Orji Uzor Kalu, Senator-elect for Abia North and a former governor of the state has said he has forgiven his on time chief of staff and also governor and now fellow senator-elect, Theodore Orji.
While Orji will be representing Abia Central senatorial district while Kalu is for Abia North senatorial district in the National Assembly.
Both former governors and political associates have been sworn enemies since 2007 when Orji when took over power as Abia governor.
Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria shortly after receiving his certificate of return from the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) in Abuja, Kalu said that he had decided to put his differences with the man he made governor from detention aside for the good of the state.
He said: “I have forgiven him (Orji) for the benefit of Abia people and we are going to work as one family in the Senate in the interest of Abia and Nigeria.
“We are going to have a robust relationship in the Senate because the interest of Abia and Abians is uppermost to me.
“There is a lot of work to do for my constituency and we shall work to support the programmes of the Federal Government to ensure they succeed.”
He also spoke on the 2019 budget saying there was no reason why deliberations on the budget take too long.
“The consideration and passage of budget estimates would not exceed three months. Once the president presents the bill in September, by December we would have concluded the consideration.
“By so doing, the budget would be ready by January for the president’s assent,” Kalu said.
He added that during the consideration of the budget, the ministers would be restrained from embarking on overseas trips.
“They must be available during the budget defence. They would not be allowed to travel overseas until the budget is ready,” Kalu said.