Alleged Of Sealing Off Kalu’s Ikoyi Home Because He Condemned Deportation Of Igbos – Fashola Reacts

The sealed house

A property belonging to former governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, in Park View Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos, was sealed off yesterday by the Lagos State government.

This action, especially from Kalu’s quarters, is believed to be a revenge ploy by Governor Fashola.

Reacting to the sealing of the house, Kalu’s Special Adviser on Media, Emeka Obasi, said it

was done as a revenge for Kalu’s condemnation of Fashola’s deportation of 72 Igbos from Lagos.

He added, “Why is it that it is now that the property is being sealed, barely two weeks after my boss disagreed with the action of Fashola? We maintain our stand and this will not distract us from fighting for the people.

“The action of the Lagos State Government remains unconstitutional because every citizen of Nigeria has a right to live in any part of the country. Fashola should remember that the Igbo community constitutes about 35 per cent of registered voters in Lagos State and they should be treated like they matter in the scheme of things.”

Emenike Ojukwu, Kalu’s aide, who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES  from Washington also  claimed the sealing of the property is not unconnected to an article written by Mr. Kalu in the wake of the “deportation” of some Igbo indigenes to Onitsha by the Lagos State government. Kalu had in the article told Fashola to apologise to the Igbos for the deportation and threatened to sue him if he failed to do so.

Also speaking from New York, Kalu himself told THISDAY on the phone that he was informed that his house was sealed at about 4pm yesterday but he had no details as to why the place was sealed.

“The Lagos State Government cannot intimidate me. It is a wrong thing Fashola has done and he is pursuing the wrong person. He is not the owner of Lagos.  It is the wrong strategy on the part of the government,” he said.

However, the state government has denied the allegation, saying the property was sealed over Kalu's failure to pay the statutory annual land use charge despite three separate notices.

It was also learnt that Fashola, on learning about the sealing off of the property, had directed that it should be reopened.

The governor, however, directed the Land Use Charge agency to give Kalu an additional 14 days grace to pay the levy.

But the governor also told THISDAY that he had no reason to go after Kalu, saying: "To go after someone for freely speaking his mind? No, we're not like that." 

Siddon look na dog name abi? ? *grabs a seat!