Take your peace advocacy to troubled states, not Ekiti – Fayose tells Orji Kalu

Governor Ayodele Fayose of Eikiti State has cautioned former Governor Orji Uzor Kalu of Abia State to concentrate his peace advocacy on troubled states in Nigeria where killings and destruction of property have been rampant, and shelve his plan to visit Ekiti State on peace advocacy.

 “Take your advocacy for peace to other parts of the country where security of lives and property of Nigerians is under threat, not Ekiti State that even the Police adjudged as the most peaceful State in the country,” the governor had ordered Kalu who is acting as Chairman of Advisory Board of the National Movement for Re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The former Abia Governor had been traversing the South West under the guile of advocacy for peace, fairness and unity of Nigeria but promoting clandestine agenda of   mobilizing support for President Buhari’s re-election for second term in 2019.

The Special Assistant to the governor on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, in a statement at the week end, declared: “There is no threat to peace and unity of Nigeria from Ekiti State for anyone, including Orji Kalu, to address. Therefore, he should not expect to be welcomed to any palace in Ekiti State.”

A strong appeal was made to traditional rulers in Ekiti State to ignore former Governor Kalu.  “it is an insult on the collective sensibilities of Ekiti people, whose only benefit from the government of President Buhari is hardship occasioned by the government’s cluelessness for anyone to hide under advocacy for peace to canvass support for the President,” the statement declared.

The State Government contended that it was unspeakable that because of his corruption case with the EFCC, Orji Kalu saddled himself with the task of doing image laundering for a President whose government is inflicting sufferings on Nigerians.

Ekiti State Government declared:  “If he has sold his own conscience to the agenda of selling an already rejected product to Nigerians, we in Ekiti State have not, and we are telling him categorically that such advocacy is not welcome in our State.

“He should rather take his peace and unity advocacy to his own State, where he is already rejected and other States where Nigerians are being killed on daily basis by armed bandits.

“It is also ridiculous that instead of joining Nigerians to tell the President the truth about the state of affairs in the country, Kalu is castigating Nigerians that have summoned courage to speak out against the President through letters and public comments.”