Deputy Speaker Kalu Denies ₦1bn Church Budget Scandal, Says Only ₦780m Approved For Youth Outreach

 


By Abdulahi Musa 


Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has dismissed reports that his office earmarked ₦1 billion in the 2026 budget for the procurement of musical instruments for churches in Bende Federal Constituency, Abia State, insisting that the actual allocation is ₦780 million. 


In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Levinus Nwabughiogu, Kalu said the reports misrepresented both the amount approved and the purpose of the budgetary provision. He explained that after Value Added Tax and other statutory deductions, the allocation stands at ₦780 million. 


According to the Deputy Speaker, the funds are not solely for the purchase of musical instruments but are meant to support a youth reorientation and social intervention programme to be implemented through faith-based organisations. He said the initiative would provide evangelical instruments and public address systems to aid campaigns against drug abuse, sexual offences, violent crimes and other social vices while promoting discipline, moral values and peaceful coexistence among young people. 


Kalu noted that Bende Federal Constituency comprises 13 electoral wards with more than 200 churches, adding that the first phase of the programme would benefit 130 churches, averaging about 10 churches per ward. He said each participating church would receive support valued at approximately ₦5 million to ₦6 million. 


He further clarified that the 2026 budget has not yet been implemented and that beneficiary churches would be notified after the procurement process is completed. Kalu 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 to disregard claims that ₦1 billion had been allocated solely for church musical instruments, maintaining that the intervention is part of a broader strategy to strengthen youth engagement, promote moral instruction and foster community development. 

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