Kalu Leaving ‘Footprints on the Sands of Time’ at 53

Udora Orizu pays tribute to the Deputy Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu as he clocks 53 on Sunday, May 5th

At 53, the member representing Bende Federal Constituency of Abia State in the House of Representatives and the current Deputy Speaker of the 10th National Assembly’s Green Chamber, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu exemplifies the phrase: “Footprints on the Sands of Time” in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem; “A Psalm of Life” written in 1838.

The phrase as mentioned in the poem over 150 years ago, described the mark that great individuals leave on history; it connotes leaving footprints for succeeding generations and the realisation that time is limited so one must be spurred to give his or her life meaning and make a useful contribution to those who follow.

As if Longfellow had Rt. Hon. Kalu in mind over 100 years ago before he was born in 1971 while writing his poem, the astute lawyer turned lawmaker’s life has been that of service, beginning at a very young age when he was the student representative at the University of Calabar and proceeded as the National Chapter Chairman of a ruling party in the Diaspora.

Kalu was also the youngest local government chairman of Bende; at 34, he was a member of the Abia State Government Executive Cabinet as Senior Special Adviser to the Executive Governor on Local Government and Chieftaincy affairs, while at 35, he was Senior Special Adviser to the Executive Governor on Millennium Development Goals and International Relations.

After an interlude of professional practice, acquisition of more knowledge, business endeavours both within and outside the shores of Nigeria, at 48, Kalu was in the House of Representatives where his life of service has taken him to leave indelible footprints on the entire Nigerian socioeconomic firmament.

As it is said in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart; “a chick that will grow into a cock can be spotted the very day it hatches”, on the first plenary of the House in the 9th Assembly, the greenhorn lawmaker moved the first motion.

The motion was on the need to urgently address erosion and floods ravaging Nkpa and surrounding communities in Bende Federal Constituency of Abia State which he represents.

This chick that will grow into a cock was spotted that very day and when the House leadership under the then Speaker, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila constituted Standing Committees, he was appointed Chairman of the Media and Public Affairs Committee, the official Spokesperson of the House.

Though not a juicy Committee – overseeing Ministries, Departments and Agencies with big budget size, Kalu performed that role with the kind of enthusiasm that made the position enviable as it earned him the fond title: “Oracle” which must be consulted on the affairs of the 9th House vis-à-vis National Assembly. 

During his tenure, he was able to take the image of the House to a soaring and enviable height with the initiation of the Green Chamber Magazine, where the achievements and legacies of the House of Representatives are periodically published, among others.

Kalu also stood tall in lawmaking with over 52 Bills to his credit and was ranked 4th on the chart of top 10 performers in the 9th NASS and first in Abia State representatives. He was also 1st among first-time members at the Green Chamber of the National Assembly in terms of Bills sponsorship as published by the Order paper of the House after a 24-month legislative experience.

In his constituency, he attracted various projects spanning from road rehabilitation and construction, rehabilitation of schools, construction of primary health centers, distribution of educational material and construction of solar-powered boreholes, and women and youth empowerment.

Following his numerous achievements in the Green Chamber in the space of two and half years, he was recognized by the Independent Newspaper as the South East and Abia State Federal Lawmaker of the Year at the Annual Independent Nigerian Parliamentary Excellence Awards.

He was also awarded by the Abia Online Media Publishers, the umbrella body of all online media practitioners in Abia State as the Most Outstanding Federal Legislator for the year 2021 in recognition of exceptional legislative abilities in the House in bills sponsored and projects attracted to the constituency and state amongst other recognitions.

With the steering performance in the House and in his constituency, Kalu survived the Peter Obi’s Labour Party tsunami in Abia and entire South-east and he was re-elected for a second term at the 2023 general election.

It was then, as it is believed that the reward for hard work is more work that the leadership of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) endorsed him and his colleagues, elected him Deputy Speaker of the House unopposed.

Within the last 10 months of his emergence as Deputy Speaker of the  House of Representatives, the second term lawmaker, has been carrying out his duties as expected of every legislator with the determination to deliver quality service and common good to the Nigerian people, through bills, motions, constituency projects amongst others.

In the legislative agenda of the 10th House, tagged “The People’s House”, the House had promised to hold a National Dialogue on State Policing in fulfilment of the commitment made by the Speaker, Abbas Tajudeen, Ph.D, in January.

The proposal for state police is part of the ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution by the 10th National Assembly, chaired by the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Benjamin Kalu. 

