By Chikodiri Eze
When Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu was overwhelmingly elected the Deputy Speaker of the Green Chamber, keen watchers of our political space discerned that the young representative of Bende Federal Constituency, was about to embark on a leadership career that would pitch him against his own very convictions, testing his tolerance, commitment, resolve, patience and loyalty to the guiding principles that sculpted his character; the very fuel that propels his enviable meteoric rise in our tumultuous political landscape.
It is of course elementary science for every aspiring politician to identify our political and leadership challenges while pleading for our votes.
The real fear factor is the ability to boldly confront the same challenges once in office and begin to contend with them.
The entrenched selfish interests of territorial demagogues has become the bulwark that stands against every well intended and spirited efforts of Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, to put the interests and welfare of his people first, by creating the conducive political atmosphere where justice, equity, good governance, peace and prosperity, would reign.
Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, began to swim against the inhibiting political tides, when he genuinely sought to unite his Party, APC, in Abia State; a move that inadvertently rattled some self-styled Capo di tutis, who feared that their selfish and invasive grassroot political relevance was under siege.
Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu’s heroic and epic performance as former Spokesperson of the 9th assembly, coupled with his present trailblazing record as the Deputy Speaker, had begun to attract notable new entrants into the Party, a development that further spooked same ill-minded non-performers and their Godfathers
But the influx of new members into the Abia State chapter of APC, for all intents and purposes, should be seen as a positive omen by every well meaning Party stakeholder, and not just as a threat to some burnt out politicians who would rather cling to faded glory than realign their ambitions with present political realities.
Again, the SouthEast region, having witnessed a directionless political front since 1999, needed a broad-minded, trusted, unifying, political figure in the person of Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, to help refocus, redirect and reunite the opposing political entities that had prioritised the entrenchment of their personal fiefdoms, at the expense of trusted and responsible leadership.
This task of unification when fully accomplished, would strengthen the Party while ensuring that dividends of democracy gets to the people who had invested their collective hopes in the leadership.
As Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu welcomes yet another political juggernaut from the Southeast, into the APC family, he may as well count it all joy as he continues to fend off annoying snaps at his heels, by cowards and political jackals, being quite comfortable swimming against erosive political tides, wherein he draws some of his strengths from, assured that the Trials of his Faith, Worketh Patience.
But RT. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, Deputy Speaker, would surely let patience have her perfect work, that he may be perfect and entire, wanting the very best for his beloved people.
(Eze, a Public Affairs Analyst, writes from Umuahia, Abia State).
