…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.
