Rt Hon Benjamin Kalu 

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon Benjamin Kalu on Saturday urged online media practitioners and blogger to refrain from creating fears and panic in the land by playing up positive stories and playing down negative ones 

Hon Kalu who played host to Online Media Practitioners Association of Nigeria, OMPAN, Abia State chapter at Sun Heaven Hotel, Umuahia declared that excessive pursuit of bad news to drive traffic is detrimental to the image of the South East zone in particular and the Country generally


The Deputy Speaker in a group photograph with some members of OMPAN 

"Traffic gotten from bad news shrinks the confidence level of our investors - even if you are looking for bad news, project the good news", he said during the interactive session with OMPAN members 


He described the media practitioners as nation builders who have a role to play in the development of their Country and urged them to  consciously use the good things happening around to sell their State, to sell their Nation by writing or talking about the good things happening around them, in and outside of government.


Kalu, who is highest ranking elected political officer from the South-East also shared his expectations on the South-East Development Commission, SEDC bill now awaiting President Bola Ahmed's assent "After that bill is assented to by Mr President, no longer will the South-Easterner say am marginalised, no longer will the South-Easterners say we are not liked, we are no longer part of this Country because from there wealth will be created, infrastructure would be rebuilt, and we are pushing with Peace in South-East Project, PISE-P. And when people ask you, what are they doing?Say they are lobbying for a bigger platform that will heal the land and usher in prosperity" 


Speaking further on his non-kinetic approach to insecurity and violent agitations, the Deputy Speaker declares that "Guns can't rebuild our broken hearts, guns can't heal our broken wounds, guns can't rebuild our infrastructures, what will is the South East Development Commission when it becomes operational because in it lies the answers to many questions asked by the people in the South-East".


Kalu, who is the facilitator of PISE-P further absolved the President Bola Tinubu administration of Nigeria's current traumatic economic conditions, and noted that they were the outcome of faulty foundations laid several years ago by successive administrations. 


"What President Tinubu is trying to do is to plug the excesses of the past, shore up the revenue and appropriately determine that the market value of the Naira in relation to other currencies, is determined by market forces and not by printing and stockpiling the currency.


Kalu, who has articulated and proposed several landmark legislations, including the law recommending the establishment of State Police and Correctional Services or Prison and the unbundling of laws on electricity generation and transmission urged the media to conduct Post legislative scrutiny.


He explained that by conducting post legislative scrutiny, the media can stimulate conversation whether the respective State Houses of Assembly are living up to expectations by domesticating laws which have been transferred from the Exclusive List to Concurrent List.


According to him if State Houses of Assembly domestic laws which have been transferred from Exclusive to Concurrent List, such as the laws on railway, electricity generation and distribution, the law on building and operating Correctional Services, it would compel Capital projects budget to be earmarked for these sectors and in effect stimulating all round economic development and growth in the States