Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu has called on the people of the South East in particular and Nigerians in general to continue supporting the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying that the region would benefit immensely from it.
Kalu made the call while delivering his remarks at the All Progressives Congress (APC) South East Stakeholders’ Meeting in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital on Sunday.
Chronicling the laudable achievements of the federal government in various sectors of the economy, the deputy speaker assured the stakeholders of Tinubu’s commitment towards repositioning the south east.
He added that under the administration, efforts are currently ongoing in the national assembly to create an additional state in the region as well as release the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
Kalu also said that the appointment of several persons from the region indicated the commitment of APC government to inclusivity.
To this end, he charged the people not to answer any call to revolt against the government.
He said: “Aside from our supportive legislative activities, President Tinubu has implemented bold reforms to stabilize the economy. The unification of the FOREX market and redirecting funds to critical sectors like healthcare, education, and infrastructure have boosted investor confidence, making
the Nigerian Stock Exchange, the NGX, one of the top-performing stock
exchanges globally.
“In strengthening national security, significant investments have modernized
and equipped our security forces. Over 4,600 hostages have been freed, more than 9,300 hostiles neutralized, and over 7,000 terrorists and bandits
arrested.
“The NASS under the leadership of APC will continue to leverage legislative
interventions to reposition S/East and indeed the nation. To this end,
therefore, efforts are on to give an additional state to South East. The call
for the release of MNK is resonating as one of the keys to resolving the
security challenges in our zone. It is therefore appropriate in an occasion
like this to thank everyone who has keyed into this effort, including our
Governors, Senators, Members of HOR., Ohaneze Ndigbo, etc. May we
not relent until the deed is done.
“The recent appointments of several illustrious sons and daughters of the
region demonstrate the party’s commitment to inclusivity.
“In addition, given all the remarkable achievements of the president and our great party in the last one year, I urge the southeast region to remain steadfast and not join any
calls to revolt against a president who has done so much for our country. We must stand united in support of his visionary leadership.”
Kalu who further emphasized the need for unity and peace in the party also told the people to work assiduously in the coming general elections to make the entire south east an APC zone.
“However, while we celebrate these achievements, we must acknowledge
that there is still much work to be done. The APC’s presence in the South
East is not as robust as it should be. Out of five states, we have only two
under our party’s leadership. This is not enough. We must push to bring
the rest on board, either by converting those in opposition governorship
seats or by winning the states outrightly.
“Our voyage is not the journey of one man. A one-man party never
conquers. Igwe bu Ike—strength is in unity. There is no strength in disunity
and division. It boils down to how far we want to go. If we aim to go high
and wide, we must hold each other’s hands while allowing stakeholders to
hold their stakes firmly and efficiently in their various areas of strength. The
strength of one man cannot be the strength of all because once the man
fails, all fail. But the strength of all is the strength of one man, and another
man, and another man, and the whole men.
“Let us urge our people to support the federal government and the Eight
Renewed Hope agenda. Let this support motivate more people, like the
former Senate President and the former SGF, and even those who are not
as noteworthy as them, to come over to the APC. Let us keep winning
souls for the APC. I am confident that when we get to Abia, we will bring in
the harvest of the soil we have been tilling for a while”, he said.
The deputy speaker also expressed gratitude to the governors of the 5 eastern states for the relative peace in the region and prayed for sustainability.
“I pray that they make it more sustainable. I also thank the zonal
party leadership for consistently hosting this stakeholder’s engagement and extend my gratitude to the various state chairmen of the party”, Kalu said.