Orji Kalu: Reps’ Deputy Speaker In Trouble Over ‘Badge Of Honour’ Speech

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Ahmed Wase, has come under pressure over a comment attributed to him as praising politicians who went to prison.

Wase, who is from Plateau State, was quoted as saying that it was a “badge of honour” for a politician to be jailed.

He reportedly made the comment when he led some House members on a solidarity visit to Senator Orji Uzor Kalu on Monday over the latter’s recent release from jail.

Kalu is the Chief Whip of the Senate.

Incidentally, Wase spoke in a representative capacity as his speech was attributed to the Speaker, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, whom he represented at the event.

The deputy speaker was quoted to have spoken as stated below, “We are here to sympathise with you on what happened and your incarceration. As a politician, I want you to take it as one of those things.

“First, we congratulate you and urge you to put everything before God and believe it is part of destiny. My leader, the late Chief Solomon Lar, told me not to fear, as a politician, to go to prison. He told me that going to prison is a badge of honour.

“If you are a good politician, you should be willing to taste prison experience because it will come to you in very many dimensions. That happened to us sometime in the past when we were being chased and humiliated, and he asked us to be resolute and face the issues as they were.

“He reminded us of how he was sentenced to over 90 to 150 years in prison. He told us that as leaders, there is always a judgment that could be passed.

“As our leader, we want you to appreciate what God has done for you; use it for the positive development of our country’s judicial system; use it in the interest of humanity.”

Investigations by THE WHISTLER indicated on Tuesday that the comment, which received wide publicity in traditional and digital media, portrayed the speaker in bad light.

Findings showed that Gbajabiamila, a Lagos lawyer and former House Majority Leader, reportedly had his phones flooded with calls on Tuesday as the news of the comment spread.

“The issue is that the speaker was not even at the event.

“He didn’t say any such things because it would be implying that he supported whatever reasons took Kalu to prison or that politicians should celebrate going to jail”, a legislative source informed THE WHISTLER in Abuja.

It was gathered that the office of the speaker and many lawmakers immediately drew Wase’s attention to the comment and its negative implications on Tuesday.

However, Wase too was said to have denied making the comment.

“The DP’s office was jolted over this matter and Wase had to quickly make efforts to respond”, the source further told THE WHISTLER.

The DS’s office came up with a statement on Tuesday, denying both the comment and the attribution to Gbajabiamila.

Wase’s media aide, Mr Umar Puma, wrote, “During the visit, the Deputy Speaker, on behalf of the speaker and the entire leadership of House of Representatives, sympathised with Senator Orji Kalu and advised him to consider his incarceration and subsequent release from jail as part of ‘destiny’ and should not be discouraged.

“Wase also relayed his experience with the former governor of Plateau State, Late Chief Solomon Lar, whom he said once told them after coming out of prison that as politicians they should expect things like this.

“There was never a time, the Deputy Speaker, who spoke for a little over three minutes during the visit said that ‘going to prison is a badge of honour for politicians’. 

“Wase only alluded to what the Late Solomon Lar had told them. Therefore, there is no way the Speaker or the Deputy Speaker would have said what is stated in the story.

“It is most unfortunate, and strange to have ascribed this to the person of the Rt. Hon. Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, who was represented by the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase.”