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Reps Spokesman, Kalu, Joins Speakership Race, Say he’s Most Qualify
By Iyojo Ameh
Member representing Bende Federal Constituency of Abia State, Hon. Benjamin Kalu has joined the Speakership race saying he is the most qualified person to lead the Green Chember.
Hon Kalu made his intension to contest for the Office of Speaker for the incoming 10th Assembly yesterday during an interview with correspondents covering the House of Representatives.
Presently Hon. Kalu is the incumbent Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs.
The Lawmaker informed that Nigerians need a Speaker that has the capacity to achieve cohesion, national unity, inclusiveness that will bring everybody together for the purpose of achieving prosperity for the nation, Hon.
According to him: “Nigerians are looking for a Speaker that will increase what I call parliamentary sovereignty where the motions, the resolutions and independence of the arm of government would be showcased better than 9th assembly had struggled because 9th assembly has maintained its independence, then we need somebody that will take the bath and sustain that independence.
The House Spokesman further assured his Colleagues and Nigerians of his resolve to prioritize laws bothering on education, economy, economic growth, job creation, poverty reduction, insecurity and healthcare and environmental sustainability, if elected as the next Speaker of the 10th Assembly.
He said: “It is a Speaker that is gender sensitive that will reopen that space and begin to see reasons what they did not pass though before the president and then begin to give it the sense of belonging.
“So, prioritising education is what is in the mind of nigerians. Laws around education, laws around the economy, economic growth, job creation, poverty reduction, insecurity and healthcare and environmental sustainability.
“These are some of the things that the speaker that is coming on board should be equipped to be able to deliver and I know Benjamin Okezie Kalu has been equipped to represent 369 members as the image maker of the house of representatives for 4 years and was no mean feat and we have discharge our responsibility creditably well, making sure that the image of the National Assembly where we met it was not lower than where we are leaving it, to climb to the next pedestal.
“We have tried our best to ensure that both at the constituency level, both at membership level, both the relationship between members and relations between arms of government and the vertical relationship with the executive, we have sustained that relationship and kept our image through public engagement we have always yearning listening to the of Nigerians as it pertains to transparency to be able to open up the space so that we can reduce the opaqueness in the activities of the of the House of Representatives,” Hon. Kalu assured.