Deputy Speaker, Kalu, advocates more ministerial slots for South-East

Benjamin Kalu, the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, has urged President Bola Tinubu and the APC leadership to increase the number of cabinet positions for the South-East for the sake of equality and federal character.

Kalu made the appeal when he visited Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, the APC’s national chairman, at the party secretariat on Thursday.

The North-West received 10 places on Tinubu’s list of 48 ministerial nominees, followed by the North-East with 8, the North-Central with 8, the South-West with 9, the South-South with 9, and the South-East with 5.

After his discussion with Ganduje, Kalu, a representative for Abia State’s Bende Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, spoke to the media and said that the region deserved more cabinet positions.

Read Also: Benjamin Kalu drops out of Speakership race, accepts Deputy position

He said, “We are raising the lobbying for more (ministerial slots) for the South-East. You know, we are like Oliver Twist. While thanking Mr President for remembering us – despite all odds and despite our contributions to the last election, he remembered us by ensuring that I also emerged as the Deputy Speaker of the House, for which the region is very grateful to Mr president.

“But we are also asking him, because he is a man that we know is magnanimous, to look into increasing the member of ministerial positions for the region.”

Kalu further noted he also discussed with Ganduje “other pertinent issues that will affect the growth of the party, the nation and as well as my region and we had a good time discussing those issues.”

“The issue of national balancing, of loyalty and cohesion in the country in the spirit of the Constitution with regards to federal character, the way and manner appointments and projects are done,” he said.

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