The Speaker had on January 30, 2024, at the first plenary of the House in the year, announced plans to convoke a national conference on security.

Consequently, the House, on February 20, passed for second reading, a bill seeking to create police structures in each of the states of the federation.

The Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, and 14 others had sponsored the bill seeking to alter the relevant sections of the 1999 Constitution to empower the states to establish their own policing outfits.

On February 26, Speaker Abbas, at the inauguration of the House Special Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, noted that state policing was part of the Legislative Agenda of the 10th House.

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu at a one day National Dialogue on State Policing themed “Pathways to Peace: Reimagining Policing in Nigeria” organized by the leadership of the House of Representatives with support from Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), UK International Development and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) said that the principal aim of the parliament with regards to the state police bill is to enact laws and pursue reforms that will benefit the collective welfare of the nation. 

Acknowledging concerns expressed in some quarters about possible abuse of the policing system at the state level when established, the deputy speaker allayed the fears, saying that the decisions to restructure Nigeria’s policing system is not intended to serve the interests of any individual or political faction.

He said: “In various jurisdictions worldwide, multi-layered policing systems have been implemented with varying degrees of success. Opposition voices argue that introducing multiple layers of policing could lead to a fragmentation of authority, with different agencies competing for resources and jurisdictional control. This could result in confusion and inefficiency in law enforcement efforts. Critics also fear that decentralizing law enforcement powers could increase the risk of abuse of power by local or state-level authorities. Without adequate oversight and accountability mechanisms, there may be instances of corruption, political

interference, or human rights violations. 

“Given Nigeria’s diverse ethnic and

regional landscape, opponents caution that multi-layered policing could

exacerbate existing tensions and inequalities. There is concern that certain ethnic or regional groups may feel marginalized or unfairly targeted by local or state police forces, leading to social unrest or conflict. In addition, implementing a multi-layered policing system requires significant financial and logistical resources.”

As part of his quest to ensure peace and security in the South East and Nigeria as a whole, Kalu initiated the Peace In South East Project (PISE-P), an initiative which canvasses a non-kinetic approach to foster peace, unity and development in the region.

The project which was unveiled in December 2023, by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu through Vice President Kashim Shettima, at Bende Local Government of Abia State ultimately seeks the adoption of a non-kinetic approach to resolving the problem of insecurity bedeviling the South East.

He said that the project was also aimed at promoting reconciliation among communities and individuals affected by past conflicts.

The statement read in part:” When I embarked on the South East Project, my vision was clear — to foster peace, unity, and development in our region through a non-kinetic approach. The South East has long been known for its rich cultural heritage, vibrant communities, and enterprising people. Yet, we have faced our fair share of challenges, including socioeconomic disparities, insecurities, political tensions, and occasional conflicts.

“Our goals in the South East Project are clear. We aim to promote reconciliation among communities and individuals affected by past conflicts. We recognize the need to address the root causes of conflict, including socioeconomic disparities and political tensions. Empowering communities is another crucial goal of the project, providing them with the necessary resources, skills, and opportunities for sustainable development.

“We also believe in the power of engaging youth in the peace-building process. By empowering young people with education, training, and leadership opportunities, we are investing in the region’s future. Inclusivity and social justice are core values we aim to foster, ensuring that all individuals, regardless of their background or circumstances, have equal access to opportunities and resources. 

“Cultivating a culture of peace is essential in our journey. We must promote dialogue, tolerance, and non-violence as core values within our communities. By working towards these goals, we aim to create a more peaceful, prosperous, and inclusive region for all its residents”.

Utabiri Bende as he’s popularly called, has also made noteworthy strides towards improving women’s political representation and end gender based violence in the country.

In line with parliamentary tradition, the constitution review committee is headed by the Deputy Speaker, Kalu who chairs the committee for the 10th House has assured Nigerian women of the parliament’s readiness to ensure the rejected gender bills don’t suffer the same fate in the 10th Assembly.

At various fora, he promised legislative actions that will break barriers that have been hindering women participation in leadership and ending Gender Based Violence (GBV).

On the ongoing constitution review, Kalu said the work on the alteration will be completed in December 2025.

Speaking at its pre-inaugural meeting, “It is the view of Mr speaker that we set a realistic timeline that does not conflict with electoral activities which would advertently or inadvertently affect the alteration process, specifically, December 2025, the time we are looking at to conclude the activities of this committee. It is not out of place to guess that there is some level of fatigue in the amendment process by some vocal sections of the populace. Whatever opinion you hold, it is important to let you know that we presently have 40 bills that are at various stages of consideration which relate to the alteration of the constitution.”

