These are actions that Kalu had hoped for when he initiated the Peace In the South-East Project, PISE-P, which President Tinubu appreciates. He demonstrated his admiration of the deputy speaker for his intelligence, articulation of issues, leadership focus and insights as well as positive mindedness in addressing the neglect of the South-East by supporting the PISE-P and sending his deputy, Senator Kashim Shettima, to be present at its launch last December in Abia State.
Did you see the video of Benjamin Kalu, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, which recently made a viral on the social media? In case you did not see it, it was a video of a deputy speaker joyously celebrating the signing into law, by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, of the South-East Development Commission, SEDC, Bill.
I do not know what you made of the video, but it strikes me as representing what every human being would do once a herculean task was achieved. I relate with the video because it reminded me of the mood I was in when I got a telephone call informing me that my beautiful wife had been delivered of two cute healthy babies. For this, I share in Kalu’s joy. He accomplished something that his predecessors failed at.
Kalu’s mood could be explained against the fact that he played a very crucial role in the passage of the bill. First, he sponsored it and fought very hard to ensure that it was passed by the House. He doggedly pushed and won the battle for concurrence by the Senate before it was presented to the President for his signature. Ensuring that the House passed the bill meant that Kalu had to guide the bill through all the mandatory legislative processes. Thus, without stating it, he became a very strong advocate for the bill while emphasizing its importance for the development and rehabilitation of the South-East region.
Pushing through also meant that he won the hearts of his peers in the House and the respect of senators. Getting the President to sign it into law also means that he has a very good working relationship with the president. That relationship can only be mutually rewarding. It tells us that while Kalu has the regards and respect of the President, he also extends his youthful zest in pulling South-East support for the President’s policies and programmes. This was expressed audaciously in the decision of people of the South-East zone to harken to the plea of the deputy speaker not to join the protest against the administration. It was a case of reciprocity in appreciation of the value that Kalu is adding to political leadership in the zone.
This suggests that Kalu has successfully drawn the president’s attention to the developmental needs of the South-East zone which the SEDC is intended to address through the reconstruction and rehabilitation of infrastructure in the zone as well as attend to ecological and environmental problems facing the area. Through the SEDC, the Federal Government is expected to fund the reconstruction and rehabilitation of roads, public schools, and other infrastructure damaged in the long years of the marginalisation of the South-East. The commission will also conceive, plan and implement projects and programmes for the sustainable development of the region while refocusing mindsets.
These are actions that Kalu had hoped for when he initiated the Peace In the South-East Project, PISE-P, which President Tinubu appreciates. He demonstrated his admiration of the deputy speaker for his intelligence, articulation of issues, leadership focus and insights as well as positive mindedness in addressing the neglect of the South-East by supporting the PISE-P and sending his deputy, Senator Kashim Shettima, to be present at its launch last December in Abia State.
No doubt, Kalu has come of age as a leader. The impact of his services is being felt in the National Assembly where he works daily with illuminating brilliance. He serves as the chairman of this committee to review the Constitution, which is responsible for reviewing and amending the Nigerian Constitution. His brilliance and deep articulations of issues in the amendment process has been an encouragement to his colleagues. This is because he leads the committee to focus on issues that will birth national development as much as he does with issues that impact women and youth inclusion and empowerment.
The deputy speaker, who many have come to love for his oratorical skills, aims to continuously add value to national development through the law-making processes, manpower development, project implementations, and project management. That is why the SEDC law pumps the adrenalin in him. It is also for this reason that he has been very active in proposing and supporting various bills and motions which are geared toward changing the narrative on the slow pace of progress in Nigeria. I guess that it is for these reasons that Kalu was voted the Outstanding Representative of the Year by the Democracy Heroes Award Africa in 2022 and the Most Valuable Parliamentarian by OrderPaper in 2023. It is also for these reasons that Ndigbo don’t toy with him.
*Nwamuo, a public affairs analyst, wrote from Abuja