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By Chibuisi Mba
Seven years. Seven whole years.
That’s how long Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu has occupied a seat, and now the Deputy Speaker’s chair, in the House of Representatives. And in that time, he has achieved one engineering marvel that even Julius Berger would envy: he perfected a road that politely stops exactly at his gate in Bende.
Yesterday, members of his own party got a VIP tour of this masterpiece. Their campaign bus, decorated in full regalia, bravely attempted the journey. It did not succeed. Midway, the vehicle surrendered, wheels deep in craters and mud, forcing the loyal faithful to step out and do what governance has failed to do: push.
The irony was free of charge. Men and women in branded polo shirts and T-shirts bearing the Deputy Speaker’s smiling face strained against the mud, pushing the very image of the man who forgot the road exists. Nothing says “constituency engagement” quite like manual labor in your principal’s merchandise.
But why worry? Sources confirm the Deputy Speaker no longer suffers such indignities. Whenever he needs to visit Ozuitem, his convoy wisely takes the scenic detour through Umuahia and the Uzuakoli route. Smooth tar, no pushing, no polo-stained hands. A true blessing of modern infrastructure planning: one route for the representative, another for the represented.
Residents say they’ve watched the road age faster than promises. Potholes have become landmarks. Rain turns it into a river. Dry season turns it into dust. But the gate remains pristine.
As frustration boils over, a new whisper is moving through Bende: OFUJI is coming to restore your lost hope in representation.
Whether that hope arrives on four wheels or on foot remains to be seen. For now, Ndi Bende can at least be proud they got a workout and a photo op in the same afternoon.
Blessing? Curse? You decide. Just bring boots if you’re visiting.
*Chibuisi Mba is a constituent of Bende Federal Constituency of Abia State.
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