Chukwu David 
…Says he spends $10,0000 to fuel his aircraft
…Lauds APC victory at Edo
Worried by the worsening economic hardship among Nigerians, former Senate Chief Whip, Senator Orji Uzo Kalu, on Tuesday, appealed to President Bola Tinubu, to urgently review his current economic reforms.
Kalu made this appeal while fielding questions from journalists in Abuja, at Senate’s resumption after two months recess, urging President Tinubu to consider the increasing hardship borne by Nigerians on a daily basis as a result of the current economic reforms.
This was as the lawmaker lamented that he was spending an estimated sum of $10,000 to $20,000 to fuel his aircraft anytime he travelled, leading him to suspend the use of the private jet.
The politician, who took a tour of his Senatorial District while on recess, expressed concerns at the level of hunger and hardship being experienced by his people as a result of the current economic measures by the federal government.
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His words: “The hardship is true, people are suffering. We have hundreds of thousands of workers, we have about 10,000 workers in our group that we run. We need to pay those salaries. If I fly at any time, buying fuel and maintaining the private plane takes almost $10,000, $20,000.
“I called our senior members in the group and said when I have to make my own sacrifices it is not for the federal government, it is the good of the company. So I said fly no more, fly commercial and saved the money for restructuring our workers both in Nigeria and West Africa so that everybody must feed in this time of hardship.
“We feel that the reformation going on now has not happened in the last 60 years. No President had the courage to do what President Tinubu is doing now. It is about courage. The man is very courageous. Possibly, if I’m President, what he is doing now to reform the economy, I won’t do it. I might come slowly.
Continuing Kalu noted: “Even in my village, everywhere I go, companies everybody, there is hardship, but I appeal to the federal government, the President should know how he can bring succour quickly to the people of Nigeria. He has to do something not yesterday, but today. He must do something like yesterday because the condition of the Nigerian people is not too good. I believe that no president in the world elected by people would want his people to suffer.
“I’m not in the economic team, I have not seen the president or anyone to ask but this is what (return of subsidy) the president has to sit with his economic team to discuss, but the decisions he has taken are what no president in the 60 years of the republic, no president has been able to take that decision.”
On the victory of the All Progressive Congress (APC) at the just concluded Edo governorship election, the lawmakers congratulated the national chairman, the national secretary, and members of the NWC, including the senators for their roles in the victory by the party.
“They have worked so hard for Edo and I believe that whoever works hard for election deserves to win.
“The election is about numbers, when you have the numbers on ground, you win. When you don’t have the numbers you don’t win. INEC has declared the winner and they (Okpebholo) deserve the win, because it is the most organized party, in terms of togetherness, there is no political party,” he said.
On the rumours of death, Kalu said,” I listened, there was nothing wrong with me. I took permission from the senate president about seven days before the senate closed I went for a little study in one of the universities that I paid for myself not that anyone paid for me. I went to do some courses for two months so I used the holiday period to do courses on democracy and the economy. …
