I took the time to listen to the Hon. Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Management Barr. Festus Keyamo during the flag-off of the Abia Airport at Nsulu and how he highlighted the significant role played by Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu towards ensuring the realization of the airport project which by my estimation will stand as the biggest federal presence in Abia state.
We also recognize the great effort and influence he exerted to ensure that the South East Development Commission (SEDC) bill was passed into law giving us an agency with the mandate to pursue and facilitate much-needed economic, social, and infrastructural development in the Southeast.
Through my interactions with him and by following his legislative activities, I discovered that Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu is a forward-looking politician who is genuinely committed to the progress and welfare of his constituents and the southern region over and above his own political future and survival.
It is even difficult for his political adversaries not to acknowledge him as a passionate and visionary leader, one who shows genuine concern for the overall developmental future of his people.
His tireless advocacy, persistent efforts, and consistent campaigns for the economic, social, and infrastructural revival of the Southeast set him apart as someone profoundly dedicated to the region’s development.
Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu more than any other legislator in the present dispensation has invested so much effort, influence, and resources towards reversing the current developmental deficit currently being experienced in the Southeast which has created so much pain, deprivation, poverty, and insecurity.
His Non-kinetic approach targetted at solving the insecurity in the Southeast distinguishes him as a leader with a clear vision and understanding of his environment and background, a lawmaker par-excellence whose entry into the legislative theater has not only been fruitful to his constituents but Abia state, the Southeast and Nigeria at-large, he had through his constitutional responsibilities attracted so many infrastructural development projects to his constituency.
Having previously held various political positions at the state level, his tenure in the House of Representatives since 2019 has showcased his efficiency, dexterity, proactiveness, and results-oriented representation.
Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu can best be described as a brilliant politician who thinks of the next generation when others are thinking of the next election.
Uche Aguoru
Aguoru is a Public Affairs Analyst