The Office of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has dismissed reports claiming that ₦1 billion was allocated in the 2026 budget solely for the purchase of musical instruments for churches in Bende Federal Constituency, Abia State.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Deputy Speaker’s Chief Press Secretary, Levinus Nwabughiogu, the office described the reports as misleading, saying they misrepresented the purpose of the budgetary provision.
According to the statement, the actual allocation is ₦780 million after VAT and other statutory deductions. It said the fund is earmarked for a youth re-orientation and social support programme to be implemented through faith-based organisations in Bende Federal Constituency.
The office explained that Bende has 13 electoral wards and more than 200 churches, with the first phase of the programme targeting 130 churches about 10 in each ward. Each selected church is expected to receive between ₦5 million and ₦6 million to support youth engagement and community outreach initiatives.
It added that the funds would be used to procure evangelical equipment, including public address systems and musical instruments, to support campaigns against drug abuse, sexual offences and violent crime, while promoting moral values, discipline and peaceful coexistence among young people.
The statement argued that nation-building extends beyond physical infrastructure and requires investment in value reorientation. It noted that the initiative aligns with the government’s non-kinetic approach to promoting peace, unity and social development through community-based institutions.
Kalu’s office also said traditional institutions have benefited from similar interventions through the construction of town halls and community engagement centres, adding that faith-based organisations have an equally important role in youth development and community mobilisation.
It further clarified that the 2026 budget has not yet been implemented or funded and that beneficiary churches will only be identified after the procurement process is completed. The office also disclosed that a technical error in the procurement description had been identified and that a corrigendum had been initiated to allow the Budget Office and the appropriation committee to correct the entry before implementation.
The Deputy Speaker’s office urged the public and the media to disregard what it described as sensational reports, insisting that the programme is designed to support youth re-orientation, community development and moral instruction, not simply the purchase of musical instruments.
