Kalu, an alumnus of UNICAL’s Faculty of Law, made the pledge earlier this year when the university’s management, led by Vice Chancellor Professor Florence Banku Obi, invited him to deliver the institution’s 50th Anniversary and 37th Convocation Lecture.
By Deborah Hassan
365Daily – In a heartwarming demonstration of commitment to education and alma mater, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has fulfilled a promise he made to the University of Calabar (UNICAL) by donating a substantial collection of academic law textbooks and law reports to the university’s Faculty of Law.
The donation, officially presented on Friday at the university campus by Kalu’s Chief of Staff, Sam Hart, underscores the Deputy Speaker’s belief in the transformative power of education.
Kalu, an alumnus of UNICAL’s Faculty of Law, made the pledge earlier this year when the university’s management, led by Vice Chancellor Professor Florence Banku Obi, invited him to deliver the institution’s 50th Anniversary and 37th Convocation Lecture.
The gesture comes at a critical time for the Faculty of Law, which is striving to meet accreditation requirements. During the earlier visit, the Dean of the Faculty, Dr. Mike Otu, highlighted the urgent need for updated academic materials to support both students and lecturers.
In his message delivered at the handover ceremony, Kalu reflected on the importance of giving back to the institution that shaped his legal career.
Quoting Nelson Mandela, he said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,” adding that his donation was not merely about providing books but about “empowering minds and fueling the future of legal scholarship.”
“For a Faculty like ours, whose legacy of producing jurists, legislators, scholars, and advocates is storied and enduring, investment in educational resources is not optional; it is essential,” Kalu emphasized.
Receiving the books on behalf of the university, Vice Chancellor Professor Obi praised Kalu as a “talk-and-do” alumnus whose words are matched by action. She expressed gratitude for the donation, noting that it would significantly aid the university’s accreditation process and improve academic quality for both students and staff.
“These books will go a long way in helping us secure accreditation and more importantly, support our students and staff in their pursuit of knowledge,” she said.
The event, which took place in a brief but emotional ceremony, was attended by members of the university management, faculty staff, students, and Kalu’s classmates from the 1998 graduating class.