(Rep. Benjamin Okezie Kalu. Photo Credit: THISDAYLIVE)
Rep. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, the Office of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, has refuted claims that N1 billion was set aside in the planned 2026 budget for the acquisition of musical instruments for churches in the Bende Federal Constituency, calling the assertion false.
Levinus Nwabughiogu, the deputy speaker’s chief press secretary, said in a statement released on Wednesday that the provision was a part of a larger Youth Re-orientation and Social Support Program that will be carried out by faith-based organizations throughout the constituency.
The statement emphasized that the cash was not intended only for musical instruments and explained that the actual allocation was N780 million after Value Added Tax (VAT) and other statutory deductions.
It explained that the programme was designed to support youth engagement initiatives in churches through the provision of equipment, including evangelical musical instruments and public address systems, to aid campaigns against drug abuse, sexual offences, violent crimes and other social vices.
According to the statement, the proposed allocation is actually N780 million after VAT and other tax deductions, earmarked as a Youth Re-orientation and Social Support Programme delivered with an evangelistic approach through faith-based organisations in Bende Federal Constituency.
According to the office, Bende Federal Constituency comprises 13 electoral wards and more than 200 churches, with the first phase of the intervention expected to cover about 130 churches roughly 10 per ward.
Each beneficiary church, it said, would receive between N5 million and N6 million to support youth-focused community outreach programmes.
The Deputy Speaker’s office argued that government interventions should extend beyond physical infrastructure to include programmes that promote moral values, discipline and character development, stating that nation-building must go beyond roads and infrastructure.
And that government must also invest in shaping the character and value system of the people who use such infrastructure through various value delivery platforms.
The statement added that while government supports traditional institutions through community engagement centres to preserve cultural values, faith-based organisations also play a significant role in promoting peace, unity and responsible citizenship.
It noted that similar faith-based youth development initiatives have been implemented elsewhere in the country, adding that the Bende programme was intended to strengthen such efforts within the constituency.
The office further clarified that the 2026 Appropriation Act had not yet commenced implementation, as the Federal Government was still operating under the 2024 and 2025 budgets.
It said no funds had been released for the programme and that beneficiary churches would only be contacted after budget approval, release of funds and completion of procurement processes.
The statement also disclosed that a technical error had been identified in the budget description, and that a correction process had been initiated through the Budget Office and the National Assembly’s appropriation procedure.
It maintained that the intervention was not about instruments alone, but about leveraging trusted community institutions to promote youth reorientation, unity and positive values.
The Deputy Speaker’s office urged the media and members of the public to disregard what it described as sensational reports, reaffirming its commitment to transparency and accountability in the management of constituency projects and public funds.
