Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has urged Abia State Governor Alex Otti and leaders of the South-East to publicly acknowledge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s role in making funds available for projects across the country.
Speaking at a project commissioning in Aba on Friday, Kalu commended Otti’s strides in infrastructure but stressed that Tinubu deserved recognition for ensuring that savings from the removal of fuel subsidy were sent directly to the states.
“Mr. President did not keep that money in Abuja. He released it to the states. If we want him to do more, then we must give him his due credit,” Kalu said.
He noted that true development required partnership beyond party lines, recalling how he had worked with previous Abia governors irrespective of their political affiliations. According to him, “citizenship must come before party loyalty.”
Kalu also appealed to the President, represented at the event by Works Minister Dave Umahi, to consider establishing a seaport in the South-East to strengthen regional trade. He further pleaded for federal intervention in the demolition of Igbo-owned properties in Lagos, urging dialogue and regularization of documents rather than displacement.
The Deputy Speaker concluded that acknowledging Tinubu’s support was not about politics but about ensuring more federal backing for Abia and the South-East.