The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, has urged the Abia State government and the South-East region to give credit to President Bola Tinubu for ensuring that funds were made available for the execution of projects.
Speaking during the commissioning of projects in Aba, Abia State, on Friday, Kalu commended Governor Alex Otti of Abia for his efforts in enhancing the state’s infrastructure, calling on the governor to give due recognition to President Tinubu for his contributions to the region.
He said: “As you know, I am not a member of your party. I am a member of APC. But when it comes to development, it is important that citizens remember that we were first citizens of this state before we became political party members.
“And if you love your state, irrespective of the political party of your governor, you must find a way to work with that governor to succeed. It is not my first time extending this magnanimity. It is in my character to associate with the governors of my state.
“I did it with Governor T.O. Orji. I did it with Governor Okezie Ikpeazu and my brother and friend, Dr Otti, who was my friend before he became governor. There is no reason he will invite me on a special day like this, and I will not leave Abuja to be here. Governance is about partnership. The state must partner with the federal government, and the federal government must partner with the state.
“As the deputy speaker, I represent the people of the south east. Abia is part of the South East. And if I have been with Mr President, visiting Enugu, who is not a member of APC and Anambra, who is not a member of APC, there’s absolutely no reason I will not identify with my governor in my own state.
“I have gone with him from morning, visiting all the projects till this evening. I have seen the State’s projects carried out by the governor, and for that, we commend him. But as a member and citizen of this state, I request that the governor, like Oliver Twist, we need more and also as a federal lawmaker and a leader in this country, I want us to be very vocal in praising the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on how he has made resources available to the states in the Federal Republic of Nigeria when he removed the oil subsidy.
‘He did not keep that money in Abuja. He sent it to the States. It is my challenge to the commissioner for information and all the media houses in Abia State, please give credit to whom credit is due.
“The ones the President has done and the ones he has assisted, please make sure all Abians know that the President is supporting the governor of Abia state. It is important because it is the philosophy of the Igbos that if you thank a helper, he will do more. If we need more from the President, we must give the true credit to the President so that he will release more for Governor Otti to do more for Abia state.”
Kalu also appealed to the president, who was represented by the Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, to consider establishing a seaport in the South-East region, saying it would boost trade and economic activities in the area.
“Mr President, Sir, we want to thank you as Abians for what you are doing in our State through our governor and what you’re doing around the South East. Mr President, we need another port in the Southeast. Southeast are traders. We need a port so that our trading will be enhanced”, he said.
The deputy speaker also urged the president to intervene in the demolition of properties belonging to Igbo residents in Lagos State, urging the Lagos State Government to allow them to regularise their documents.
“Mr President, I also want to say that the destruction and demolition of the houses and offices of our brothers in Lagos makes our hearts bleed. Mr President, for some of them who have not gotten the right documents, my plea to you is to appeal to the governor of Lagos state to keep accommodating our brothers, and please allow them to rectify their documents instead of destruction.
“Let them come into the room and find a way and regularise some of these documents. It breaks our heart that during this hard time that houses are being destroyed, but I know that Mr President, who cares for the Igbos, who made the Igbos one of the first commissioners of finance in his administration, will listen to the hearing of the Igbos”, Kalu pleaded.
