Kalu pledges support for initiatives to boost education in Nigeria

•as UNICAL’s VC decorates Kalu as Ambassador

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu on Monday pledged his unalloyed support for various lofty initiatives that will boost education in Nigeria.

Kalu gave the assurance in Abuja during an interactive session with a delegation from the University of Calabar, Cross River State led by the Vice Chancellor, Professor Florence Obi and the Provost, Post-Graduate School of the University, Professor Enyong Ubana.

The delegation visited to inform the Deputy Speaker about their upcoming 50th anniversary/convocation lecture and to convey to him the decision of the organizing committee to make him the guest lecturer.

Recalling his days in the alma mater, Kalu said that the University of Calabar instilled virtues of hardwork, competition and patriotism in him and also moulded his character to contribute to nation-building.

The Deputy Speaker who noted that education plays a critical role in shaping the future of the country, said: “As Deputy Speaker, I recognize the critical role that education plays in shaping the future of our nation. I’m dedicated to supporting initiatives that promote access to quality education, and I believe that Unical is uniquely positioned to play a leading role in this effort.

“I’m proud to have been shaped by this institution and I’m committed to continuing to partner with Unical to advance the cause of education in Nigeria like my favourite Vice Chancellor, favourite in the sense that only a few women occupy this position in Nigeria, said. I’m a he for she and I like to see women get involved in leadership positions.

“We were taught to be the best, competitive in everything, give it all the energy it requires. We were taught to avoid corruption and that we’ve brought into leadership.

“We were taught to be patriotic, to be proud Nigerians. Today in the National Assembly, we are pushing. Whatever we earned in Unical was through hardwork and that spirit we’ve carried into our workplace. I’m proud of my University. I’m grateful for the transformative impact Unical has had on my life.”

Decorated as an ambassador of the university by the Vice Chancellor, Kalu also vowed to sustain the legacy and the discipline received from the university where he is currently doing his doctorate in law.

He added that the performance and achievements of some students from the university inspired him to sponsor awards aimed at encouraging young law students.

“I’m inspired by the achievements of Unical’s students, such as the law students who recently benefited from awards sponsored by myself. Awards like the Best Student in Jurisprudence and Legal Theory, Company Law, in Commercial Law, in Law of Evidence and in Constitutional Law”, he said.

The Deputy Speaker urged the university to be part of the ongoing constitutional review by carrying out quality research work on issues such as State Policing amongst others even as he promised to be part of the upcoming 50th anniversary/convocation lectures.

“We believe in what you’re doing and I want to thank you for giving me the role to be the Ambassador which I accept with my whole heart and also for choosing me to speak at the event of the convocation as well as the anniversary.

“Considering the 50th anniversary, I will be part of it till the end. Let us work closely to achieve the desires of the anniversary.

“I look forward to exploring ways through which we can work together to build a brighter future for our nation. Convey my warmest regards to the university community and let them know that we are all working together to improve the lives of those young ones who come to study. We are standing by them and will always stand by them”, Kalu said.

Earlier in their separate remarks, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Florence Obi and the Provost of the post-graduate School, Professor Enyong Ubana who is also the chairman of the organising committee of Unical at 50 described Kalu as the university’s special gift to the nation, saying he is making the country proud in his legislative engagements.

“One gift our university has given the nation is His Excellency. There are others. You are one of the ambassadors of the University of Calabar. Today, we have come here to decorate you. We are decorating you today as one of the ambassadors of the university. We have carefully selected the very outstanding ones,” Obi said.

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