In recognition of his efforts at delivering dividends of democracy to his constituents in less than a year in office and placing the Southeast region amongst the list of the most influential Senators in the 9th Assembly, foremost Southwest based publishing company; the Southwest First Alert Magazine has awarded the Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, Special recognition and most performing Senator in Nigeria.
Presenting the award to the Senator in his office at the National Assembly complex ,the Publisher of the magazine , Mr. Charles Oladokun Aridunnu Omo, disclosed the publishing group had carefully chronicled the impacts made by Senator Kalu to his constituents since his election into office, while highlighting , the distribution of , construction of 19 roads , reconstruction and renovation of all primary schools, reviving of abandoned power plants, sponsorship of notable motions and bills as some of the factors that necessitated the award.
Oladokun noted; that despite his wrongful incarceration for six months at the Kuje custodial center, Senator Kalu never deterred in discharging his legislative duties to his constituents. He emphasised that the award ceremony was organized virtually as a result of the resurgence of the 2nd wave of the COVID pandemic.
He said: “We are extremely grateful to you for putting your region and Nigeria first in your scale of leadership performance. The Board of the Southwest First Alert Magazine, after an online poll unanimously selected you.
The magazine is appreciating your outstanding efforts and tremendous contributions at putting the Southeast race on the list of distinguished personalities of the black race, as one of the most influential Senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, whose legacies and contributions cannot be over, emphasised.
We recognized your achievements, indelible impacts as well as outstanding performance both at the National Assembly and your Senatorial District, Most especially your fantastic impacts during the COVID-19 pandemic.
We sent some of our reporters to carry out an on the spot assessment of the road projects and they were able to testify that they were on-going and some were almost at their completion stages.
On empowerment of two occasions you have distributed vehicles and farm inputs to farmers, generating sets , sewing machines to artisans just to mention a few.
Responding, Senator Kalu said his tenure as a Senator and principal officer would focus on empowerment and the facilitation of infrastructural development to his constituents and the Southeast at large as a means of imparting in the lives of his people.
Kalu, who described laws as the software of democracy , noted that asides attracting infrastructure to his constituents, he has sponsored motions to improve the nation’s productive output as well as a bill to strengthen the legislative arm of the country.
The Abia-North Senator said the ongoing rehabilitation of primary schools across his constituency was to provide the right environment for teaching and learning, assuring that the gesture would be extended to secondary schools and similar institutions.
Kalu also informed that he was working additional bills that would impact in the lives of all Nigerians, he urged Nigerians to remain United and continue to coexist peacefully with one another.
While appreciating the recognition, Kalu called on the publishing company to continue to remain unbiased in it’s reportage noting that the media has a huge role to play in development of the nation’s democracy most especially in fighting fake news.