Former Abia State governor, Orji Uzor Kalu, has claimed that some Nigerians who were once involved in 419 and other dangerous criminal activities abroad have now found their way into politics in the country.
Kalu alleged that several of these politicians had previously engaged in advanced fee fraud and other serious crimes in South Africa and South America.
In a video shared on his Facebook page, the senator said: “Most people, some of them were overseas doing 419, doing all kinds of dangerous crime all over, and you know a leopard cannot change its skin.
“When people are used to taking money that doesn’t belong to them, they can never change their character. If you’re expecting them to change, it is not true. They can never change.
“I think that both the civil servants and politicians who are ruling, who are the ruling class, should stand up to help to redirect the economic dynamics of this country. The economic dynamics is very prosperous if we do it right.
“Why should people stack dollars in their houses? Why should people be giving out dollars? It’s not our legal tender. People should learn how to put the money in Nigeria’s system so Nigeria can now benefit from the money that we’re transacting on.
“So I think that we are working very hard whether people complain, a lot of people that were in South Africa and Southern America everywhere doing all kinds of business are today in politics, but it’s what we see.”
The former Senate Chief Whip also urged well-meaning Nigerians to join politics for the right reasons rather than financial gain.
He said: “Let the good people come and join and make politics better the way it should be. It’s not for saints. This business is not for saints, but it’s not for people that instantly have damaged themselves in cheating white men or other black people.
“For me, I plead with our people, let us support our economic reforms no matter what our political leaning will be, whether it’s in anything or this or that. We should come together and build a new leaf.”
