Going to prison has made me a better person – Kalu

Former Abia State Governor and Chief Whip of the Senate, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu, has said going to prison has made him a better person.

According to him, the prison experience was an eye-opener and something that revealed many secrets to him.

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Kalu spoke in Lagos during a Thanksgiving session at the Love World Incorporated, otherwise known as Christ Embassy, Ikeja where he revealed that his incarceration was prophesied by the General Overseer of the Church, Pastor Chris Oyekhilome.

It would be recalled that Senator Kalu was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment in December 2019 on corruption charges but he was released from Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja in June 2020 after the Federal High Court in Lagos presided by Justice Muhammed Liman ordered his release, following a Supreme Court judgment nullifying his trial and conviction.

The Supreme Court had, in May, ruled that the trial and judgment delivered in 2019 was null and void and ordered for a fresh trial while Kalu was subsequently released from prison.

Kalu however stressed that his experience in prison helped him to discover many things he never thought could ‘possibly happen in our clime.’

He said: “I am happy that I went to prison. I went to prison and I am out. I am happy because, going to prison has made me a refined, better and more forward looking man.

“I went to prison and discovered many secrets that I never believed that could happen.”

He said as a Catholic, he never believed in prophesy but he was surprised that Pastor Oyakhilome’s prophecy came to pass.

“Pastor Chris told me that I will go to prison but I didn’t believe that can happen. I remember that I visited him; and after praying here in this church, I was about to go to the airport to catch my flight to Abuja. He told me that he has something to tell me, but that unfortunately it is bad news. ‘You will go to prison,’ the pastor said.

“I said it is impossible. Pastor Chris told me that nothing can change it; but added that God will bring me out and that he will keep praying for me,” the former governor narrated.

Kalu explained that he had known Oyakhilome for 28 years, adding that he had on several occasions disagreed with the cleric each time he made predictions concerning him but at the end of the day, the Pastor’s predictions would come to pass.

“When this prophesy came to pass, I didn’t want to give this testimony. I am a chore Catholic and I don’t believe anything prophesy. I didn’t want to give testimony; but because this one concerns me I decided to testify. I think from now, I will begin to agree with his predictions,” the Senate Chief Whip added.