Fresh, unsettling revelations suggest that the dramatic exit of Abia State’s Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof. Kenneth Kalu, was made possible by a storm of internal battles, hidden disputes, and ethical concerns, far beyond the watery explanation pushed out by the government.
Multiple insiders told newsmen that Prof. Kalu had long grown uneasy with the way key decisions were taken behind closed doors, with sensitive matters handled without his knowledge.
They alleged he was repeatedly handed documents to sign, papers described as “implicating” and “procedurally questionable.”
One major flashpoint was the controversial airport land saga.
Insiders said he was accused of padding unverifiable names on the compensation list, an allegation his family fiercely opposed.
They added that critical decisions about the airport land were made without his input, despite how central the project is to state governance.
As the statutory secretary of the Finance and General Purpose Committee (F&GPC), Prof. Kalu reportedly pushed back against what he believed were opaque and irregular financial dealings. According to insiders, several transactions and approvals “did not align with his principles, training, or professional ethics,” especially given his reputation as an academic and chartered accountant.
Beyond the internal tensions, family pressure intensified the crisis. Relatives abroad, monitoring rising allegations of financial mismanagement and questionable expenditures, were said to have contacted him with serious concern.
After verifying that some of the issues raised by critics “had credible elements,” they urged him to leave and return to his career in Canada instead of risking deeper entanglement in what they described as a deteriorating political environment.
Sources insist the government has avoided telling the full story, fearing the truth would further damage its already strained public image. With rising staff exits, growing criticism, and what many describe as weak relationship management, political observers warn the internal chaos may threaten Governor Alex Otti’s re-election bid.
The government maintains that the SSG simply “took a leave of absence” to handle domestic matters in Canada.
However, insiders and analysts argue that this explanation is only a thin cover for the widening cracks inside the administration; cracks now splitting open as more details come to light.
