Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has described former lawmakers as reservoirs of insight whose wealth of experience is crucial to Nigeria’s nation-building efforts.
He made this assertion on Saturday during the inaugural gathering of the Nigerian Former Legislators Forum (NFLF), held in Enugu State. The forum, convened by Kalu, brought together distinguished former lawmakers from across the country, including former Senate Presidents Ken Nnamani and Anyim Pius Anyim; former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara; former Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha; former Imo State Governor, Senator Rochas Okorocha; and former Minister of Aviation, Senator Stella Oduah, among others.
Addressing the forum, Kalu outlined four key imperatives the NFLF must pursue to maximize the contributions of former legislators to national development.
“First is pension security,” he said, lamenting the absence of a unified pension framework for ex-lawmakers. He proposed a hybrid model that combines contributory pension schemes with non-contributory support for indigent retirees, similar to systems in the U.S. and South Africa.
Kalu also emphasized the need to champion the holistic welfare of members, suggesting the forum evolve into a robust policy pressure group and legislative lobbying platform. “The nation has invested in training each legislator present here. That investment must not go to waste,” he noted.
The Deputy Speaker further called for the institutionalization of legislative expertise through the creation of a Knowledge Bureau and Congressional Study Groups to address critical national issues such as the economy, security, foreign policy, and trade. He advocated for partnerships with universities to engage former legislators in promoting civic literacy.
He also proposed special privileges for ex-lawmakers, including lifetime ID cards for access to the National Assembly, healthcare insurance, and parking privileges, to ease their post-tenure transition and honour their service.
Kalu revealed that the NFLF would operate with a globally competitive structure, including an Executive Committee with staggered terms and an Advisory Board of corporate and policy experts. Funding, he said, would be sourced through endowment funds, membership dues, corporate donations, and grants, mirroring the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress.
The event marked a significant milestone in uniting Nigeria’s former legislators under one umbrella to contribute meaningfully to the nation’s democratic and developmental journey.
