By Blessing Jonathan
A group, Niger Delta Rights Advocates (NDRA) has commended the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the recent endorsement of Hon Benjamin Okezie Kalu for the position of the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives.
Briefing journalists in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, the group also appealed with the opposition parties to support the ruling APC choice for the position of deputy speaker in the 10th Assembly.
National Coordinator of NDRA, Bright Ngolo who noted that the group had earlier advocated speakership for South East, appealed to members-elect of the 10th National Assembly irrespective of their different political affiliations, to vote a detribalised Nigerian, Kalu, for deputy speaker, because of his outstanding legislative traits.
Ngolo recalled at the briefing : “That on the 29th April 2023, the NDRA made a public appeal to the party leadership, members-elect and stakeholders to consider ceding the post of Speaker of the House of Representatives to the South-East geopolitical zone and to Hon Benjamin Okezie Kalu in particular for his youthfulness, intelligence, friendship across regions, tribes and cultures.
“We considered his track record of visibility in the ninth Assembly as House spokesperson as the core reason our group embarked upon an advocacy through the media to have such a detribalised Nigerian occupy the exalted seat of Speaker of the House of Representatives”.
He stressed that, “Our lobby and advocacy has led to the zoning of the Deputy Speakership of the 10th National Assembly to the South East region and a further microzoning to Hon Benjamin, member representing Bende Federal constituency.
“Even though it fell below our projection, we want to thank the National Working Committee of the APC for taking the wise decision of not completely neglecting the agitations and calls by Nigerians across party, ethnic and religious lines, that the South East geopolitical zone should not and must not be excluded from the political leadership of the country at this auspicious moment of our national history.
“Gentlemen, we are not surprised at the microzoning of this position to Hon Benjamin Kalu, as we have eloquently enumerated some of the qualities for which we found him fit for leadership of the House of Representatives.”
Speaking further Ngolo expressed: “NDRA considers the interest of Abia State which is one of the nine states that constitute the Niger Delta region, as non-negotiable given the fact that by geographical proximity, Abia still falls under the South-East geopolitical zone. We shall not shut our eyes or waiver in our determination to ensure that Abia State is not politically marginalized.
“May we remind Nigerians that the task of including youths into the leadership matrix of the country cannot be overemphasized as the youths remain the most important demographics in terms of population with over 60 percent of registered voters.
“Therefore, considering Hon Benjamin Kalu, who falls into this critical demographics, cannot be seen as a political mistake, but rather, bridge-building decision to ensure that the voices of minorities and the marginalized get heard in the emerging dispensation.
“We do believe that the time is now for banishment of gas flaring, crude oil stealing and militancy and replacing these with entrepreneurship in artisanal and modular refineries and consciously promoting a green environment to save our unborn generation.
“Finally, we appeal to members-elect from other political divides and stakeholders alike to support and endorse the emergence of the APC’s preferred candidate for the position of Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives in the interest of national unity”.