Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu Bags OMPAN Patron Award

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has been formally presented with a Patron Award plaque by the Online Media Practitioners Association of Nigeria (OMPAN), Abia State Chapter, in recognition of his outstanding and consistent support for the association.

Receiving the plaque, the Deputy Speaker expressed deep appreciation to OMPAN for the honour, describing it as both humbling and motivating. He urged online media practitioners to broaden their focus beyond politics to include economic development, humanitarian courses,research, and other sectors that positively shape the society.
Rt. Hon. Kalu commended OMPAN for embracing the future of media through unity on a common digital platform and assured the association of his continued support.

He, however, cautioned members to remain professional, ethical, and non-partisan, warning against being used as tools to attack or undermine individuals and institutions.

Earlier while presenting the plaque, the Abia State Chairman of OMPAN, Mr  Promise Uzoma Okoro, explained that the Deputy Speaker was selected alongside ten other eminent Abians as a patron due to his remarkable contributions to the growth and progress of the association.
Mr  Okoro recalled that Rt. Hon. Kalu was officially unveiled as a Patron during OMPAN’s 3rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) on December 12, 2025, but was unavoidably absent, necessitating the formal presentation of the plaque at a later date.

He further lauded the Deputy Speaker for playing a key role in ensuring that OMPAN Abia State now has a physical office, describing the achievement as a major milestone in the association’s history.

Also speaking, the Chairman of OMPAN’s Board of Trustees, Mazi Ugochukwu Nwankwo, declared that if a higher honour existed beyond the Patron Award, the association would have gladly bestowed it on Rt. Hon. Kalu, whom he described as OMPAN’s strongest supporter.

The event underscored the growing synergy between responsible governance and a vibrant, ethical online media community in Abia State.