NYSC certificate: No amount of blackmail can distract Deputy Speaker Kalu, S/East Group says
- South East Progressive Forum has defended Deputy Speaker Kalu against blackmail over alleged certificate discrepancies
- The Forum urged Nigerian security agencies to investigate orchestrated media attacks on Kalu's integrity
- It noted Kalu, awarded Lawmaker of the Year, remains committed to his constituents despite ongoing criticisms
Abia state - The South East Progressive Forum has dismissed the allegations against the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Okezie Kalu, over a purported overlap in his NYSC discharge certificate and Law School result as cheap blackmails.
In a statement made available to Legit.ng on Tuesday, February 24, the group called on the Nigerian security agencies to fish out those sponsoring the blackmail.
Source: Twitter
Media attacks on Kalu traced to Abia govt - Group
It warned those who are being sponsored to push negative narratives against Kalu on social media, saying no amount of blackmail would derail the deputy speaker from carrying out his good work for the people of Bende Federal Constituency and Nigerians at large.
The group recalled that Kalu emerged as Deputy Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives in June 2023, gaining the total support of almost all the 359 other members, making him the number 6 citizen and the highest political figure from the southeast, Nigeria, under the present dispensation.
However, the group lamented that Kalu's reign has not been without media attacks and criticisms from his own Abia state, where a member of the Labour Party, Alex Otti, is the governor.
"The latest is the narrative that the Deputy Speaker's academic record has an alleged overlap between his NYSC service year and his attendance at the Nigerian Law School, Enugu Campus," the statement read.
Abia Patriots accused of attacking Kalu
The South East Progressive Forum alleged that a group known as Abia Patriots has been at the forefront of this social media fireworks, stamping that one Mr. John Aipkopko Martins has reportedly sent a petition to that effect to the Legal Practitioners’ Disciplinary Committee, to investigate what they described as 'fraudulent enrolment' on the Roll of Legal Practitioners at the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
However, waving off the alleged blackmail, the spokesperson of South East Progressive Forum, Chief Ihuoma Okoronkwo, accused the petitioner and the group of being sponsored to "dent their own brother".
The Forum raised serious concerns over the activities of Abia Patriots since 2024, ascribing their activities to the dictates of the Abia state government.
"Everybody in Abia knows that the group, which was not registered anywhere before now, was conscripted to attack the Deputy Speaker in 2024. If you Google Abia Patriots, the only things you would see about them are those attacks on Benjamin Kalu. Curiously, too, the same group sees nothing wrong in whatever Alex Otti does as governor; rather, they are on social media praising him every day.
"With such dubious antecedents, you need no Prophets to tell you who the paymaster is. Those with sound minds in Abia and outside observers know they are agents of the State Government. But we are assuring them that no amount of blackmail or social media attacks will deter the Deputy Speaker from performing his lawful duties. Nobody even takes them seriously. Aside from the social media and a few local media in Abia, which promote their mischievous activities against Kalu, you would never see any respected medium publish it", the statement said.
The Forum urged the deputy speaker not to allow anyone or group of persons from his home state discourage him from executing the good plans he has for the entire Nd'Igbo and Nigerians.
Okoronkwo said:
"What the jobless miscreants and their paymaster don't know is that Kalu is not only representing Bende Federal Constituency, but he has the entire 360 Federal Constituencies at hand, as a Presiding Officer of the House of Representatives; this local politics would only provoke him to look elsewhere in the other Constituencies, which the people of Abia would suffer.
"The Deputy Speaker is well respected amongst his colleagues and celebrated across Nigeria, as one of the finest Parliamentarians the country is proud to produce. Just about a week ago, he was awarded the Lawmaker of the Year, having appraised his legislative sagacity in sponsoring 127 Bills within 2 years, a feat no Lawmaker has attained in Nigeria; amongst the many laudable projects across the South East and Nigeria. He does not deserve to be insulted at all by any normal human being in Nigeria, not to talk of his own State, who is the chiefest beneficiary of his good works".
Kalu: Group addresses NYSC certificate allegations
On the allegation of the overlap between his NYSC and Law School certificates, the Forum called for calm as the Legal Disciplinary Committee would attend to the petition and brief Nigerians in due time, saying the Committee is a professional body that would not be compromised by any Governor.
"What some people don't know is that, like Medical Doctors, Lawyers sometimes have overlap between their NYSC and Professional certificates. In fact, some would be mobilised for NYSC and their Law School admission would come out the next month, and they would not want to miss the opportunity, so they enrol. In the same way, someone would be admitted for Masters or post-graduate course, and their mobilisation would come from NYSC the next moment, and they would run it concurrently.
"This same man presented himself for elections in 2019 and 2023 and was cleared by INEC in both elections and won. These miscreants can not be more knowledgeable than INEC, or the professional body that enrolled Benjamin Kalu as a Lawyer and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. We believe the disciplinary committee would do its work perfectly, and no Governor can compromise that. They are professionals", the statement added.
Source: Legit.ng
