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…Admits Tinubu made him Deputy Speaker
From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, on Thursday, paid a courtesy visit on the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, to lobby for the inclusion of more Igbos in President Bola Tinubu’s Federal Executive Council.
Kalu who stormed the national secretariat of the ruling party on Thursday afternoon, told newsmen after the closed door meeting that part of his mission was to appeal to the National Chairman to persuade President Tinubu to correct the imbalance.
He said that though the courtesy visit was on the auspices of his principal, Speaker TajudeenAbbas, currently outside the country, he however used the opportunity to discuss issues affecting his South East geopolitical zone.
While thanking President Tinubu for considering women and youths in appointments, he however admitted and used the opportunity to thank him for making him Deputy Speaker of the House.
He said: “I have the mandate of the Speaker who is currently outside the country and who will be coming to see him, on his arrival, to assure him that the parliament will partner with him, towards advancing the national objectives as set out by the political party in her manifesto, especially when the President presented himself to lead the nation.”
“In addition, we came also to discuss all other pertinent issues that will affect the growth of the party, the nation, as well as my region and we had a good time discussing those issues,” he noted.
Explaining the details of of discussion, he said: “The issue of national balancing, of loyalty and cohesion in the country in the spirit of the Constitution with regards to federal character, the way and manner appointments and projects are done, we also deliberated on that, to see that the balancing will increase the national cohesion.
“I took time to thank him and Mr President for finding a lot of young people worthy to be in government now as Ministers and also women inclusion that has been preached over and over again and was part of the constitutional review that went to the former president that was not assented to.
“We are hoping that his Presidency will be looking into that as I lead the parliament in the House of Representatives on constitutional review, it will be one of the issues we will be re-presenting to the President on the need to include more women into what we are doing.
“I want to thank him for my sister who was found worthy to be on board, Nkiru Onyejeocha, other members of the parliament like Tunji Ojo, Sununu and all the members of the parliament that have been considered worthy, to help in piloting the affairs of the country.
“We are as well raising the lobbying for more for South East. You know, we are like the Oliver Twist. While thanking Mr President for remembering us despite all odds and despite our contributions to the last election, he remembered us, including ensuring that I emerge as the Deputy Speaker of the House, for which the region is very grateful to Mr president.
“But we are also asking him for mor because he is a man that we know is magnanimous to look into increasing the member of ministerial positions for the region. So that is the summary of my engagement with the national chairman today.
“This is my home, I am going to come as often as possible so that we deliberate on how to move the nation forward in that tripartite model that was made by the past administration, the party, the legislature and the executive,” he assured.
On filling up the slot of Abia/South East in the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), Kalu said: “The work on that is on and we are looking for the best hands. Those who have political capital, political value to bring on board. That position is going to be filled with a competent individual that has the political clout that will help us achieve our desire in Abia state and in South East because our results last time was not so wonderful.
“Some of us who are leaders now want to make it wonderful and the only way to get it done is to make sure square pegs are plugged into square holes, and round pegs are plugged into round holes,” he said.
