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SOMOYELE@aol.com New York, USA

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INTERVIEW WITH GOVERNOR KALU OF ABIA STATE
- MY POSITION AS THE INTERVIEWER

ince the beginning of last week, I have been inundated with varying requests regarding my interview with Gov. Kalu of Abia State which was conducted via telephone at his Maryland home on Thursday January 29th 2005 in the interview he had opened up to me about many issues regarding his relationship with President Obasanjo and the state of the Nigerian nation.

It has become very important here to reiterate that I indeed conducted a very frank interview with Gov. Orji Kalu on the said date and the outcome of the interview was that which was published on Nigeriaworld.com and also partially by the Guardian newspapers in Nigeria, amongst other publications around the globe that have requested permission from me to reproduce the interview. In the said interview, the Governor in his characteristic self did say a lot of things which in some cases were new about the way he felt about President Obasanjo and the way and manner he had carried out governance in Nigeria since coming to power in 1999.

Let me make it clear that in interviewing him I was not out to polish his image or leave any stone unturned so that the real truth can be told about the situation of things in Nigeria. In this regard, I asked him a lot of hard but fair questions about himself. I was also empathically clear to him that I was not doing the interview as a journalist only but mostly as an activist who believes firmly in the cause of justice for all Nigerians regardless of ethnicity, religion or class.

He thanked me after the interview and gave me all his telephone numbers ranging from his house in London and cell phone number in Nigeria in addition to his office and official residence in Umuahia, Abia State. Shortly after we concluded the interview, he called me back to ask more about my background, WHICH I REITERATED TO HIM AGAIN AND ASK HIM TO DO HIS RESEARCH ABOUT ME. HE SAID THAT HE WAS DOING IT BECAUSE; HE WOULD WANT US TO BE GOOD "FRIENDS" FROM NOW ON! And that he thinks I can be of help in his presidential bid.

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To these overtures, I responded that my friendship with anyone is predicated upon my conviction that they will be doing the right things for our country Nigeria and that as for his presidential bid, I have no interest in working for anyone, infarct I made it clear that I am more in support of a revolution in Nigeria. He laughed it off and said Nigerians are cowardly people and therefore there can never be a revolution. Five minutes after hanging up with him, I received another call from a fellow named "Zobee" with a Maryland number, he said he wanted to be sure that I am a journalist and that he also wants to know which newspaper I worked for, I asked him how many journalist he knew and he just laughed and I reiterated to him that though I have taken to writing for the African magazine since year 2001, I will be publishing this interview by different means and most importantly through the independent media. In the background, Gov. Kalu told him, that I already told him who I was and we ended the conversation like that.

After publishing the interview, now in more than seven countries around the world, I received a deluge of enquiries from readers who ultimately loved it. Also, I received e-mails from some others who raised new questions for the Governor, especially concerning the rigging of the elections for his brother in Abia state. As I contemplated a follow up with the Governor, I received the news of my father's death and had to return back to Nigeria suddenly for the burial. As I was returning back from Nigeria, I put a call to the Governor so as to follow up on some new questions raised by the interview. He picked up the phone, and at first he denied ever knowing who I was, I insisted that he knew me and then he said "hey you are the guy who said I called Obasanjo a killer, ol boy, you know say, as a Christian I will never call anyone a killer, now my parents are now worried about the interview and I just can't remember saying such things". I quickly reminded him about all the things he said and he said to me that he himself hadn't read the interview. I told him, that I had called him because of allegations of election rigging against him. He said, well I am in Ilorin at General Adisa's burial and I can't talk now. I asked him if he was denying the interview and he said, "no", but that he was worried about the way his family was taking it!

He immediately proposed that I come to Umuahia the next day by air, I told him that I have no business visiting him, since I don't patronize public office holders. And that I think with due respect he's a wimp and a flip-flopper, who can't hold any strong positions for a long period of time and I wondered if that is just his natural style. He repeated to me that he has two parents who worry too much about his safety. Quoting him: " Ol' boy, you know this country now it is not easy to stand for the truth". He then started acting in a way that sounded desperate to me, he asked if he could have someone meet me in Lagos before I depart, I declined and said that I don't meet with proxies and in any case we don't have any reasons to meet. I knew the game too well and I left on that note. I was to read as I returned back to the US that he denied ever knowing me or doing any interview with me.

It is amazing that as he was denying the interview, the presidential spokesperson was also announcing to State House correspondents that the Governor has written an apology letter denouncing the interview. He was quoted as calling me all kinds of name and accusing me of all types of things, but I have no intention of joining issues with him.

As an activist and recently veering into journalism, I was not surprised that Governor Kalu denied ever granting me an interview, in my introduction to the interview I had said that I wasn't trusting of public office holders in Nigeria. In my view, they have zero credibility and Governor Kalu is not any exception.

I have taken the pain to explain to the reading public my interaction with the governor, because the interview has become very popular both at home and abroad. It is interesting that rather than receive requests for a rejoinder I have been inundated with requests to reproduce the interview everywhere.

The other dimension has been a developing pattern of threats, harassments and "warnings" by some characters from within and without the security agencies on my person since the Governor denied the interview. Expectedly these threats have come from a few groups and individuals who have taken it upon themselves to defend Governor Kalu by any means necessary. Some of them have shamelessly adduced ethnic coloration to the interview.

I would like to restate here without any fear or fervor that I am undeterred by such threats, this may sound like a cliché, but the reality of my life is that I do not worry about human security in my type of career. My first duty as an activist is to discharge my responsibility of speaking truth to power on behalf of our oppressed people fearlessly and courageously in a manner that is fair and just, I am wholly convinced that this interview fulfills that important condition.

I therefore stand by the content of the interview granted me by Governor Kalu 100%.

I will continue to work assiduously to help liberate our motherland (Nigeria) from internal colonialists with the hope that someday Nigerians can have a fresh lease of life with or without me. I am convinced that the tenure of the conscienceless power in Nigeria will very soon draw to perfidious end!

Omoyele Sowore is Ex-President, University of Lagos Students Union (ULSU) 1992/1994