The Office of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has dismissed reports claiming that ₦1 billion was earmarked in the proposed 2026 budget solely for the purchase of musical instruments for churches in Bende Federal Constituency, describing the reports as false and misleading.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Deputy Speaker’s Chief Press Secretary, Levinus Nwabughiogu, the office clarified that the budget provision forms part of a broader Youth Re-orientation and Social Support Programme to be implemented through faith-based organisations across the constituency.
According to the statement, the actual allocation for the initiative is ₦780 million, after Value Added Tax (VAT) and other statutory deductions, and not ₦1 billion as widely reported.
The office explained that the programme is designed to support youth-focused outreach activities in churches by providing equipment such as public address systems and evangelical musical instruments to aid campaigns against drug abuse, sexual offences, violent crime and other social vices.
It noted that Bende Federal Constituency comprises 13 electoral wards with more than 200 churches, adding that the first phase of the programme is expected to cover about 130 churches, averaging approximately 10 churches in each ward.
Under the initiative, each participating church is expected to receive between ₦5 million and ₦6 million to implement youth engagement and community-based social intervention programmes.
The Deputy Speaker’s office maintained that government investment should extend beyond physical infrastructure to include initiatives that promote moral values, discipline and responsible citizenship.
It argued that while governments support traditional institutions to preserve cultural values, faith-based organisations also play a vital role in fostering peace, unity and positive social behaviour within communities.
The statement further disclosed that similar faith-based youth development initiatives have been implemented in other parts of the country, with the Bende programme intended to strengthen youth engagement at the grassroots level.
Responding to concerns over the budget item, the office clarified that the 2026 Appropriation Act has not yet entered the implementation stage, noting that the Federal Government is still operating under the 2024 and 2025 budgets. It stressed that no funds have been released for the programme and that beneficiary churches will only be contacted after the budget is approved, funds are released and procurement procedures are completed.
The office also acknowledged that a technical error occurred in the description of the budget item and confirmed that steps have been initiated through the Budget Office and the National Assembly’s appropriation process to correct the wording.
Reaffirming its commitment to transparency and accountability, the Deputy Speaker’s office urged the public and media organisations to disregard what it described as sensational reports, insisting that the programme is focused on youth reorientation and community development rather than the procurement of musical instruments alone.