Kalu denies N1bn Church instrument allocation

…Says Budget Targets Youth Reorientation in Bende

By Gift Chapi Odekina, Abuja

The Office of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has denied reports that N1 billion was allocated in the proposed 2026 budget for the purchase of musical instruments for churches in Bende Federal Constituency, describing the claim as misleading.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Deputy Speaker’s Chief Press Secretary, Levinus Nwabughiogu, the office said the provision was part of a broader Youth Re-orientation and Social Support Programme to be implemented through faith-based organisations across the constituency.

The statement clarified that the actual allocation was N780 million after Value Added Tax (VAT) and other statutory deductions, insisting that the fund was not meant solely for musical instruments.

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.

“The proposed allocation is actually N780 million after VAT and other tax deductions. It is earmarked as a Youth Re-orientation and Social Support Programme delivered with an evangelistic approach through faith-based organisations in Bende Federal Constituency,” the statement said.

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 — approximately 10 churches 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 go beyond physical infrastructure to include programmes that promote moral values, discipline and character development.

“Nation-building must go beyond roads and physical infrastructure. Government must also invest in building the character and value system of the people who use the infrastructure through various value delivery platforms,” it stated.

The statement added that while the 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 had been implemented in other parts of the country, adding that the Bende programme was aimed at strengthening such efforts within the constituency.

The office further clarified that the 2026 Appropriation Act had not 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 was 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 using 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.

The post Kalu denies N1bn Church instrument allocation appeared first on Vanguard News.