‘I will celebrate my victory by developing my constituency’ 

The winner of Bende, House of Representatives in the just concluded elections in Abia, Ben Kalu said though excited, he will celebrate his victory with development for his constituents.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) political stakeholder in Bende and ardent business mogul, had in the February 23, election polled 9,138 votes to win his closest rival, Chima Anyaso of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who polled 5,591.

“I feel excited. Victory should not be limited to the polls. It will come when we face the challenges facing the constituents.

“On their way to vote, they met various challenges, including access roads, water, electricity and other infrastructure. So, I will not say I am victorious until when these challenges may have been addressed by laying the right foundation for them.

“I am excited more by the people who carried me on their shoulders, heralding a new dawn for new capital development, new roads development, infrastructure development and lots more. They were excited by the reality of the expectations.

“My celebration will come after four years when their projects which I attracted will speak. The challenges will not overcome us. We are prepared to overcome our challenges”, he said.

He described the electoral process in the country, especially during the last 2019 Presidential and National Assembly elections in the country as transparent and commended INEC over the election which he said is better organized than in the previous ones, especially in his constituency,  as the election materials arrived at the right time .

He however pointed out that there is still room for improvement with regards to the emerging democracy in the country, adding that the country is not doing badly and will get it right.

He also commended the security agencies in the country as also doing good job, urging that they should do more, while advising “there should be enough police men for each polling unit and we do not need the army(at the polls), so that election personnel will feel more secured”.

While noting that in his constituency, collation was done at the right time and was handled by professionals, he regretted that some Peoples Democratic Party, PDP faithful had thugs that brought something strange into the process, adding “this was not by the PDP presidential candidate, but by the Abia North Senatorial PDP candidate, Mao Ohuabunwa and the PDP House of Representatives candidate, Chima Anyaso, who he said equipped the thugs with dangerous weapons to come and cause trouble among the voters, observing however that the military did their job and arrested some of the thugs, some of who are with guns.

Ben Kalu congratulated the former governor of the state, Orji Uzor Kalu who he said won the Abia North Senatorial seat elections fairly in one of the most transparent elections in Abia North, adding “the masses spoke overwhelmingly. I am happy that he won as he has done much for the people in terms of scholarship, roads, water and other infrastructure, including empowerment.

“This is payback time and all voted for him. If it is possible for him to contest for the governorship position in the state for the third time, he will still win. He worked with little that comes in from FAAC, compared with what comes into the state now. The people voted for him and I am sure he will be voted to in at the senate as the Senate President.

He also congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari, stating that is the time to support the president and not time to put a clog in the wheel of his progress, stating “We are going to the National Assembly to partner the executives to fly. When policies are good, we will allow it to fly. I am happy he, the president won and he is not corrupt. No money flowed in APC, but we were allowed to do it ourselves and I won in 11 of the 33 wards in my constituencies.

Before now, he said the president was laying the foundation for the country, adding that now is the time for him to showcase what he has been working on. “It is also the time to give him the support for the growth of the nation and generation yet unborn.

“He needs little to perform, so all he needs is the support. I also identify with his set philosophy to build the nation”, Kalu said.

According to him, the only problem the president has is in the appointments which are tilted towards one side, like the appointments of security chiefs. He expressed his sadness that none came from the south east stating that it is time that dynamics is changed, while adding that in the president’s second tenure, the prrsident is going to spread it, noting that “it will make some sense of security to all Nigerians, make them feel safe and will make all Nigerians have confidence in him, look at him without bias and will support all his policies that will not tilt towards one side, but rather have a national spread. So, that is why we are going to the National Assembly to give him that support”.

Kalu expressed his desire to celebrate his constituents, informing “My victory should go beyond winning at the polls and it will be complete when you meet up with the challenges of the people and solve their problems. My constituents were given much money (by the opposition), yet they did the right thing.

He assured that in regular meetings, he will give account of his stewardship to his constituents and will teach them the progresses and policies of the federal government that is beneficial to them, adding that he needs to be “alive” to do real partnership of the state as not voting for Uche Ogah means not equipping me properly. I will deliver 100% with an APC governor and the federal government, delivery slate is important for partnership. We (APC) should get the governor”.

He asked his constituents to vote for the APC, come March 9th governortorial and state House of Assembly elections “for better education, clean environment, regular payment of salaries without excuses, to give pensioners the right to be alive, to equip our hospitals for minimum jobs, for accountability, total spread of development that is not sectionalized”, expressing also his worries that the state capital, Umuahia has been abandoned, and now a shadow of itself.

“So, a governor is of the state, not sectional. I want a governor that will fix all these and revive ailing industries and bring in new ones”, he wished.

He also congratulated Sen. T. A. Orji and other winners, assuring “at the federal level, we are going to form a formidable team that will help the state. We have to be one family”.