021,the Kebbi Emirate, also known as the Argungu Emirate located in the town of Argungu in Kebbi State, Nigeria, will confer on the former Governor of Abia State and current Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu with the revered traditional title of KIBIYAN KABI (Commander of the Archers of Kebbi Kingdom).
Senator Orji Kalu was notified of his conferment in a letter written by the Emir of Arugungu in Kebbi State,His Highness, Alhaji Mohammed Mera.
Senate Majority Leader Abdullahi Yahaya(APC-Kebbi) in company of representatives of the Emir presented the letter to Kalu in Abuja on Wednesday.
Reading the letter to Kalu on behalf of the Emirate council, Senator Abdullahi added that the traditional event will be held during the annual international fishing festival in Arungun Kebbi State.
The Monarch in another letter formally invited Senator Kalu to his 25th coronation anniversary and the wedding ceremony of his first daughter Habiba to Engr. Abubakar Haruna, Garkuwan Kabi (MD/CEO Kaduna Electric).
A Lecture will also be delivered from 10.30am to 12.00noon at Emir’s Palace, to be followed by the Special Prayer & Wedding Nikkah after Jummu‘ah Prayer at the Muhammad Mera Central Mosque.
A book detailing the rich cultural heritage and history of one of the oldest Emirate in Nigeria Argungu was also presented to Senator Orji Uzo Kalu.
It was also announced at the gathering which had the presence of journalists at the National Assembly that President of the Senate, Senator Ahmed Lawan will also be Honoured alongside Orji Kalu with a traditional title.
In his remarks, Senator Kalu appreciated the Argungu emirate in considering him worthy of receiving the traditional title.
Kalu described the gesture as a laudable testament that Nigeria will continue to exist as one indivisible entity. He thanked His Royal Highness, Alhaji Samaila Muhammadu Mera for the honour conferred on him and congratulated the emir on the upcoming wedding fathiha of his daughter, Habiba.
He further informed that the traditional conferment will be second traditional title in Kebbi saying that the first one was bestowed on him by the Gwandu emirate council in 2004 in Gwandu area of the state.
Kalu stressed that the unity of Nigeria was being strengthened and hence politicians must focus on sustaining it.
“I would like to use this opportunity to call on politicians to focus on the unity of the country, focus on the problem of banditry, focus on the problem of the people rather than focusing on the election coming on in the two year’s time.
“People of Nigeria should focus on the unity of Nigeria today because the unity of the country is more important to us today than any other thing we are going to do.
“If we are overrun by bandits, we will not be able to run for election.
“Those who are sabotaging the government should stop henceforth, so that we will live in a very conducive environment.”
He urged Nigerians to support the governments at all levels and the security agencies in the fight against insecurity.
“The government alone can not do this fight,it is for everybody to fight and win, and so we must report back to our security agencies, where we find any challenge,” he said.
The former Governor also used the opportunity to engage journalists to address national issues most especially the spate of violence and attacks in the Southeast region.
As a means of addressing the challenges Senator Kalu advised President Buhari to conciliate ‘Ndigbo’
The Senate Chief Whip,described the resurgence of attacks and insecurity in the Southeast as unfortunate, saying the impasse was not beyond a discussion that could restore peace and tranquility in the region.
He said, the situation cannot be solved politically, but through pacification of the people of the Southeast, adding that a committee should be set up to interact with the aggrieved.
Kalu asserted that President Buhari as a father of the nation should look into the grievances of the people of the Southeast with passion.
He said : “My position has always been that Buhari is the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and he is a father. As a father, the President should look passionately towards that Southeast.
“There is nothing special about people not being listened to. Buhari is the president of Nigeria. The problem can be solved not by political means and the South East governors should do more than they require. I was a governor and not just a senator. Governors should interact more with the people, as it’s not just the work of the President.
Kalu said governors should not abdicate from doing all they could to ensure peace, but should show commitment, instead leaving security issues to President Buhari.
According to him, it was normal that good and bad children exist anywhere, but depending on how they were handled, the nation needed unity more than anything else now.
“Our governors should do more, the President being the father of the nation. They might have some good children, some bad children. In the kingdom of a.King, you may have all kinds of people, so I want the President to look passionately into that area.
“Let him look back as a father of the nation and see how he can set up a small Committee and pacify the area, because this country needs unity more than anything that we needed.
“Without unity, those who are planning to run for House of Assembly election, Senatorial election and Presidential election are going nowhere. So it’s a thing that the president as a father and the people of the Southeast should sort themselves out.”
