Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has dismissed reports that his office allocated ₦1 billion in the 2026 budget for the procurement of musical instruments for churches in Bende federal constituency, Abia State.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by his Chief Press Secretary, Levinus Nwabughiogu, Kalu stated that the actual allocation is ₦780 million.
According to the Deputy Speaker, the reports misrepresented both the amount allocated and the purpose of the intervention. He disclosed that the budget provision, after Value-Added Tax (VAT) and other statutory deductions, stands at ₦780 million and is intended to support a youth re-orientation and social support programme to be implemented through faith-based organisations.
“Bende has 13 federal political/electoral wards and over 200 churches. The first phase of this support targets 130 of these churches, averaging about 10 churches per ward, which amounts to approximately ₦5 million to ₦6 million per church”, he stated.
The Deputy Speaker said the intervention was aimed at strengthening existing youth engagement platforms run by churches to promote moral values and discourage social vices. He added that the 2026 budget had not yet been implemented and that beneficiary churches would be notified after the procurement process was completed. He also disclosed that his office had initiated a corrigendum to correct what it described as a technical error in the procurement description before implementation.
The Deputy Speaker urged the public and the media to disregard reports suggesting that ₦1 billion had been allocated solely for musical instruments, saying the intervention was part of a broader effort to promote youth development and community values.
