- By Ogba Nwokoro
Evaluating the qualifications and viability of Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, Member for Bende Federal Constituency and Deputy Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives highlights a career defined by extensive legislative productivity, strategic positioning at the national level, and deep grassroots engagement.
Kalu has established a reputation as a master legislator, having sponsored dozens of critical bills spanning constitutional reforms, electoral integrity, and institutional growth.
His legislative portfolio includes driving pivotal framework laws and securing assent for key statutes, such as the transition of correctional services to the concurrent legislative list and the establishment of the South-East Development Commission.
Having previously served as the Spokesperson of the House and Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, he possesses a proven capability to communicate policy clearly and defend legislative interests on a national stage.
As the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and Chairman of the House Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, Kalu occupies one of the highest-ranking and most influential legislative positions in Nigeria.
His leadership extends beyond domestic borders through active roles in continental bodies, including serving on the African Union’s Pan-African Parliament and co-leading the Nigerian delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament as Chair of its Finance, Administration, and Budget Committee.
Backed by advanced degrees in law, business administration, and public policy, including multiple doctoral qualifications, he brings deep intellectual rigor and technical expertise to governance.
Holding the office of Deputy Speaker ensures that his constituency is positioned directly at the core of national decision-making, executive negotiations, and federal resource allocation.
This high-level proximity allows him to effectively bridge federal interventions down to local development goals, translating national political capital into tangible infrastructure and institutional visibility for his people.
Rt. Hon Ben Kalu’s tenure has targeted critical physical and socio-economic deficits, attracting major road rehabilitation projects (such as portions of the Umuahia-Bende-Ohafia road corridor and ecological interventions), civic market upgrades, and localized road networks across Bende communities in almost all the 13 clans of Bende Federal Constituency.
As the convener of the Peace in the South East Project, Kalu has championed non-kinetic strategies for regional stability, security, and social cohesion.
Through dedicated feedback mechanisms like the interactive “Ben Kalu’s Mandate” radio and multimedia broadcast program, alongside targeted empowerment interventions for youth, women, and widows via the Benjamin Kalu Foundation, he maintains an active, open line of communication with the electorate.
So, there is no-gainsaying the fact that he deserves another opportunity to speak for Bende Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.
