By Chibuike Nwabuko
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has pledged to build an office complex and donate a bus to lawyers in the newly created Bende branch of the Nigerian Bar Association in Abia State.
Kalu made the commitment on Friday while receiving chairmen of various NBA branches in Abia State, led by the Chairman of the Aba branch, Charles Onuchukwu.
Expressing appreciation to the NBA for approving a branch in his hometown, the Deputy Speaker said he remained committed to supporting the legal profession and giving back to his constituency.
“Let it be a mark of history that the Deputy Speaker, a lawyer, went to the parliament and never forgot his immediate constituency. The Nigerian Bar honoured me by approving a Bar in my own town,” he said.
Kalu stressed the need for a befitting facility for the new branch, promising to either acquire or donate property for the project.
“The need to get you a place cannot be overemphasized. I want a place, a compound where we can work and relax. It is doable and I am going to do it. You have to find a place that has a sufficient plot of land, we fence it and put a building there. I may donate one of my properties. It’s a legacy thing for me,” he stated.
The Deputy Speaker also promised to provide a bus for the branch to aid its operations.
“We will also give you a bus. It has to be a clean bus. We will support you,” he added.
Kalu urged lawyers to remain steadfast in the pursuit of justice, describing them as “instruments of justice” and the voice of both the ordinary citizen and the elite in society.
According to him, while Lady Justice is traditionally blind, the “eyes of justice should be wide open to see what is justice and what is fair.”
He further described lawyers as the compass of society and praised members of the Bar for their contributions to justice and equity.
“The work towards justice will not be achieved without ministers in the temple of justice. Beyond money, the voice of the common man should be heard. You are there because there is need for justice and equity. You are the instrument of justice. You need to be sharpened,” Kalu said.
Speaking on the relationship between the Bar and Parliament, the Deputy Speaker said lawmakers were constantly addressing gaps in existing laws through legislation.
He charged lawyers to stay updated with emerging laws, especially the Electoral Act, noting that parliamentarians play a crucial role in strengthening democratic institutions.
“What we do is to find those gaps. The Bar should not go down. The Bar should be strengthened. We know we have competent ones, but how current are they with the current laws? This is the time the Bench and the Bar should be studying the Electoral Act,” he said.
Kalu also called for greater recognition of lawyers serving in parliament for their contributions to the lawmaking process.
“We are giving birth to the laws you use. There are those who are churning out the laws. They should be remembered,” he added.
