Author: Drum Africa Correspondent

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu was in Kano State yesterday to felicitate with the Emir of Kano, His Highness, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero and the Emir of Bichi, His Highness, Alhaji Nasir Ado Bayero on the marriage ceremony of their children. Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, whose first port of call, was the palace of the Emir of Kano in Kano City, congratulated the revered Traditional Ruler and conveyed the best wishes of his family and constituents on the wedding of his son. Hon. Kalu recalled that the Emir of Kano had shown…

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu has charged the newly inaugurated commissioners on the Board of the National Population Commission (NPC) to ensure that the next census will give the actual statistics of Nigeria’s population. He said that knowing the figure was essential to economic planning and the spread of infrastructure across the country. The Deputy Speaker said that it was not right to continue to hazard a guess about the country’s population each time the issue arises, stressing that it was time the narrative is changed for good. A statement by his Chief…

Leadership of Item Development Association and Traditional Rulers of Item in Bende LGA, Abia State have applauded the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu for his exceptional representation in the Green Chambers since his resumption into office. The President-General of IDA, Chief Onwuka Orji in his speech lauded the deputy speaker for showing capacity and spreading projects across Bende federal constituency from which their community has also benefited immensely He further appreciated Kalu for facilitating the appointment of their son, Chief Emmanuel Trump Eke as a federal commissioner representing Abia in the National Population Commission (NPC) and also appointing another…

The Consulate-General of the Kingdom of Netherlands in Lagos and Vivacity Development are pleased to announce their partnership for Vivacity upcoming side event at Dubai COP 28, focused on Climate Change Awareness: Nigeria’s Action Plan. The event is scheduled to take place on December 4th, 2023, at 4pm. The side event aims to bring together key stakeholders, experts, and policymakers to discuss and highlight Nigeria’s action plan in combating climate change. With the theme of Climate Change Awareness, this event will shed light on the urgent need for collaborative efforts to address the challenges posed by climate change and emphasize…

The House of Representatives at the plenary Wednesday passed through second reading, a Bill seeking to amend the Interpretation Act, 2004 to provide conditions for appointment and assumption of offices in acting capacity. The proposed legislation titled, “Bill for an Act to Amend the Interpretation Act, Cap. 123, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 to provide Conditions for Appointment and Assumption of Office in Acting capacity, to provide the meaning of certain words and for Related Matters”, was sponsored by the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, Hon. Ikeagwuonu Ugochinyere and five other lawmakers. Leading the debate on its general…

Benjamin Kalu Foundation in collaboration with Vision Saver Eye Care Limited has kicked off a National Action Against Blindness Project, organizing a three-day medical outreach in Bende Federal Constituency of Abia State. The Foundation which is the brainchild of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu held the outreach in Bende LGA from 13th to 15th October, 2023. A statement signed by his special assistant on press affairs Udora Orizu, stated that the outreach was essentially aimed towards providing free community eye care services, treatment, and medical services to the constituents. The exercise witnessed…

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu has commended Nigerian teachers for their immense contributions to nation building, assuring them of executive and legislature partnership to improve their well-being. Kalu who gave the assurance at the plenary on Thursday, in celebration of the 2023 World Teacher’s Day, noted that without education, no development can take place. Recognising and commending some House members who were teachers before now, Kalu added that education enhances nation building. The Deputy Speaker who thanked all teachers for their efforts, also prayed that they will reap their rewards here on…

Convener of New Seasons Prophetic Prayer and Declarations (NSPPD), Pastor Jerry Uchechukwu Eze has been accorded a special recognition by the State of Georgia at the conclusion of a well-attended prayer conference in the United States, weekend. Attended by over 20,000 persons, the prayer conference by the lead pastor of Streams of Joy International which held at George Brown Event Center, Houston Texas, US drew worshippers from all walks of life. NSPPD is reputed to be largest ever growing online prayer meeting as it watched live by thousands across all social media platforms and handles daily. It also famous for…

Udora Orizu writes that the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu has come up with a novel path of addressing the deplorable state of the nation’s roads On August 21, at a grand reception held at Transcorp Hilton in honour of Sen. David Umahi as the Minister of Works, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu floated a novel idea. The idea is to among other things, consider Roads Investment Fund for infrastructural development. The call however came on the heels of the  present dire economic situation that…

Deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu has said that lawyers are beacons of hope and guardians of the constitution. He said that as legal practitioners, they have the responsibility of upholding the principle of justice, rule of law and equity. Kalu made the submissions on Monday when his former classmates of 1998 from the facility of law, University of Calabar, Cross Rivers State paid him a courtesy visit on the sideline of the ongoing National conference of the Nigerian Bar Association ( NBA) in Abuja. The deputy speaker who recalled their days in the…