Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, representing Abia North Senatorial District, has urged Nigerians to remain patient with President Bola Tinubu’s administration as it undertakes crucial economic reforms aimed at reviving the nation’s economy.
Speaking on Tuesday during an interaction with the Senate Press Corps at the National Assembly, Kalu acknowledged the economic difficulties citizens are facing but expressed optimism about the long-term benefits of the government’s efforts.
Kalu, a former Governor of Abia State and former Chief Whip of the Senate, praised President Tinubu’s boldness in addressing the nation’s economic woes. According to him, no Nigerian president in the last sixty years has undertaken the type of reforms currently being implemented by the Tinubu administration.
“These reforms have never happened before, not in the last sixty years,” Kalu said. “No president, as I’m telling you, has had the courage to do what President Tinubu is doing now. It is about courage. The man is very courageous. In fact, if I were the president, I may not have the same level of determination to take on these reforms all at once.”
Despite his strong support for the administration’s economic agenda, Kalu appealed to the president and his economic team to quickly find ways to alleviate the immediate suffering of Nigerians. He acknowledged the hardship many are experiencing due to inflation, unemployment, and other economic challenges.
“I appeal to the President and his team to urgently find immediate solutions that can bring some relief to the people of Nigeria,” Kalu said. “He has to act now, not tomorrow, because the situation many Nigerians find themselves in is not good. And I believe no president would want to see his people in distress.”
The senator, however, expressed confidence that the administration’s policies, though painful in the short term, would eventually restore the economy to its former strength. “What President Tinubu is doing now will pay off in the long run, but we must all be patient and give him more time,” he said.
In a separate remark, Kalu addressed rumors about his health that had circulated while he was abroad. Refuting the rumors of his death, the senator clarified that he was in the United States for academic purposes, not for medical reasons.
“There was nothing wrong with me,” he explained. “I took permission from the Senate President about seven days before the Senate went on recess. I traveled to the United States to take some courses at a university. I paid for it myself—no one else did. I used the holiday period to attend classes on democracy and economic issues. I didn’t go for any medical check-up or anything like that.”
Kalu added that he remained in good health and that the rumors of his death were unfounded.