A civil society organisation, Igbo Mandate Movement Group, has rejected a petition against the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, describing it as “frivolous, mischievous and politically motivated”.

The group said the petition was the latest in what it called a long-running attempt to undermine the political career of one of the most prominent Igbo lawmakers in the country.

The petition, written by John Aikpokpo-Martins, a former First Vice President of the Nigerian Bar Association, was addressed to the Legal Practitioners’ Disciplinary Committee and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), requesting a review of Kalu’s professional qualifications and national service records.

In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Igboeli Arinze Napoleon, the group said similar allegations had followed Kalu at every major stage of his public life.

According to the statement, when Kalu was nominated as a commissioner in Abia State, claims were made that he did not graduate from the University of Calabar. The group said the allegation collapsed after Kalu later obtained both a master’s degree and a doctorate from the same institution and delivered its 50th anniversary convocation lecture.

When he contested to represent Bende Federal Constituency, the group said it was alleged that he had evaded NYSC service, and later that his certificate was forged.

“The same forces of retrogression have returned with yet another iteration of the same discredited narrative,” the statement said.

On the current petition, the group explained that Kalu graduated in 1998 but was affected by the backlog in admissions into the Nigerian Law School, which at the time operated only campuses in Lagos and Abuja.

It said Kalu was eventually mobilised for NYSC in 2010 and posted to Enugu North Local Government Area, where he served in the office of the council chairman.

The group stated that he “participated fully in camp activities, emerged as a platoon leader and was decorated with the Citizenship and Leadership Award”.

It added that his long-awaited Law School admission later came for the Enugu Campus in Agbani, close to his place of primary assignment.

“Faced with the choice of abandoning national service or losing his admission, he chose to honour both obligations,” the group said, adding that his work schedule was organised to allow him meet his NYSC duties while attending classes.

The statement said Kalu met all NYSC clearance requirements, exceeded the Law School attendance threshold and was selected as one of three students on the research team of the then Director-General of the Law School, Ernest Ojukwu.

The group argued that the declarations being relied upon by critics could not apply retrospectively.

“Laws are not retroactive in nature,” it said, adding that professional certifications obtained during service year were common and known to the NYSC.

While calling on the LPDC and NYSC to disregard the petition, the group also urged reforms to address delays in Law School admissions.

“Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu deserves commendation — not condemnation,” the statement concluded.

Vanguard News