Experience: Senator Orji Kalu Donates Solar Power Worth #20m To Kuje Prison Community

By Philip Odion

I was compelled to write about what Senator (Dr.) Orji Uzor Kalu did for Kuje Prison because I witnessed a bit of it. My cousin is currently in Kuje prison as an inmate. Also, my townsman is a prison officer in Kuje. Through the two, I was able to get the details of the event that I now share with you.

I had gone to Kuje to deliver food to my cousin. As I was being searched at their front desk area, preparatory to letting me into the complex, suddenly, Senator Kalu arrived. There were some heightened activities and movements signalling that an important government official had arrived. The warder in charge of the arrival hall quickly waved me to a corner and motioned for me to be quiet and to wait for the August guest to be received.

The Officer in Charge of the Prison and other prison officers came out to receive the Senator. They all went into the office. Then I heard the warders saying among themselves that Senator Kalu had come to inspect the solar electric power he installed for the prison. This happened last weekend.

As I sat in the waiting area for my cousin to be called out, I saw the Senator, led by the Officer in Charge and followed by other officers, all going into the prison yard. When my cousin came out to meet me, I asked him what was going on. By then the Senator was already inside the yard and I could hear the loud shouts of excitement as the inmates and warders were jubilating and calling the Senator’s name. My cousin explained to me why everybody was excited.

I learnt that since December last year when Senator Kalu arrived in the prison, he practically changed the lives of the inmates in every conceivable way. He paid the legal fees of scores of inmates. He helped many more to perfect the conditions of their bails and to regain their freedom. Every inmate with a problem only needed for the Senator to hear his problem and something would be done to help.