News
Deputy Speaker Urges International Relations Students to Build Careers on Patriotism
Deputy Speaker Urges International Relations Students to Build Careers on Patriotism
By Gloria Ikibah
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has challenged young Nigerians aspiring to careers in diplomacy and international. relations to cultivate a deep love for their country before seeking to represent it on the global stage.
Kalu gave the advice while receiving students of the Department of International Relations, Madonna University, Okija Campus, during an educational visit to the National Assembly over the weekend.
The excursion formed part of the students’ academic programme aimed at exposing them to the practical workings of governance, diplomacy and Nigeria’s foreign relations architecture.
Addressing the students, the Deputy Speaker stressed that effective representation of a country begins with patriotism, noting that genuine diplomacy is driven by commitment to national interests and love for one’s homeland.
He said:
He said: “I understand most of you are from the Department of International Relations. You are going to be Ambassadors tomorrow. You are going to champion the image of the country out there. But you must understand your country first before you represent your country outside. So, your representation starts from patriotism. The spirit of patriotism, your love for Nigeria is what is going to drive you to stand and represent Nigeria tomorrow. So, if you want to a representative of Nigeria outside the shores of Nigeria, the best way to start is by loving your country”.
Kalu acknowledged that Nigeria faces numerous challenges but maintained that no other country could replace one’s homeland, regardless of opportunities abroad.
Drawing inspiration from the founder of Madonna University, Rev. Father Emmanuel Mathew Edeh, he said nation-building is only possible when citizens are motivated by genuine love for their country.
According to him: “I know we have so many challenges but I tell you I have been around the world and I can assure you there is no place like home.
“So, when we finally send out in the coming years to become ambassadors, you are going to live there. But you will go and come back and the only thing that will bring you back is the love you have for our great nation. If Rev. Father Edeh didn’t love our country, he will not build that citadel of learning that is producing champions and captains. It is because he first loved Nigeria.
“Do you love Nigeria? That is where it starts. You can’t represent what you don’t love. What you love is what you represent because if you represent what you love, you do it passionately without anybody telling you what to do. I congratulate you on coming to the People’s House. I pray that your dreams will become a reality”.
Earlier, Kalu, through his Chief of Staff, Mr Sam Hart, delivered a lecture titled “The Legislature and Nigeria’s External Relations in the Fourth Republic”, where he highlighted the increasingly important role of the National Assembly in advancing Nigeria’s foreign policy objectives.
He explained that while the President remains the chief architect of Nigeria’s foreign policy, Parliament plays a vital supporting role through legislation, oversight and diplomatic engagements.
According to the lecture: “While the President remains the chief architect of foreign policy, the Constitution assigns Parliament specific duties to assist in making those policies work at home and abroad. Foreign policy is not made only in presidential palaces and ministries; it is increasingly shaped in parliaments where the voices of the people meet the interests of the nation.
“One of the most significant developments in international relations over the past three decades has been the rise of Parliamentary Diplomacy.
“Parliamentary diplomacy refers to the engagement of legislators with foreign governments, international organisations, and global parliamentary bodies to advance national interests. Today, many diplomatic breakthroughs occur not only through executive negotiations but also through legislative interactions.
“The National Assembly has emerged as a vital pillar of Nigeria’s engagement with the world. Through legislation, oversight, treaty domestication, parliamentary diplomacy, economic reforms, and regional cooperation, Parliament continues to shape Nigeria’s place in the international system.
“As students of International Relations, you stand at the threshold of a profession that will define the future of nations. The world you are preparing to enter is increasingly interconnected, complex, and competitive. Nigeria needs young leaders who can think globally, act strategically, and serve patriotically”.
The visit provided the students with a firsthand understanding of the workings of Nigeria’s legislature and its role in shaping both domestic governance and international engagement.
The Deputy Speaker encouraged the students to remain focused on their studies and prepare themselves for leadership roles in diplomacy, governance and public service, stressing that patriotism, integrity and competence would remain essential qualities for future representatives of Nigeria on the world stage.
The Federal Government is taking steps to establish a national electricity complaints call centre that will give consumers across Nigeria a direct channel to report service challenges, seek redress, and track complaints to resolution.
The Minister of Power, Chief Joseph O. Tegbe, disclosed this at the commissioning of a 3-megawatt hybrid solar power project and Renewable Energy Workshop and Training Centre at Yakubu Gowon University, Abuja.
Tegbe said the initiative was designed to strengthen accountability, responsiveness and consumer confidence in the power sector.
“My office is working on a call centre where electricity complaints across the country can be lodged and resolved,” the Minister said, adding that the initiative would also create sustainable job opportunities for young Nigerians.
The Minister also announced plans for a dedicated reporting channel for vandalism of critical electricity infrastructure, enabling Nigerians to alert the authorities to incidents involving transformers, transmission towers and other power assets for faster intervention.
