From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has said the deployment of non-kinetic measures to address the security challenges in the South East geo-political zone are yielding positive results.
Kalu stated this, while receiving the the Outstanding Peace Ambassador Award for effort to champion peace in the South East through the Peace in the South East Project (PISE-P), from the House of Representatives Press Corps.
The deputy speaker, who represents Bende Federal Constituency of Abia State, reiterated his commitment to ensuring lasting peace in the region.
According to him, security agencies have given commitment to explore non-kinetic measures in tackling insecurity in the zone.
He lauded the House Press Corps for its professionalism in ensuring that Nigerians are adequately informed about developments in the federal legislature.
According to him, “You know, Southeast has been, you know, there’s been a crisis there for some time, even though it’s going down now a little bit through our various interventions, and through your own intervention, the way you report the stories there, it’s going down. But we started the Southeast Peace Project, which the President was there to launch on the 29th of December barely a year now.
“And with that, we lobbied for the South East Development Commission, we reached out to people and we are beginning to speak to those who are radicalized and say, please come. There are better ways of achieving what we want to achieve through the non-kinetic approach. We spoke to the military and the security forces and they have given their support and they are ensuring that the kinetic approach to resolving problems is not the only approach.
“It’s working. Are we there yet? No. Are we going to get there? Yes. Especially now that the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in his magnanimity approved the Southeast Development Commission Bill to become an Act and has gone ahead to make a budget proposal. So, he is not just talking the talk, he is walking the talk.
“What this would do for the peace project we are doing is that it’s going to calm the nerves of so many people, who are agitating for one marginalization or the other. The President has now said this is the fund from the federation account to develop your place.
“What other excuse do you have to carry arms? What other excuse do you have to destroy your place? This is a peace tool that the President has given to us. And the President has taken that also to other regions of the country.”