‘Petition against Deputy Speaker Kalu politically-motivated’
A Civil Society Organisation, Igbo Mandate Movement Group, has dismissed a petition filed against Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, as “frivolous, mischievous and politically-motivated”. The group
A Civil Society Organisation, Igbo Mandate Movement Group, has dismissed a petition filed against Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, as “frivolous, mischievous and politically-motivated”.
The group described the latest episode as years-long campaign to sabotage the career of one of Nigeria’s most prominent Igbo lawmakers.
The petition, written by John Aikpokpo-Martins, former first vice-president, Nigerian Bar Association, was addressed to Legal Practitioners’ Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) requesting a review of records relating to Kalu’s professional qualifications and national service history.
The National Coordinator, Igboeli Arinze, in a statement yesterday said the petition followed a pattern of credential challenges that had trailed Kalu at every stage of his rise.
He called on LPDC and NYSC to treat the petition with the contempt it deserved, insisting the lawmaker deserved commendation and not condemnation.
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The statement said: “When he was nominated as a commissioner in Abia State, detractors alleged he never graduated from the University of Calabar — a claim disproved when Kalu subsequently obtained an LL.M and a PhD from the same institution and delivered its 50th Anniversary Convocation Lecture.
“When he sought election to represent Bende Federal Constituency, it was first alleged he had dodged NYSC service entirely. When that was debunked, the allegation shifted to claims that his NYSC certificate was a forgery — a claim that required a formal letter from the then NYSC Director-General, Brig.-Gen. Y.D. Ahmed, to finally extinguish.
“The same forces of retrogression have returned with yet another iteration of the same discredited narrative.”
On the substance of the current petition, the body laid out the facts of Kalu’s 2010 service year.
“He graduated from the University of Calabar in 1998, but the Nigerian Law School, which then operated only two campuses in Lagos and Abuja, could not absorb the volume of qualified graduates in a timely manner.
“The resulting backlog left many law graduates waiting years for admission. Kalu travelled abroad during the wait to acquire further qualifications.
“Upon returning to Nigeria and being mobilised for NYSC in 2010, he was posted to Enugu North Local Government and served in the Office of the Chairman.
“He participated fully in camp activities, emerged as a platoon leader, and was decorated with the citizenship and leadership award.
“At the same time, by a remarkable coincidence, his long-awaited Law School admission arrived, placing him at Enugu Campus in Agbani, just 30 minutes from his NYSC post.”
