Multiple Award winning Lawmaker on Constituency Development, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu explained why he has continued to place priority on Roads construction, Agriculture, Education, Health and Infrastructure throughout his tenure as a Legislator.
Less than a day after announcing the completion of a newly constructed Amankalu Alayi road in Bende L.G.A in his Abia-North Senatorial zone, the two time former Abia Governor explained that he is convinced that investment in these sectors would provide opportunities for people most especially women and youths to be meaningfully engaged.
Addressing over two hundred thousand followers on his verified Facebook page on Sunday, the Abia-North Senator added that as Governor in order to achieve his vision he embarked on massive road construction in both urban and rural areas in addition to the introduction of free education from primary to secondary school levels.
As Governor (1999-2007), Kalu recalled his role in establishing the Abia State University (ABSU) and the Abia State Teaching University Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH) and equally subsidized the fees of both institutions as well as ensuring that salaries of their staff were paid regularly.
He wrote; “I have often been asked why I am focusing so much on road infrastructure and education as a lawmaker just like I did when I was the Governor of Abia State.
“I ensured that our mothers and children received proper medical attention by making drugs available and accessible which also necessitated building ABSUTH in Aba.
“I gave out seedlings to farmers to improve agricultural products, and invested heavily in sports to discover talents and properly engage youths in Abia State.
As a Lawmaker Kalu outlined his achievements; “As a lawmaker, I have constructed over 60 rural roads, built and equipped over 70 brand new schools across Abia North Senatorial District, distributed free textbooks, and other educational materials to students across the district, as well as sponsoring the Universal Free Education Bill.
“It is my belief that only sincere investment in youth development and education would tackle most of the challenges affecting Nigeria, because the skills acquired through learning will provide our youths with more career and employment opportunities to enable them to be more effective in their jobs and compete with their counterparts in other parts of the world.
Elected in 2019 and re-elected in 2023, Kalu has bagged multiple awards from reputable organisations for executing numerous Infrastructure projects in his constituency.
Some of the projects includes construction of over 62 rural roads spread across the five local government areas of the zone, rehabilitation/construction of school & health center buildings, installation of over 25 water boreholes in communities, distribution of learning materials and textbooks to students, distribution of over 3000 sewing machines to artisans, distribution of over 2000 grain and cassava processing machines to low income farmers, training of youths in Cinematography to mention a few.
Kalu had twice in a row clinched the awards of the Senate Press Corps in “constituency development” and “Overall Best Senator in Constituency Projects and Human Relations Award”.
He also emerged 2022 Best Senator of the Year in Constituency Projects in the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) and Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Abuja Chapters.
In Legislative duties according to OrderPaper.ng Nigeria’s parliamentary multimedia platform the 62-year-old Senator was rated highest amongst Senators from Abia State with 25 Bills standing in his name and rated second amongst his former Governor colleagues at the Senate using the 2019-2022 cumulative legislative year.
