The Senator representing Abia-North Senatorial District, Orji Uzor Kalu, has expressed optimism that the ongoing economic reforms, embarked upon by the administration of President Bola Tinubu, would yield positive results for the country.

According to a statement from his office, Kalu stated this on Wednesday at the Igbere home of Chief Daniel Eke, a former Abia State governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC), where he paid him a visit in commemoration of the New Year, 2025.

He explained that the revamping of the nation’s laws, some of which are over 100 years old, is imperative and inevitable, considering that they have become obsolete and ineffective to meet current global economic realities.

With reference to the Tax Reform Bills, the former Abia State Governor commended President Tinubu, describing his move as a bold step, though he advocated wider consultations, just as he faulted the mode of introduction, saying that Nigerians were not sufficiently educated before the bills were introduced.

According to him, for Nigeria to make any meaningful progress, the 36 states must be made to compete among each other. Kalu held that no state in Nigeria was poor and that that every state is as important and endowed as the other.

Acknowledging the pains and sufferings experienced by Nigerians as a result of the reforms, he assured that the challenges would soon become a thing of the past. His words: “Tinubu is a courageous leader who took the bull by its horns. I’m not saying this out of sycophancy to gain any favours, as you all know I’m an accomplished politician and business entrepreneur.

“We need to give the President a chance to carry out these reforms and the tax reform is not a bad bill, it is progressive. But the problem is that Nigerians were not lectured enough and lack orientation about its many benefits.

“The Tax Reform Bills are not bad, but we need to carry other regions along. The other regions need to be educated on what the tax bill is all about.” Making reference to China, Kalu also explained that the Tax Reform Bills would encourage competition among states, which he said will bring about harnessing of state resources and improve productivity.

“We can’t make any headway as a nation if we don’t go the China way, which is competition. Nigerians must face economic competition; each of the 36 states should compete with each other in terms of productivity. That is the only way the entire country can grow and develop like China. “President Tinubu is trying to ensure that all the states become competitive.

A country like China has been growing for the last 35 years at a 10 per cent growth rate, which has made it a great country. They are growing not because of human rights, but they are growing in competition. We must engage in competition if we want to grow.

The practice of sharing free money in Abuja cannot continue. “We must test our resilience. All our laws need reformation; they are over 100 years old. But we need to consult with the people.

To catch up with other nations we should build more universities. We are still backward,” he explained. Kalu admitted the sufferings of Nigerians and commended them for their patience, expressing optimism that 2025 would be a year of positive outcomes from the Tinubu-led government’s economic policies.

He said: “President Tinubu is fully aware of the pains that people are passing through and I am also aware; but there are some reforms going on and there is light at the end of the tunnel. I understand the difficulties and sufferings of our people very well so I urge Nigerians to be patient and know that we are going through a process.

“I will continue doing my duty as a senator and that duty is very sacred and I will never compromise. I had to leave my private companies worth millions of dollars to concentrate on my duty as senator and my duty is more important. “I had to show the people of Abia North a distinguished way of being led by a senator.

I have replicated what I did as a governor and I have returned power back to the people to decide on who governs them,” he said. In response, Eke appreciated Kalu for the visit, commending the senator for his legislative impacts in the district, noting:

“Other senators have given frying pans as empowerment, but we need good roads , employment, infrastructure, industries that will employ our people. Senator Kalu is not just doing his legislative work he has also established processing companies that will employ our people, which is what matters most.”