He said the Federal Government was working with the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to tackle the destruction of electricity infrastructure.
Tegbe urged Nigerians, particularly members of the university community, to see the protection of power infrastructure as a shared responsibility and to report vandalism promptly.
The commissioning of the hybrid power project provided the backdrop for the Minister’s call for greater public participation in protecting investments in the power sector.
Delivered under Phase II of the Federal Government’s Energising Education Programme by the Rural Electrification Agency, the project is designed to support teaching, research, laboratories and digital services.
At the same time, its 388 streetlights will enhance visibility and security across the campus.
Also speaking, the Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency, Abba Aliyu, said the establishment of the Renewable Asset Management Company would help ensure that renewable-energy assets are properly managed, maintained and protected after commissioning.
The planned complaints centre and vandalism reporting channel form part of the Federal Government’s broader effort to build a power sector that is more responsive, accountable and connected to the people it serves.
For the Federal Government, the next phase of power-sector reform is not only about building infrastructure, but ensuring that Nigerians have a clear channel to report problems, public assets are protected, and action follows complaints.
News
Constitution Review: State Assemblies Await Formal Transmission, Will Act in National Interest — Speakers’ Conference Chairman
The Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria, Rt. Hon. Emomotimi Dennis Guwor, says State Houses of Assembly are awaiting the formal transmission of the resolutions of the ongoing Constitution Review exercise from the National Assembly.
Guwor, who is also the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, stated this while reacting to the announcement by the Clerk to the National Assembly that the Sixth Alteration Bill, including the proposed State Police Bill, had been transmitted to State Assemblies.
In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Nkem Nwaeke, the Conference Chairman said the Speakers had taken note of the development but were still expecting the formal copies of the bills.
“We are still awaiting formal transmission and as soon as we receive it, we will do what will be good for the people of Nigeria,” Guwor stated.
He said the Conference would subject the bills to thorough legislative scrutiny based on their merits upon receipt, stressing that the proposal for the establishment of State Police required careful consideration because of its implications for sub-national governance.
Guwor disclosed that the Conference of Speakers intends to engage the leadership of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) to harmonise perspectives on the proposed State Policing framework before State Houses of Assembly take their final positions.
According to him, such engagement is necessary given the constitutional responsibilities of Governors and State Legislatures in the proposed reform process.
The Speaker assured that all State Assembly Speakers would be carried along on developments and that resolutions reached by the State Houses of Assembly would be communicated to the National Assembly in accordance with Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
The Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has granted a pardon to a popular native doctor, Chidozie Nwangwu, popularly known as “Akwa Okuko Tiwara Aki”.
Soludo signed an order for his immediate release on Friday and pledged to work with him for the betterment of Anambra State.
Nwangwu was convicted in February and sentenced to 11 months in prison following a plea bargain at the Awka High Court after pleading guilty to charges related to the practice of “Okeite” and other related matters.
The court had also ordered the destruction of his shrine in Oba, Idemili South Local Government Area of the state.
He was among eight native doctors arrested in 2025 following the passage of the Anambra State Homeland Security Law 2025.
He was charged with involvement in the promotion of money rituals, quick wealth and the use of human parts for rituals.
He was later handed an 11-month prison sentence and incarcerated at the Nigeria Correctional Service facility in Amawbia, Anambra State. He was also given the condition of renouncing his fetish practice and promising to become an ambassador for youth reformation.
Nwangwu accepted the conditions and had been serving his prison term until Soludo pardoned him under the prerogative of mercy, making him Ambassador for Youth Reformation in Anambra State.
The Special Adviser to the governor on Youth Reformation, Dr Nelson Omenugha, disclosed this in a statement on Friday, saying the governor had visited the prison in fulfilment of his duties when he made the announcement.
Omenugha said, “Thank you, Mr Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, CFR, for graciously extending your hand of mercy to Chidozie Nwangwu (Akwa Okuko Tiwara Aki) and giving him a new responsibility as Ambassador for Youth Reformation.
“This is the heart of Youth Reformation: not just punishment, but correction, restoration, a new purpose and a new Onye Anambra.”
Nkechi Blessing, Phyna To Clash In Celebrity Boxing Fight
FG To Introduce National Call Centre For Electricity Complaints
Constitution Review: State Assemblies Await Formal Transmission, Will Act in National Interest — Speakers’ Conference Chairman
-
Metro24 hours agoOndo Poisonous Alcohol: Death Toll Increases To 49, Cases Spread To Neighboring Local Govt
-
Sports23 hours agoCarabao Cup Round of 16 fixtures confirmed [Full List]
-
Opinion22 hours agoWike and the APC Governors’ Nightmare
-
Opinion21 hours ago
Wike and the APC Governors’ Nightmare
-
News24 hours ago2027: I’ll scrap Office of First Lady as Nigeria’s president – Sowore
-
News23 hours agoNSCDC Orders Probe As Suspected Illegal Miners Die In Custody