Allegation of Bias: Reps deputy speaker defends self, says all lawmakers are equal

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ben Kalu, has reacted to the allegation of bias against new members, saying there is no discrimination in the parliament.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that a member of the House, Cyril Hart, staged a walkout during Tuesday’s plenary session in protest against what he described as bias by the deputy speaker against new members.
During a debate on a motion on the recent bomb attacks in Borno State, Mr Hart alleged that whenever the deputy speaker is presiding over plenary sessions, he consistently overlooks new members when they try to participate in debates.

Reacting to the allegation, Mr Kalu, in a statement released after the session on Tuesday by his press secretary, Levinus Nwabughiogu, refuted the allegation, stating that everyone in the parliament is equal.

He explained that he only selected speakers based on the division along the rows in the House because of the lack of time to entertain everyone.

“The row where the member was sitting had earlier been given an opportunity to speak,” Mr Kalu said in the statement.

The deputy speaker added that members are, however, recognised to make their valuable contributions to debates based on their sitting arrangement and not by their age, tribe, geopolitical zones, or political or legislative experience.

He said, “The presiding officers are not bosses to the members but only servant-leaders committed to upholding democratic ethos and tenets by providing the needed direction to help realise the mandate of the House in the overall interest of the country.”

Mr Kalu emphasised that their privileged positions as “first among equals” do not elevate them above their colleagues, assuring that the members will always be accorded the needed respect and recognition in the spirit of equality and brotherhood.

In the current House, over 70 per cent of the lawmakers are first-timers.