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Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Benjamin Kalu, has officially declared his ambition to be Speaker of the House in the coming 10th National Assembly.
After the political wave the Labour Party in Abia caused in the 2023 general elections, Kalu, who was re-elected for a second term, will be the only member of the All Progressives Congress from Abia State in the 10th House.
Declaring his ambition on Thursday, Kalu said “Nigerians are looking for a speaker that will increase what I call ‘parliamentary sovereignty;’ where the motions, the resolutions and independence of the arm of the government would be showcased better than the 9th Assembly has struggled. Because the 9th Assembly has maintained its independence, then we need somebody that will toe the path and sustain that independence.
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“Many people say rubberstamp but we have always consciously monitored the borderline in the way we sustain this rancour-free relationship with the Executive, understanding the doctrine of separation of powers, knowing the borderline between what is expected by the mandate of our arm of the government, constitutionally speaking, and where the mandate of the Executive starts.
“So, Nigerians are looking for parliamentary sovereignty. Nigerians are looking for a speaker that will increase institutional trust. You and I will agree that the coming of the legislature appears like a strange arm of the government when Nigerians have been used to military rule with only the Executive and the Judiciary.”
He said if he becomes Speaker, laws bothering on education; economy – economic growth, job creation, poverty reduction; insecurity, healthcare and environmental sustainability would be prioritised.
“These are some of the things that the speaker that is coming on board should be equipped to be able to deliver and I know Benjamin Okezie Kalu has been equipped to represent 369 members as the image-maker of the House of Representatives for four years,” he added.
