Orji Kalu’s party, PPA, thanks Abia varsity for stripping former governor of degree

PPA chairman said Mr. Kalu thought of schooling as trading in spare parts
Former Abia state governor, Orji Uzor Kalu’s degree from the Abia State University was a “moral burden” Mr. Kalu’s own party, the Progressive People’s Alliance, PPA, said Sunday, justifying the school’s decision to withdraw the award.
The state university announced the withdrawal on Saturday saying it found out Mr. Kalu’s admission was flawed.

The National chairman of the PPA, Ken Gbalikuma, commended the school for stripping the former governor of the award, saying the decision was “proper” although it came late.
“The award of the certificate to the former governor, who was the incumbent visitor of the university, was patently a clear indication that his admission and graduation violated the institution’s extant rules and regulations,” Mr. Gbalikuma said.
Mr. Kalu has blamed the incumbent governor of Abia state, Theodore Orji, for the withdrawal, threatening to respond “appropriately”.

Mr. Kalu’s recent dispute with Mr. Orji, his former trusted aide, and the irony of his post-office experience, have surprised many.
As former governor, Mr. Kalu founded the PPA, and deployed state and party machinery to install Mr. Orji, then his chief of staff, as his successor.
Both men have since fallen apart, with Mr. Kalu abandoning the party, and seeking to return to his former People’s Democratic Party, PDP.

The withdrawal of the school degree is seen as yet, the highlight of that conflict.
The National Chairman of PPA, Mr. Gbalikuma said that based on the strength of the findings and recommendations of an ABSU’s investigative panel, the decision of the school was in order.
He dismissed allegations that the school’s action was politically motivated; but attacked Mr. Kalu as a politically unstable person.

He said the former governor spent only two semesters in the school, “thinking that the university was a political spare parts shop where any dealer in government can ply the trade by using political power to aggrandize his bloated ego.”

“All political groups in the country to be wary of associating with Kalu as he portends evil in all his undertakings, and would readily tarnish the image of any sane entity,” Mr. Gbalikuma said.