‘We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.’ — Aristotle.
We, the members of the above-mentioned group, a youth-powered movement in Bende LGA of Abia State, are sadly concerned about the recent character summersault and inconsistencies being exhibited in the current political cycle by Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, supposed leader and elder in not just Abia State or parts thereof but Nigeria in general.
The development is more troubling because with leadership comes responsibility hence the saying ‘To whom much is given, much is expected’. As a youth forum, we regret to state that our expectation of leadership has been grossly, if not irreparably, dashed by the member representing Bende Federal Constituency in the current Tenth Assembly.
As constituency members, voters and youthful watchers of affairs, we wish to state categorically our conviction in the right of qualified Abia sons and daughters, regardless of station or status, to contest governorship or any position in the state, but what, however, we found alarming is the political pretension of juggling aspirations while in effect blocking young people aspiring to political offices. Chameleonic tendency and inconsistency are not harboured in our dictionary. Coming from the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, this, to put it mildly, is disappointing.
Per stories from both the grapevine and confidential sources, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu has ‘secretly’ obtained APC’s expression of interest and nomination forms for the House of Representatives while at the same time giving the impression that he is interested in the governorship race and will declare in due course. This is not only two-timing but a deceptive act that MUST be rejected outright by all well-meaning sons and daughters of Bende LGA, both Ikwu Isii and Ụmụnnatọ.
Consistency, resilience, predictability, to mention a few, are some of the qualities a leader is not just expected to have but to show at all times. Once these are lacking in a leader, to say nothing of a representative, team confidence is badly ruptured. It is against the backdrop of this development that we seek a public disclosure of the political intentions of Hon. Benjamin Kalu. While the Electoral Act frowns upon act such as this, we have heard and seen politicians talk about ‘placeholding’ before and are equally aware that people who did not contest during party primaries ended up at the current Assembly.
Recently, a phoney group named the Benjamin Kalu Movement (BKM), in an April 30 release, condemned the move by the Abia APC to zone the governorship position in the state to Abia Central. The Movement, in its signed statement released to the public, condemned as ‘shocking and disappointing’ the zoning arrangement. Its Director General, Emma Trumps Eke, said that such an arrangement ‘lacked consultation.’ Could this be the reason Hon. Benjamin Kalu secretly obtained the legislative forms as alleged?
The great sage and philosopher, Aristotle, reminds us that: ‘We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.’ The Forum doesn’t expect less from a man like Hon. Ben Kalu. Where is the consistency in allowing interest groups to mobilise and push for your gubernatorial election while you secretly obtained a legislative form. Is this Hon. Benjamin Kalu’s understanding and practice of political consultation? What does this mean to folks who are still waiting for his governorship interest declaration which he has deferred till kingdom come? Where is the trust? We are convinced that Hon. Trust gap is what his attitude is suggesting.
Let it be on record that we shall not support a candidate whose ambition is personal but thrives on public deception in the next election. We shall not support leaders who exhibit political harlotry while reducing the masses to cannon fodder and political expendables.
Bende LGA is blessed with highly industrious, talented and hard working sons and daughters whose businesses and sources of livelihood are known. There are the likes of Dr. Chima Anyaso, a young versatilely vibrant man who has invested in and impacted the lives of others, especially youth and women, positively. As youth in Bende, we refuse to follow the lead of deceitful adults, ndị okenye arụrụala, as called in Igbo parlance. Politics, however it is to be played, should not be for chameleons.
We end it by refusing to follow the path where inconsistent men lead. Hon. Ben Kalu’s 2027 ambition is fraught with opacities and, shall we say, inconsistencies. This, sadly, is not the path we want to walk.
Signed.
Comrade Nnochiri John
(Secretary)
