The former member of the House of Representatives and acting governor of Abia State, Rt. Hon. Stanley Ugochukwu Ohajuruka, has said that the Abians love the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, and called on the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejocha, to allow him to do his work.
Ohajuruka, who was a two-time Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, made the call in Abuja while addressing journalists on Wednesday, October 25.
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The former parliamentarian, while thanking President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for giving Ndi Igbo an opportunity to be part of the political hierarchy in the country, said the rift between both leaders was unnecessary, describing it as an ill wind that does no one any good.
He counseled Onyejocha to face her job of helping the President create jobs for the teeming unemployed youths of the country, just as Kalu was doing through legislative interventions at the National Assembly.
He said: “It has come to our attention the public display of arrogance of some very disgruntled persons who in recent times tried to bring the name of our deputy speaker and the leader of APC in Abia State to public disrepute and dishonor. And as a former speaker, former parliamentarian, former acting governor, former member of the Federal House of Representatives, and the leader of APC who believes in the peace and sanctity of progress in Abia, some of us cannot stand by and watch some of these very disgruntled non-Abians bring our deputy speaker, who has been found very competent to lead in the second position in the National Assembly, the Federal House of Representatives.
“He has never been found wanting. And before I proceed, like we keep saying, we thank Mr. President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and we’ll continue to be loyal to him for finding this young man very worthy.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the deputy speaker is the only member of the House of Representatives who won election on the platform of the APC in Abia State. And he didn’t win that election for nothing, and his constituency gave this president the highest number of votes. With all the displeasure of Ndi Igbo, this young man stood by Mr. President.
“He was a laughing stock, but he stood by him and him alone, and now he’s been rewarded based on his sterling qualities and some faceless individuals. And now, some people are trying to cause a crisis where there is none. I consider these people faceless because they are non-Abians.
“For the avoidance of doubt, there is no crisis here. There is no dispute between the deputy speaker and the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejocha.
“At every forum, the Deputy Speaker tells everyone to respect her, work with her, and not do anything that will show displeasure.
“During her inauguration, this deputy speaker was there with all of us. He attended her inauguration, and in all his public speakings, he encourages everyone to respect the person of the Minister of State for labour.
“So, he has at no time asked anyone to work against the Minister of Labour. So, for people to go around and try to create unnecessary tension where there is none, on behalf of this very modest young man, this very innocent young man, they should allow him to do his job.
Let them allow him to do his job. He’s very amiable. Nigerians are very happy with him. Abians are very happy with him. We will hold him in very high honour. They should allow him to work.
“People should not all stop all these shenanigans and stop gathering people trying to create tension. Which president? The president is alive. Anybody who claims he told the President anything should be man enough to go and ask Mr. President if this innocent young man ever went to him and told him anything.
“This deputy speaker does not even remember and does not bear any grudge against anybody. He doesn’t think evil about anyone. All he thinks about is how we could help the president succeed.
“Recently, the Deputy Speaker asked all of us to go home and begin to work and mobilize people to begin to change their perceptions about the presidency. And that’s what we are doing right now—talking to our people.
“They should allow this man to achieve the purpose he was chosen to serve in that honor. Mr. President and his colleagues know why they chose him. And he will not fail, and we will not allow him to fail, and nobody is going to make him fail. We will keep working.
“Members of APC in Abia will work with him to ensure that the next election, APC will win Abia. That’s what we are assuring everybody.
“So, nobody should go about trying to create a semblance of a crisis where there is none.
“While we appreciate Mr. President for making our sister minister, I advise her to focus on her job of assisting the government to create jobs for Nigerians instead of fighting a lost battle.
“My word of admonition is that we now have a president. This president gave us a deputy speaker even when we did not vote for him. It shows that he loves Ndi Igbo, and within the Igbo, he gave us the finest and most competent person to serve as deputy speaker because he knows he will not fail.
“So, my admonition to Ndi Igbo is to support this young man to succeed, for all of us to join hands to work for the unity and progress of Nigeria, for the sustenance of our democracy for peace, progress, and tranquility in our state, and to support the government of the day. That’s my admonition to them”.
In another development, a youth group known as the Abia Youths Coalition Movement has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately sack the minister of labour and employment, Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejocha, for showing ingratitude.
In a statement signed by the President of the Movement, Mr. Chibuzor Agbara, and made available to journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, the youths described the minister as a confusionist who is fighting everything in the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) in Abia State.
The youths asked Onyejeocha to stop her onslaught against the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, saying the minister will destroy APC in Abia if she’s not stopped.
“Hon. Nkeruika is known as a confusionist. A desperate politician, a middle-class interloper who always fights for herself only, a self-centered politician who has tried all she could to stop Barr. Benjamin Kalu at the Tribunal and Appeal Court, but it couldn’t work out for her because she is fighting an anointed leader. The messiah of our time
“The problem APC has in Abia State is being geared by this desperate Nkeruika. She has been fighting the leaders and stakeholders of the APC in the state. She has been sponsoring other political parties, like AA, PDP, etc., against the deputy speaker, which has never worked out for her.
“We call on the Abia APC to rise up before Nkeruika destroys their party and also call on the president, Tinubu, to sack her as a minister since she’s not content with what was given to her.”
The youth group, which said they condemned the press conference arranged in Abuja on Tuesday to attack Kalu, vowed their continued support for the deputy speaker.
“We, the members of the Abia Youths Coalition Movements, hereby counter the press conference against the able Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and member representing the good people of Bende Federal Constituency of Abia State, Rt. Hon. (Barr.) Benjamin Okezie Kalu, yesterday in Abuja.
“Barr. Benjamin was officially elected by his constituents in the February general election, having served his people in the House before now. His constituents are happy to have him and will be ready to vote for him 100 times in light of the numerous achievements and developmental strides brought to Bende and Abia State at large.
“Abia Youths are happy to have him because he has positively touched the lives of many youths in Abia State and Nigeria as a whole. So, why would someone from nowhere who could not even win an election in her constituency, someone who was opportune to be appointed as a minister, come to antagonize a God-sent leader like Benjamin Kalu, loved by the Bende people and Abians at large?”