TheNewsGuru

Tag: Benjamin Kalu

  • Electoral amendment bill to be laid July 13 – Reps Spokesman

    Electoral amendment bill to be laid July 13 – Reps Spokesman

    Mr Benjamin Kalu, the Spokesman for the House of Representatives, has said that the electoral amendment bill would be laid on July 13 before the House goes on recess.

    He said this at a news conference on Thursday in Abuja, saying the report would be laid before the National Assembly proceed on recess.

    Kalu’s clarification was coming against the backdrop of speculations that the electoral amendment bill had been tinkered with by members of the committee.

    According to him, people are judging and speaking too soon on electoral bill, not knowing the National Assembly does not operate on the pages of newspapers.

    He stated that a bill must go through the whole “nine yard”, before it would be considered, stressing that it would be unfair if the House was judged, based on mere speculation.

    Kalu agreed that it was the right of every Nigerian to ask questions and expressed their opinion, but added that they must ask such questions, based on knowledge and required facts.

    He said that until the report goes through the Committee of a Whole, it would not become an official document.

    He added that the news of tinkering with the electoral bill remained in the realms of speculation and a hasty conclusion.

    The House of Reps Spokesman said that if any alteration found its way into the electoral bill, “we can then make the requisite noise.”

    He stated that for now, the House would not address issue on what was not before it, adding that as at now, the report had not yet been brought the House.

    On the issue of PIB, Kalu said he had encouraged most of its members to explain the details of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) to their constituents.

    He said that the interface as well as the engagement had revealed that the agitation among Nigerians had been doused and are beginning to soften perception of some people in certain quarters.

    He stated that there was nothing self- serving in the laws the National Assembly made for Nigerians, and that it would always do things that reflected their will.

  • We will pass PIB earlier than expected – Rep Kalu

    We will pass PIB earlier than expected – Rep Kalu

    The House of Representatives will pass the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) earlier than expected, spokesperson for the House, Rep. Benjamin Kalu has said.

    Rep. Kalu stated this on Thursday in Abuja, stressing that the host communities remained an integral part of the bill.

    He added that the parliament would ensure that the interests of host communities and those of other stakeholders were protected.

    “We have increased our speed, first and second reading, committee level, public hearing have all been done on the PIB, the next thing now is for us to go into technical session to compile all the views of the people.

    “A lot of documents are being worked on, the consultants will sit with us to make sure we are able to bring out what people actually desire from this bill

    “And so, we can package it for the third reading and then for concurrence, we are at the verge of third reading.

    “This will be sorted out in no distant time; our target is that the bill will come out this year. It might even come out earlier than expected but we will finish it this year; we have gone so far and nothing is stopping us,’’ he said.

    Kalu said that the required concurrence from the Senate would not be hectic as both chambers were working simultaneously on the bill through various stages.

  • Photos: Hoodlums break into, ransack Reps spokesman’s office

    Photos: Hoodlums break into, ransack Reps spokesman’s office

    Spokesman of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu has raised the alarm over the safety of lawmakers at the National Assembly, saying the complex was no longer safe for them to work.

    The office of Rep. Kalu located on the first floor of the new House of Representatives complex was broken into by unknown persons, who ransacked the whole office.

    The incident left the place scattered while the door to the inner office was left unlocked.

    It is not yet clear the motives of those who broke into and whether anything was taken away from the office but Kalu said he has reported the incident to the Head of Security in the National Assembly.

    Kalu, who is the Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, expressed shock over the incident, saying it was evident that the National Assembly was no longer safe.

    He said: “It is actually surprising to see that somebody broke into my office. We are still trying to access what the intention was in breaking into the office.

    “Was it to take an important document out or to check if we left any valuable or money in the office or to plant any security or spying device inside my office? I don’t know the reason.

    “But I have asked my aides to register it with the Sergeant at Arms.

    “I am sure the police here will do their investigations because this is scary. It is a committee office and this is happenings.

    “This is one of the consequences of Covid 19 which made us not to sit everyday. When we were sitting everyday, we never experienced this. Hoodlums see this as an opportunity to break into people’s offices.

    “We can’t break it down right now whether it was for stealing or whether to spy on what the National Assembly is doing through my office.

    “Whatever it is, I am sure the Security agents will get to the root of it.”

    Asked if the National Assembly was no longer safe especially for lawmakers, he said: “Of course. There has been lots of motions to that effect and discussions have been ongoing for sometimes that the place is no longer as safe as it ought to be.

    “For my office to be broken into means that a lot. I don’t know how many offices have been broken into.

    “But as the spokesman of the House, I need to speak out so that people should know. The committees in charge of security need to up their game.

    “I am going to immediately get in touch with those in charge of that committee to see what they are doing about situation of this nature. It is actually shocking because we are not safe to do our job.”

  • Rep replies Abba Kyari over claim lawmakers refuse COVID-19 screening at airports

    Rep replies Abba Kyari over claim lawmakers refuse COVID-19 screening at airports

    A member of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has seriously doubted that any member of the National Assembly (NASS) would pass through the airport and refused to submit himself for COVID-19 screening.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Kalu’s reaction is following reports of a leaked confidential memo written and addressed to the Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila by Abba Kyari, Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari.

    “First I have received a lot of enquiries as regards this particular memo though we have not confirmed the authenticity of where that memo originated from as an official document. But if we look beyond that, at the content of the memo, no matter where it originated from, it is pointing to the fact that this particular virus is no respecter of persons, no respecter of any social status or political status.

    “If there is particular equipment at the airport to help do screening of those who are coming into the country at the airport even if it is domestic flight, Nigerians should make use of it. There is this argument that the people that were accused or not making use of it were not members of the house, so I believe they are not members of the house because I doubt if any honourable member of the house would pass through that place without being checked because it is just one minute, two minutes, I have passed through that severally.

    “But if there is anyone who went through there without submitting himself for all this al important check, then it is wrong, it is unpatriotic, it is not good for our nation because health is important if not to you, to all Nigerians you will come in contact with. So let us forget about where the message came from, let us forget where the memo originated from, the most important thing is, the content of this memo is raising the consciousness that Nigerians should submit themselves no matter who you are to the people that are doing the screening at the airport and this screening should go beyond the airport.

    “Wherever there is a screening machine, if you are passing through it, it is expected that you submit yourself to be screened. There is nothing belittling there and it doesn’t waste time. So if actually it came from the presidency, I commend the writer of the memo, if it is the chief of staff, if it was the SGF, it shows that they are interested and conscious of every steps.

    “He that alleges must prove to put on the members of the house we need to see the proof because there are cameras at the airport, I am sure the camera must have captured the person rejecting to be screened and this should be made public, if there is something like that. But I seriously doubt that any member would pass through the airport and refused to submit himself for screening,” Kalu stated in an interview by AIT.

    When asked that some lawmakers have actually tested positive and are receiving treatments at private hospitals and have refused to open up on their health status, he said “I have not heard that one, I am not aware of that and it would be difficult to speak on what I am not aware of.

    “But it would be unfair for anybody to test positive and refuse treatment, do you want to die? The death rate is only 2% which means that if you are treated you will recover from it. Why reject treatment after being positive. I don’t think any member of the house would behave in that manner, I have not heard it but since you have said it we will investigate and find out”.