“The committee is fully aware of the concerns of Nigerians on the need to finalise and conclude discussions around Nigeria’s constitution. I will like to state, however, that the nature of Nigeria’s constitution and the history around how it was made and handed over to a new civilian government in 1999, makes it imperative for us to continually revisit the several provisions of the constitution and work towards accomplishing consensus on outstanding constitutional debates.

“Let me also remind the committee that in the last constitution review efforts, there were some key constitution amendment proposals that did not pass either because we did not fully understand their provisions or we did not have enough time to agree on them. An example was the proposal to create additional seats for women in federal and state legislative houses. Let us use this opportunity to understand this proposal, hoping that those who are the promoters of this particular amendment will start their advocacy timely and be more thorough and comprehensive, reaching the stakeholders to control the mindsets of their representatives.”

Aside state police bill, the Deputy Speaker has also sponsored several key motions and bills such as South East Development Commission, SEDC bill currently awaiting presidential assent.

The commission, according to him is very important because when established it will help in the rebuilding of the post war reconstruction that has not been attended to over fifty years.

”The Commission shall conceive, plan and implement, in accordance with the set rules and regulations, projects and programmes for the sustainable development of the South East States in the field of transportation including roads, health, education, employment, agriculture, industrialization, housing and urban development, water supply, electricity and telecommunications; cause the South East States to be surveyed in order to ascertain measures which are necessary to promote its physical and socioeconomic development.

“Implement all the measures approved for the development of the South East States by the Federal Government and the member States of the Commission; identify factors inhibiting the development of the South East States and assist the member States in the formulation and implementation of policies to ensure sound and efficient management of the resources of the South East States.” he said 

Lending credence to the saying that “we can’t heal the world today but we can begin with a voice of compassion, a heart of love, an act of kindness”, the Deputy Speaker at the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) 148th meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, requested the amendment of IPU General Assembly rules to accommodate more emergency items.

Kalu said: “We must reconsider our approach to addressing emergency items. Rule 11.2 allows for flexibility, suggesting the possibility of addressing multiple urgent issues. Neglecting regions like Africa, where significant challenges persist, is unacceptable. Let us interpret the rule’s purpose – addressing pressing issues – to allow for consideration of multiple emergency items. By reforming our processes, we can ensure parliamentary diplomacy truly reflects the world’s diverse needs..I am proposing one item per continent at every assembly to energize the voices of concern across the globe”.

“Rule 11(2) of IPU General Assembly stated that “Consideration and acceptance by the Assembly of a request for the inclusion of an emergency item in its agenda shall be subject to the following provisions: (a) A request for the inclusion of an emergency item must relate to a recent major situation of international concern on which urgent action by the international community is required and on which it is appropriate for the IPU to express its opinion and mobilize a parliamentary response. Such a request must receive a two-thirds majority of the votes cast in order to be accepted. (b) The Assembly may place only one emergency item on its agenda. Should several requests obtain the requisite majority, the one having received the largest number of positive votes shall be accepted.”

“The deliberation on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza showed us what parliamentary diplomacy should not be. We failed to reach a consensus, missing a crucial opportunity for collective action. It is a cause for concern that the plight of Africa, where thousands of lives are lost to ongoing conflicts, has yet to be addressed as an emergency item. From the horrific situation in Sudan, with over 13,000 lives lost, to the ongoing tragedy in the D.R. Congo, to the militancy and terror in Sahel Africa, the human cost of these conflicts cannot be ignored because the ripple effects of these crises in Africa ultimately impact the world.

“It is in this regard that IPU must as a matter of utmost imperative create a task force for Sudan. The unchecked crises in Sudan, Somalia, and D.R. Congo, all in Africa, create a ripple effect of instability across the continent, breeding conditions for extremism, mass displacement, and a drain on resources that could be used for development”.

Happy birthday to the most amazing Leader! Thank you for your leadership and wisdom. Here’s to another year of growth and success.

*Orizu, is the Special Assistant on Press Affairs to the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.

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Cultivating a culture of peace is essential in our journey. We must promote dialogue, tolerance, and non-violence as core values within our communities…Utabiri Bende as he’s popularly called, has also made noteworthy strides towards improving women’s political representation and end gender based violence in the country