The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, has explained why the National Assembly is not at war with the President Bola Tinubu-led executive arm of government on salient matters of national importance.

Speaking on Thursday, when he paid a courtesy visit to the Acting Governor of Cross River State, Hon. Peter Odey, at the State Government House in Calabar, he remarked that the ongoing cordial relationship between the executive and legislative arms is in the best interest of Nigerians.

The Deputy Speaker spoke against the backdrop of calls on the National Assembly by a section of Nigerians to reverse the decision by President Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State.

In a veiled reference to the decision by both arms of the National Assembly to endorse the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, the Deputy Speaker maintained that there is no way the National Assembly would have been at daggers drawn with the executive arm when the measure is in the best interest of the country.

The Deputy Speaker, who delivered the 50th Anniversary/37th Convocation Lecture of the University of Calabar, remarked that the cordial relationship between the Cross River State House of Assembly and the Governor Bassey Otu-led administration was responsible for the development strides being recorded in the state.

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The Deputy Speaker added that both the Deputy Governor and the Governor understood the rudiments of administration and the law, having served in the State Assembly, House of Representatives, and the Senate before assuming the helm of affairs in the state.

He said: “When you have an executive that respects the legislature, you know that the advancement of the principles of democracy in that state will not be suffocated. It will grow. So when I see a robust relationship between them, it is a welcome development.

“It is not that we don’t respect the doctrines of separation of power, but our mandate is not expressed in how many gloves we wear to box the other arm of government. It’s expressed in understanding national objectives and then queuing into national objectives as one of the wheels that will drive it to the expectation of the nation, and that is what we are doing at the national level.

“Nigerians expect us to box each other as arms of government. But what we do is make sure we interpret national objectives. What is the direction the executives are going for, which is the Renewed Hope Agenda of the administration? And in that Renewed Hope Agenda, you will see solution blocks to solve the hydra-headed needs of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“So when you see there is an intentional, deliberate effort by the executive to provide solutions, why box them? We would rather work with them to make sure that those agendas, those objectives are achieved and made easier. It is better than it would have been if the boxing gloves were worn.”

The Cross River Deputy Governor, who applauded the 10th National Assembly for proffering solutions to the political crisis that engulfed Rivers State, reiterated the state government’s resolve to rebrand the Obudu Cattle Ranch and enhance the Calabar Carnival.
He described Cross River State as the most peaceful state, where the citizenry now sleep with their eyes closed.