The Chairman House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Benjamin Kalu has assured that his committee is committed to bringing about transparency, commitment to duty, sincerity to service, innovation in the information management of the National Assembly.
He made this known in a chat with ABN TV in Abuja shortly after his emergence as the Best Lawmaker of the Year 2020.
While expressing gratitude over the award, the Bende federal constituency Abia State representative while decrying poor funding of his committee expressed optimism that next year will offer a robust platform in enhancing public engagement that will engender knowledge and trust between Nigerians and their representatives.
“I try to innovate and change the dynamics, give Nigerians more credible information, draw the public closer to the parliament through public engagement mechanisms that I have created. We have a rich workplan but the challenge has always been funding. Hopefully, with this budget (2021) we will see if we can be able to drive the agenda of the Media and Public Affairs Committee.
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“If we are able to do that, Nigerians will have a different understanding, perception of the National Assembly because they will view it from the perspective of knowledge. I want to drive reliable information that will help Nigerians make decisions. The expectation management of Nigerians will automatically change from what it is and you don’t blame them because of the scarcity of relevant information
“Bridging that gap is what I’m set out to do and once this is achieved, Nigerians will understand better, believe in the legislative arm better and embrace it better,” he said.
He said his bills so far have been tailored towards proper needs analysis of the Nigerian people, interpreting it better and applying a legislative intervention that will help mitigate the challenges.
The lawmaker while recounting his experience reiterated that he was the very first person to speak on the floor of the 9th House of Representatives where he tabled the ecological needs of his people.
According to him, the motion so far has progressed to the MDAs in charge of the issue, stating that it is at the final stage before actions can be taken to solve the ecological needs of the Bende federal constituency.
