by Uchechukwu Okoroafor,Abuja
Honourable Benjamin Kalu has demonstrated credibility, capacity, commitment, dedication and high sense of responsibility in discharging his duties of managing the image of the House of Representatives.
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He should also be considered under the principle of fairness, justice and equity especially coming from a zone that has been marginalized since the APC came to power in 2015 in terms of appointive and elective positions to high offices in the legislature like the Senate President or Speaker of the House of Representatives.
It is therefore imperative that to give the South East geopolitical zone sense of belonging, and stimulate national unity and cohesion, the speaker of the House of Representatives should be zoned to the South East and that Kalu is the best candidate to occupy the position from the zone.
Emerging the only surviving APC House of Representatives member in the entire Abia State, should count for something, including a reward for his efforts in standing tall for the APC in the state in particular and the South East in general. A grateful APC leadership under Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the President-elect needs him to help build the party in South East and through his position as Speaker water the ground for the APC takeover of the entire South East when Tinubu will be going for his second term in 2027.
Kanu is coming with impeccable record of service which has earned him well deserved recognitions. He has been honoured with the award of Outstanding Rep member of the Year 2022 at the Democracy Heroes Award Africa in Abuja. He came ahead of other nominees from six geopolitical zones of the country in the same category in an online voting exercise. He was voted for his legislative input in the House of Representatives, his coordination and information management of all standing and adhoc committees of the House as well as his massive infrastructural development in Bende Federal Constituency.
He is also popular for attracting investments in education, human capital development as well as empowerment schemes for youths and women in his constituency.
While majority of the lawmakers in the House of Representatives are inactive, Kalu is among the few active legislators, whose contributions are quite laudable.
As Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, he launched the first ever magazine publication of the Assembly called, “The Green Chamber Magazine”, which according to him would be a tool of transparency for reporting all activities of the House.
His innovative approach towards legislative activities through bills and motions has ranked him as one of the top 10 members of the House by bill sponsorship. He also attracted various projects to his Bende constituency including road rehabilitation, construction and rehabilitation of schools and medical centres, and distribution of educational material. He was the lawmaker that moved the first motion of the 9th Assembly. He has since then sponsored several motions.
The House Spokesman, has sponsored over 40 bills within two years. Some of the Bills include: Federal College of Education Bende, (Establishment,etc.) Bill 2020, Industrial Development (Income Tax Relief) Act (Amendment) Bill, Counterfeit Currency (Special Provisions) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2020, Dangerous Drugs Act (Amendment) Bill 2020, Acts Authentication Act (Amendment) Bill, 2019, Nigerian Meteorological Agency Act (Amendment) Bill, 2019, Nigerian Communications Act (Amendment) Bill, 2019, Internal Loans (Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Development) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2019, Public Accounts Implementation Tribunal Act (Repeal) Bill 2019, Official Secrets Act (Amendment) Bill, 2019, among others.
Other Bills include: “Associated Gas Reinjection Act (Amendment) Bill, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency Act (Amendment) Bill, National Planning Commission Act (Amendment) Bill, Armed Forces Act (Amendment) Bill, Federal Cooperative College, Oji River (Establishment, etc.) Bill, Federal Cooperative College, Ibadan (Establishment, etc.) Bill, Federal Cooperative College, Kaduna (Establishment, etc.) Bill, Cybercrimes (Prohibition and Protection) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2020, Minerals and Mining Act (Amendment) Bill, 2020, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises Development Agency Act (Amendment) Bill, 2020, Automotive Tyres (Mandatory Inscription of Dates) Bill, 2020, Fiscal Responsibility Act (Amendment) Bill, 2020 and Flags and Coat of Arms Act (Amendment) Bill, 2020.
The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria made the theory of separation of powers a fundamental principle of governance. Kalu as the House Spokesman has been able to be balance the uneasy task of being the mouthpiece of the House.
A lawmaker who can serve his people or constituents well can serve the country as leader of the House of Representatives. A lawmaker who has the fear of God, and a lovely family, is one that can be trusted with leadership responsibility. Kalu is a man that fears God, with a lovely family, and has serve his people well and they have a lot to thank him for. It is now time for him to be rewarded for all the hard work he had done for his party, his constituency and for Nigeria, by supporting him to emerge the Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives.
Uchechukwu Okoroafor is Writer, Columnist and Public Affairs Commentator. He is also the CEO of UNITY TIMES.