Douglas Blessing, Port Harcourt
A group under the aegis of Niger Delta Rights Advocate (NDRA) has given reason why Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, member representing Bende Federal Constituency should emerge the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Addressing journalists in Port Harcourt, the group stressed that Kalu, who is the current spokesperson of the House, has the tenacity to lead the 10th Assembly, adding that if supported his led leadership would positively influence speedy development of the country.
Coordinator of NDRA, Bright Ngolo who spoke on behalf of the group noted that as a young vibrant lawmaker and a Niger Deltan, Mr Kalu if elected as a Speaker will tackle restiveness and other challenges fighting against the unity of the nation.
Revealing some of his notable achievements in the House, Ngolo said, Kalu has sponsored over 43 bills, serving as member of the critical committee on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), others, adding that his emergence will change the complexities of politics in the South East and by extension Nigeria.
According to the group: “Our group owes a duty to our people and indeed Nigerians not to fall for the age-long debate of zoning, religion, class or age which are sentiments and gimmicks crafted by political oppressors inorder to continuously hold down the oppressed.
“Our interest is project Nigeria with priority for setting a legislative framework that will banish poverty in our region by reducing gas flaring, crude oil stealing, increasing entrepreneurship by deliberately encouraging artisanal refiners, licensing more modular refineries and promoting a green environment in the interest of our unborn generations as Niger Delta people.
“The NDRA is minded therefore to throw our weight behind someone who brings what we call generational balance in the current leadership equation of the country and also an intellectually brilliant fellow Hon Benjamin Kalu, the member representing Bende Federal Constituency and current Spokesperson of the House of Representatives; a sole survivor in the APC of the electoral dynamics that swept away many strong and mighty including the sitting Governor of Abia state in the February 25th 2023 elections.
“This man survived the popular test of his people who returned him through the ballot as the only member of the House of Representatives on the APC ticket from Abia State. If you aggregate the number of all Rep members from the opposition political parties and have them vote enmass for any candidate, there will be an upset. Therefore, the APC must do the right thing by choosing a pan-Nigerian candidate in the person of Representative Benjamin Kalu, inorder to give Nigerians a Speaker who embodies national and not ethnic, regional or religious sentiments”.
The group therefore pleaded with all political parties in the House to support Kalu for speakership position, saying that “no candidate vying on the platform of the ruling APC can win the Speakership position through the votes of APC Rep members alone. Since voting would be across party lines and members of the APC, PDP, NNPP, LP, ADC, APGA and SDP will all vote to decide who gets the job, it requires that a candidate with multi-party acceptability be put forward and Benjamin Kalu fits the bill”.
Ngolo continued that Kalu’s Speakership will adequately capture very critical demographics of the national lives that has to agitate for proper inclusion and representation. “Yes, his emergence will answer to the question of inclusivity of the youths of this country and give a voice to an emerging generation of unsung heroes
