WRITTEN BY GORDI UDEAJAH.
House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Rt Hon Benjamin Kalu of the APC, representing Bende Constituency ( Abia State) has been challenged by his Labour Party rival in the 2023 poll Mr Iheanyi Chinasa to update his constituents on the execution status of the federal government projects in their Constituency.
Chinasa who stated that Hon Kalu claimed to have attracted and or facilitated some of the projects for execution in the constituency, cited particularly, the ₦7 billion Amewu and Methodist gully erosion control projects, alleged that these projects have not been actualized.
Chinasa also alleged that these two erosion sites control are in the budget hence, according to him, Hon Kalu, as their elected representative in the house he is also the Deputy Speaker , owed them (his constituents ), the necessary account/feedback/explanations on the projects execution status.
Maintaining that Hon Kalu should monitor and press for the execution of the Bende constituency projects captured in the national budget, especially those he claimed to have facilitated/attracted, Chinasa who is now governor Alex Otti’s Abuja Liaison Officer, posited that Kalu ought to be partly held responsible for their execution, noting that he is also, a Principal Officer in the national Assembly.
Besides these two gully erosion control projects, Chinasa who chatted with journalists, further tasked Hon Kalu to physically take his constituents and journalists on inspection tour of the ongoing and completed projects in the Constituency, stating that he ( Chinasa) was seeking this explanation and making the demands on his personal behalf and other constituents.
It would be recalled that Hon Kalu had on 3rd October at Aba during the commissioning of some roads by President Bola Tinubu, represented by the Works Minister , Engineer Dave Umahi, rated governor Otti’s performance as not being commensurate with the state’s monthly earnings, which he put at between N38 – N40 billion.
Hon Kalu’s unexpected outbursts , included that his APC would unseat and replace governor Otti led administration through the ballot in 2027, but ensure president Tinubu’s re-election, which angered many people.
Chinasa’s call on the Deputy Speaker to give account of his activities in Abuja, would therefore not have been unexpected hence, both were rivals in the 2023 election, and considering that Hon Kalu criticized Otti, who is Chinasa’s Principal.
Chinasa who additionally maintained that his urge for Hon Kalu to update his constituents, was not politically motivated, insisted it was a civic duty for constituents to demand accountability from their mandated leaders/representatives.
He said ” this is beyond politics. I am a citizen of Bende Constituency, The Deputy Speaker has given us a long list of projects approved for our Constituency. Now, I want those on his list to be verified by an independent body, to ascertain them”.
Seemingly doubting the authenticity and level of the completion of the projects, Chinasa therefore urged for an independent and media audit to verify the claims, indicating that should the Deputy Speaker become adamant, he
( Chinasa ) can personally sponsor the verification exercise.
