Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu has been honoured with the Outstanding Peace Ambassador award by the House of Representatives Press Corps.
The award is in recognition of Kalu’s contributions to peace and security of the South East region typified by his peace initiative, Peace In South East Project (PISE-P).
It will recalled that PISE-P unveiled in December, 2023 in Bende Local Government of Abia State is a notable initiative that advocates for restoration of peace and security in the South East region through non kinetic approach.
Speaking at the event that also featured the launch of Green Sentinel, an in-house magazine of the Corps as well as the official unveiling of the association’s website held at the national assembly complex, Kalu expressed gratitude to the Corps’ Chairman, Gboyega Onadiran and the entire membership for the special recognition and honour.
The Deputy Speaker who was the spokesman of the House in the 9th National Assembly emphasized that his peace advocacy and project aim to sustain Nigeria’s unity, urging citizens to shun divisive sentiments and promote national cohesion.
He said: “You have gone ahead to give me an award as one of you who is interested in peace and the motivation has been nothing but the fact that we have only one country. We don’t have two. We are one. And because we are one, we must preach peace to sustain that oneness. That is the truth and we must preach it starting from home. I am from the south east and they say charity begins at home.
“There is no how I will preach peace outside the rest of Nigeria while leaving what is going on in my area. You know, there has been crisis there for some time even though it is going down now through our various interventions, through your own interventions, the way you report the stories there, it is going down.
“We started Peace In South East Project (PISE-P) which the President was there to launch on the 29th of December, and with that, we lobbied for South East Development Commission. We reached out to people and we are beginning to speak to those who are radicalized to say, please, come, there are better ways of achieving what we want to achieve through non kinetic approach.
“We spoke to the military and other security forces and they have given their support and they are ensuring that kinetic approach to resolving problems. It’s working.
“Are we there yet? No. Are we going to get there? Definitely yes especially now that the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in his magnanimity approved the South East Development Commission (SEDC) bill to become an act and has gone ahead to also make an appropriation proposal which had been laid. There is an allocation for the South East Development Commission. So, it is not just talking the talk but walking the talk.
“So, what this will do for the Peace project we are doing is that it’s going to calm the nerves of so many people who are agitating against one form of marginalization or the other.
“The President has now said this is fund from the federation account to develop your place. What other excuse to do have to destroy your place? This is a peace tool that the President has given to us.
“And the President has taken that also to other regions of the country. The regional development agenda of Mr. President is a wonderful agenda because you see north west has received funds to be used to calm the nerves of those there. North east is working and very soon, south west will start, south south and the rest. That’s a regional agenda which worked for us before which is coming back again in the spirit of federalism and I am sure it’s going to work.
“So, if we don’t pursue peace, there will be no unity and if we don’t have unity, there will be no progress. Check our coat of arm, it says Peace, Unity and Progress. So, if Nigeria wants to progress, the foundation is peace. Thank you for recognizing our work and we pledge to partner with you to make sure we achieve more”.
