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Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu who was the Chief Whip of the 9th Senate, went emotional and broke down on Saturday at the valedictory session to signal the end of legislative activities, which began on the 11th of June, 2019.
Kalu thanked his colleagues for giving him unalloyed support as Chief Whip for four years.
He also thanked his colleagues who visited him while in prison.
Orji-Kalu said his election to the Senate gave him a better opportunity to continue to fight for a united Nigeria.
He stressed that he was not a thief before he took to politics, saying that he never lacked anything and could buy anything money could buy.
He said he brought money in 1997 and 1998 to fund and support the formation of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before he became governor, stressing that he was never a thief.
He said those who put him in prison had their reasons to do so, adding that they also took over his businesses.
Read Also: 10th Senate: I Won’t Step Down For Anyone, Kalu Insists
According to him, Nigeria is not fair to people like him.
He said he built factories and manufacturing companies to employ Nigerians and all he got was to be labelled a thief.
Present at the session were Vice-President Kashim Shettima, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, Malam Ibrahim Hadejia, Deputy Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu and Gov. Uba Sani of Kaduna State.
Also in attendance were the Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom, Dr Akon Eyakenyi and former Deputy Governor of Zamfara, Alhaji Hassan Muhammadu.
They were members of the ninth Senate, before their election into new positions on March 18.
The former lawmakers were ushered into the chamber following a motion to suspend senate order as moved by Leader of the Senate, Abdullahi Gobir (APC-Sokoto).
Before the session, senators present were presented with certificates of service and a copy of the Legacy Report of the ninth Senate each.
Clerk to the National Assembly, Alhaji Sani Tambuwal, presented certificates to the Senate President, Sen. Ahmad Lawan and Deputy Senate President, Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege.
Lawan, in turn, presented certificates to other senators.
The senators thereafter took turns reminiscing experiences of their four years of service in emotion-laden tones.
Words of thanksgiving to God, commendations, love, apologies and admonitions formed the bulk of expressions of senators at the session.
