In a recent statement via his official X account, Kalu Aja, a well-known financial analyst and educator, has reacted to a heated exchange between Vice President Kashim Shettima and Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the UK Conservative Party.
The disagreement began when Badenoch made critical comments about Nigeria and described the country as a socialist state with còrrupt politicians and widespread insecurìty.
She also shared personal stories about growing up in fear and constantly worrying about her safety in Nigeria.
Vice President Shettima responded to Badenoch’s statements, accusing her of consistently critìcizing Nigeria and suggested that she could drop the name Kemi if she continued to speak negatively about her country of birth.
Badenoch’s spokesperson quickly defended her comments, stating that she stood by them and was not concerned with improving Nigeria’s image.
In his response, Kalu Aja expressed his thoughts on the situation and pointed out that a woman who had left Nigeria for the UK, now in a position of power, was being criticized by a wealthy Nigerian man living in a mansion built by the people.
“A black lady escaped to London from Nigeria; she has now become an Oga; look who is fìghting her from Nigeria: a ‘big man’ who lives in an N21b mansion built by the ‘people.’
That big man has never issued statements on bandìts with such clarity or anger. Kemi is his problem because Kemi referred to the Ogas in Nigeria.
If Kemi called the people of Nigeria còrrupt, Oga would not mind.
Who is defending that big man who is attacking Kemi? Poor folks who are struggling to pay rent in Nigeria,” Kalu Aja wrote.
Aja noted that this man had never shown such clarity or anger when it came to addressing issues like bandìtry in Nigeria and further stated that if Badenoch had only critìcized the politicians, the wealthy man would not have been bothered.
Aja questioned the motives of those defending this wealthy man, noting that it was the struggling Nigerians, those finding it difficult to pay rent, who seemed to be supporting him.
He acknowledged that while he did not support all of Badenoch’s comments, she was voicing concerns that many Nigerians also shared about their own country.
He also referenced a past statement by a white British man calling Nigerians fantastically corrùpt, asking whether this statement was truly wrong as corrùption seemed to be worsening.
Aja concluded by quoting a fictional character from the TV show House of Cards, suggesting that people often preferred comforting lies over hard truths