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From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
A community leader from Abia State, Chief Ifeanyi Okali has made case for the Senate Chief Whip, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu to become the Senate President of the 10th National Assembly.
In a statement titled, “10thNational Assembly: A Fair Bargain For South East Overdue”, Okali said if the All Progressives Congress (APC) must be fair to all the component parts of the country, it must micro zone the Senate Presidency to the South East geopolitical zone.
Buttressing his point on the need for the South East to produce the next senate president, Okali said since the beginning of the current political dispensation in 1999, there is arguably no region that has been unfairly treated like the South East region of the country.
“Apart from being the only zone that has not produced an elected president since Independence in 1960, South East has in what some persons have described as a conspiratorial gang up been perennially relegated to the background in power equation and balancing since 1999.
“As preparations for the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly gears up, the ruling APC must make good use of this opportunity to douse the flaring temper in the South East and fade the tone of separation by ensuring that the zone is supported to at least produce the number three citizen of the country since the first and second positions are already occupied by the Yoruba in the persons of president-elect, Bola Tinubu and his vice Sen. Kashim Shettima from the North”.
The community leader said should the South East be considered for the position, one man the cap fits from the area is Kalu.
“One patriot standing tall in this area is a former governor of Abia state and the Senate Chief Whip, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu whose voice has resonated so loud in the campaign for inclusion of South East in the nation’s power equation.
“He (Kalu) has defended the programmes and policies of the Buhari-led federal government, publicly acknowledged the government’s efforts in blurring the line of discrimination with gigantic infrastructural development as signposted in the second Niger bridge, remodeling of Akanu Ibiam International Airport Enugu, construction of Port Harcourt-Enugu expressway and litany of projects for which he has marketed the APC-led federal government in the South East”.
Describing Kalu as a cosmopolitan leader, who has ideas on how to position the country on the path of progress and development, Okali said Kalu equally has rich reach across the country and beyond.
“There is hardly any state of the country where he does not have friends. His business interests are dotted everywhere beyond the shores of the South East. He has built the bridge of love across the country and honoured with chieftaincy titles in kingdoms all over Nigeria.
As a former governor for eight years, his footprint of excellence particularly in human capital development, infrastructure, education, inclusiveness and prudent management of resources are there for all to see”.
Okali said in the National Assembly where Kalu currently represents the good people of Abia North, that he enjoys the support and cooperation of his colleagues in carrying out his legislative functions which he said have seen quality bills and motions he sponsored see the ray of light.
“He is popular and well respected among members of the parliament. The legions of projects he has embarked upon and completed in the last four years is such that has dwarfed the record of any representative from that district in history”.
Okali was of the view that as a ranking Senator and a chieftain of the ruling APC, Kalu possesses what it takes to be the Senate President of the 10th National Assembly.
