Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, has urged South-East voters to ensure they give their bulk vote to President Ahmed Bola Tinubu in 2027, to reciprocate his good gestures to the zone, and to use it as buy-in to more democracy dividends from the President.
The Deputy Speaker who spoke while unveiling Renewed Hope Partners’ office complex in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, said the South-East was accused of not delivering much votes to the centre in 2023, hence the need to change the narrative, and have more bargaining power in 2027.
Hon. Kalu who said he was a good ambassador and staunch supporter of President Tinubu even before becoming the Deputy Speaker, explained that he decided to set up the office complex to serve as a melting pot for all the President’s support groups.
He further explained that the reason the South-East should give Tinubu bulk support in 2027 was because of his numerous economic policies and infrastructural strides which had positively impacted the zone.
He cited the commitment of President Tinubu to the completion of the Eastern railway corridor; the establishment of South-East Development Commission, SEDC; the economic reform and fiscal resilience of the President which has doubled federal revenues; among other achievements as reasonsTinubu should be rewarded with massive support in 2027.
Kalu said: “President Tinubu has recommitted to finishing the Port Harcourt–Maiduguri corridor. Once operational, it will link Aba and Onitsha hubs to northern markets, unlocking ₦50 billion in annual trade throughput.
“Aggregate national revenues more than doubled, surpassing ₦9.1 trillion in H1 2024 over H1 2023, through automation, anti-leakage measures, and creative funding, all without burdening citizens.”
Rep Kalu also lauded President Tinubu for reducing Nigeria’s debt service burden, saying that “the share of revenue devoted to debt servicing fell from 97 per cent to 68 per cent in just 13 months, while $7 billion in legitimate FX obligations were cleared, preserving funds for development.”
He also gave the President a thumbs up in foreign-direct investment uptick, declaring that “Tinubu has so far attracted proposed investments worth $50.8 billion into the country.”
He added: “The Nigeria’s GDP grew by 3.4% in 2024, an increase from the 2.7% recorded in 2023, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The final quarter of 2024 saw a growth rate of 3.84%, the highest in three years.”
“Fertilizers and mechanized equipment from the U.S., Belarus, and Brazil are currently being dispatched. Tariffs on rice, wheat, maize, sorghum, and medical supplies have been temporarily suspended,” he added.
He further said Tinubu deserved mandate renewal “for disbursing under students loan scheme, ₦45.6 billion to higher education students across Nigeria with an additional ₦50 billion released from EFCC-recovered funds, ensuring continuity of education without financial hardship.”
The Reps’ Deputy Speaker also said President Tinubu should be applauded for releasing more money to State Governors more than his predecessors, arguing that before any Governor should be commended for performance, the President should first be appreciated for releasing more funds to states.
He argued that the performance index of State Governors should be their fat allocations from the Federal Government and not the performance of their predecessors.
“When the time of campaign comes we will judge you with what you have received,” Kalu said.
He, however, said that if the South-East gives President Tinubu massive support in 2027, the zone would be in a position to make more demands from the President.
Some of the areas he said South-East needed more federal intervention include ecological funds, sea ports, industrial parks and natural gas plants.
He said that gully erosion sites at Ugwu Onyama in Enugu State and other dangerous erosion sites across the South-East require to be urgently tackled.
Kalu also emphasized the urged need to dredge River Niger and develop the Onne Sea Port to boost trade and commerce in the zone.
“Onitsha River Port: Green-light urgent dredging and wharf rehabilitation, linking the Niger inland waterway to regional and international trade routes; Fast-track the Onne container-terminal upgrade under the Port Harcourt corridor plan, integrating South East logistics with South-South hubs; Identify and develop sea-ports at Bonny/Opobo and Bakassi to relieve Lagos congestion and unlock export pathways for South-East agricultural and manufactured goods.”
