Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has donated a collection of academic textbooks and law reports worth millions of naira to the Faculty of Law of the University of Calabar (UNICAL).

The donation is in line with Kalu’s commitment to nurturing legal scholarship and excellence as emphasised during his 50th anniversary and 37th convocation lecture at the institution.

The Deputy Speaker, an alumnus of the university, had pledged to donate relevant law books when the management of the institution, led by the Vice Chancellor, Professor Florence Banku Obi, visited earlier this year to invite him to deliver the 50th anniversary/37th convocation lecture of the university.

A statement by Kalu’s Chief Press Secretary, Levinus Nwabughiogu, stated that the Faculty of Law’s Dean, Dr. Mike Otu, had during the visit told the Deputy Speaker about the pressing need for academic textbooks and law reports, crucial for accreditation and fostering a conducive learning environment.

Presenting the books through his Chief of Staff, Sam Hart to the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Obi in the company of the Deputy Vice Chancellors and the management team of the University, the Dean of the Faculty of Law, Dr. Otu and other members of staff of the institution in a brief ceremony at the university on Friday, Kalu noted that his decision to make the donations is to sow into the same soil that nurtured him and to water the roots of legal knowledge and fuel the future of legal scholarship.

He highlighted the significance of investing in educational resources to sustain excellence and advance the faculty’s legacy, saying that the materials would shape the students’ thinking, reasoning, and advocacy skills, ultimately serving as instruments of transformation and silent mentors.

He said: “We return to sow into the same soil that nurtured us, inspired by the timeless words of Nelson Mandela, who said, ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.’ We are here not just to donate books, but to empower minds; to water the roots of knowledge and to fuel the future of legal scholarship. Because education is not a charity; it is a strategy. A strategic weapon for equity, for justice, and for national transformation.

“For a Faculty like ours, whose legacy of producing jurists, legislators, scholars, and advocates is storied and enduring, investment in educational resources is not optional; it is essential to sustaining excellence and advancing our legacy. Without up-to-date legal texts, without comprehensive law reports, we risk silencing the voices of the future before they even find their words.

“It is in this spirit that I have invested in vital legal resources to strengthen the intellectual architecture of the Faculty of Law, University of Calabar.”

Receiving the books on behalf of the university, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Obi commended Kalu for his generosity, describing him as a worthy alumnus who values his alma mater.

Recalling the global impact of Kalu’s convocation lecture, the Vice Chancellor urged the Dean of the Faculty of Law to ensure the judicious use of the books, encouraging other alumni to follow Kalu’s example.

“He is a talk-and-do alumnus. Today we are here receiving the books he promised. I also recalled that when we went as a team of the committee of UNICAl at 50, I told him about the challenges facing the faculty and that we were too sure of our accreditation status. He said that there is no way the Faculty of Law will miss or fail accreditation. And here we are, receiving the books. These books will indeed go a long way to helping us in our accreditation exercise and even beyond because even without accreditation, our students need these books for them to get the knowledge they have come here to seek. Our staff also need these to aid them in preparation of their lessons. All of us need the books and indeed, we are very happy,” she said.

The ceremony was attended by Kalu’s classmates from the 1998 graduating class and students of the Faculty of Law.