Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has called on the Igbo people of the South East region to embrace strategic political alliance as a path to relevance, dividends of democracy, and a secured tomorrow.
Speaking during the inauguartion of Abia State All Progressives Congress (APC) Campaign Council in Umuahia on Thursday, Kalu said the South East has been very successful in business over the years, rebuilding the region after the civil war without government intervention, because the people are strategic in their thinking.
He said the same strategic formula that made them prosperous in business must now be applied to politics.
The Deputy Speaker who represents Bende Federal Constituency of the State said it is time for Ndi Igbo to pick up the strategy of forming regional political alliance and handshake across the Niger to secure their political future.
He said: “Ladies and gentlemen, over the years, we have been very successful in our business as a people in the South East and we have been able to achieve what we achieved post civil war, rebuilding the South East without the intervention of the government only because we are strategic in our thinking but I want to tell you that why we have gotten it wrong in our political growth is that rather than apply that formula that had helped us in our businesses, in our economic life, the Igbo have been sentimental.
“Sentiment does not drive political growth, participation, engagement and advancement. It does not drive the dividends of democracy. It is about time that we dropped sentiment and pick up strategy. And when I talk about strategy, I talk about political strategy. I talk about regional, political alliance of Ndi Igbo.
“To be alone is not an honour. To be alone is not a thing of pride. To work in silos is not what will define our people. We must come together with other regions, shake hands across the Niger so as to remain relevant in the scheme of things. Let no one deceive you that on our own, we can do it”.
Kalu who is also the Deputy Director of APC Presidential Campaign Council (South) 11 recalled that some past leaders of country tried severally for the emancipation of their people politically, but failed until there was a handshake across the federation.
He warned that wrong calculations will take Ndi Igbo backward, while right calculations will take them forward, stressing that the right calculation is to stop wasting votes and start investing them.
He identified President Tinubu as the rewarding investment platform for Igbo votes, describing him as a leader who does not know the colour of skin, tongue or tribe, but sees, relates with, treats and positions everyone as a Nigerian, Kalu said that he is the kind of man Ndi Igbo should give their votes to.
“There is no pride in waste. What is strategic is to invest our votes. And as Igbo, we have always made investments that yielded dividends. And that is why we are prosperous. I can assure us in politics, there is going to be a paradigm shift where the Igbo will throw their votes into a rewarding investment platform and that platform is no other than President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“I preach about him not just because he is the President. I advocate for him because I am a core disciple of his political philosophy that believes in building legacies that will outlive a leader, a philosophy that believes in non-tribal way of administering a nation.
“That is what I believe in and that is why I follow him. He is a man who does not know the colour of your skin, tongue or tribe that you come from, sees you as a Nigerian, relates with you as a Nigerian, treats and positions you as a Nigerian, that is the man we should give our votes to. Igbo must wake up. It is time for the Igbo to arise and arm ourselves with our votes to take a position that belongs to us”, he said.
The Deputy Speaker also rejected the idea of a four-year agreement for an Igbo presidency, insisting that after waiting for almost 60 years, Ndi Igbo deserve eight years and not four, assuring Ndi Igbo that their time is coming.
“We cannot accept 4 years agreement. Igbo are bigger than 4 years agreement because we have waited for almost 60 years. When they come and preach to you that this is Igbo agenda, tell them that is a wasteful Igbo agenda. Tell them that you want to be strategic and the strategic way of operating now is to align with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“Our time will come. We have waited for too long but let us not be weary of well doing for in due season, we shall reap if we faint not. Our time is coming. The Igbo nation’s time is coming and when it comes, it will be 8 and not 4 years,” he said.
He added that Tinubu has laid a foundation in the last three years and half years in office, and Nigerians will soon begin to see the bricks upon the foundation, the roof upon the bricks, and the walls of the building he is building for the nation.
“Give a man like President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who has laid a foundation, I tell you that Nigerians will begin to see the brinks upon the foundation he has laid, the roof upon the bricks he has laid, the curve and the walls of the building that he is building for Nigerians and then, they will believe that he has not wasted the last 3 years but invested to build a nation we will be proud of. Let the Igbo arise and let our vote be counted”, he said.
The Deputy Speaker while highlighting some of the major achievements of the Tinubu administration in South East, said they cut across all the sectors of the economy of the region.
Inaugurating the Abia APC Campaign, Kalu charged the members numbering over 500 persons to take the message of the Renewed Hope Agenda to the nooks and crannies of the State.
“I charge this Council to meet it with seriousness and discipline. Know the projects in Abia and their status, stay united in purpose, and be present in all 17 local governments and 184 wards”, he said.
