Juliet Akoje In Abuja.
The Office of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives has dismissed a report by an organisation identified as TrackNG concerning the construction and furnishing of an ultra-modern conference and e-learning facility at Bende Secondary Grammar School, Bende, Abia State, describing the claims as misleading and politically motivated.
In a statement issued on behalf of the Deputy Speaker’s office, the media team said its attention had been drawn to what it termed a misleading publication regarding the project, which was captured in the 2024 Federal Government budget.
The office explained that the responsibility of lawmakers is limited to attracting development projects and initiatives to their constituencies, stressing that legislators neither function as procuring agencies nor supervise the execution of projects.
According to the statement, the implementation of constituency projects rests solely with the executive arm of government and the relevant agencies responsible for procurement and execution.
The Deputy Speaker’s office said it would ordinarily have ignored the publication but decided to respond to prevent members of the public from being misled by what it described as a politically motivated narrative.
It further questioned the use of the Deputy Speaker’s image in connection with a project over which he allegedly has no implementation or supervisory authority, describing the move as “curious and mischievous.”
The office called on the appropriate procuring agency to immediately investigate the matter and ensure that any contractor awarded the project is held accountable in accordance with the law.
It maintained that its major concern remains the completion and delivery of the project for the benefit of people in the constituency.
Clarifying the controversy surrounding the project location, the statement noted that the initial reference to Bende Secondary Grammar School was an error, explaining that the institution already has an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Centre.
The office added that the project was originally intended for Onuinyang and that a corrigendum had subsequently been issued to correct the location.
