Pat Stevens/
The Office of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has confirmed the existence of a controversial budget provision for the procurement of musical instruments and public address systems for churches in his Bende Federal Constituency, while clarifying that the actual amount to be disbursed will be about N780 million, not the widely reported N1 billion.
The clarification follows widespread media reports that approximately N1 billion had been earmarked in the proposed 2026 Federal Budget solely for the purchase of musical instruments for churches in Abia State.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Deputy Speaker’s Chief Press Secretary, Levinus Nwabughiogu, the office did not deny the budget provision or its intended use. Instead, it explained that the final amount available for implementation would reduce to N780 million after Value Added Tax (VAT) and other statutory deductions.
“The proposed allocation is actually N780 million after VAT and other tax deductions,” the statement said.
According to the Deputy Speaker’s office, the intervention is designed as a Youth Re-orientation and Social Support Programme to be implemented through faith-based organisations across Bende Federal Constituency.
The statement disclosed that Bende has 13 electoral wards and more than 200 churches, with the first phase targeting 130 churches, averaging about ten churches in each ward.
It added that each beneficiary church is expected to receive support valued at between N5 million and N6 million.
“The first phase of this support targets 130 of these churches averaging about 10 churches per ward, which amounts to approximately N5 to N6 million per church. It is designed to equip churches to expand existing youth engagement platforms focused on character reform, and to deliver more impactful community outreaches,” the statement said.
The Deputy Speaker’s office explained that the funds would finance the acquisition of evangelical instruments and public address systems to strengthen campaigns against drug abuse, sexual offences and violent crime among young people.
“The funds are intended to support the purchase of evangelical instruments and public address systems to promote campaigns against vices like the spread of narcotics, sexual offences, violent crimes while instilling discipline, values, peace, and character development among young people in the communities.”
Defending the initiative, the statement argued that government investment should not be limited to physical infrastructure alone.
“Nation-building must go beyond roads and physical infrastructure. Government must also invest in building the character and value system of the people who use the infrastructure using various value delivery platforms.
“Government is also employing non-kinetic approaches to promote peace, unity and progress of Nigeria.”
The office further argued that the intervention mirrors government support previously extended to traditional institutions for community engagement and cultural preservation.
“It should also be noted that traditional institutions are actively playing their part in value formation. This is precisely why government, through its representatives, has consistently supported them with town halls and other community engagement centres to serve as hubs for the preservation and sustenance of the cultural values.
“This emphasizes that faith-based organizations have a critical role to play in sustaining good norms and values in the society.”
Responding to criticism over the programme, the Deputy Speaker’s office maintained that using churches as vehicles for youth development is not unprecedented.
“This development is not entirely new or strange. Faith-based organizations in other parts of the country invest in youth development but it is a strategy that has not gained currency in the South East region.”
The statement also revealed that officials had identified what it described as a technical error in the procurement description and had initiated a corrigendum through the National Assembly’s appropriation process.
“Similarly, we have also identified a technical error in the procurement description. A letter of corrigendum to this effect has been initiated for the needed correction by the Budget Office through the Appropriation Committee before implementation.”
The Deputy Speaker’s office stressed that no funds have yet been released because the proposed 2026 Budget has neither been implemented nor funded.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the 2026 budget where this is domiciled is yet to be implemented. The selected churches will receive notification once the procurement processes have been concluded.
“At the moment, the country is still operating on the 2024 and 2025 budgets. The 2026 budget is yet to receive releases, which must take place before the commencement of procurement.”
The statement concluded by insisting that the intervention extends beyond the purchase of musical instruments.
“This intervention is not about instruments alone. It is about leveraging trusted community value-sustaining structures to reorient our youths, promote unity, and sustain moral instruction across the constituency.”
The controversy centres not on whether the provision exists—something the Deputy Speaker’s office has now acknowledged—but on its policy justification and the use of public funds for a programme to be implemented through churches.
While the office rejected reports that N1 billion would be spent exclusively on musical instruments, it confirmed that the procurement of evangelical instruments and sound systems forms a central component of a broader youth re-orientation programme, with the actual amount available for implementation put at N780 million after statutory deductions.
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