Deputy Speaker Kalu Defends C0ntroversial N1billion Church Budget, Claims Funds Meant For Youth Reorientation, Not Only Musical Instruments
Deputy Speaker Kalu Defends Controversial N1billion Church Budget, Claims Funds Meant For Youth Reorientation, Not Only Musical Instruments
The document analyzed by SaharaReporters on Sunday revealed several contentious line items embedded under ministries and agencies traditionally detached from religious affairs.
The Office of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has defended the controversial budgetary provision that sparked outrage after reports revealed N1billion was allocated in the 2026 budget for the procurement of musical instruments for churches in the Bende Federal Constituency of Abia State.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Deputy Speaker’s Chief Press Secretary, Levinus Nwabughiogu, the Deputy Speaker’s office described the reports as a misrepresentation of the actual purpose of the allocation, insisting that the intervention is part of a broader youth reorientation and social support programme to be implemented through faith-based organisations.
SaharaReporters had reported that a wave of public criticism has hit the Nigerian government following revelations that it earmarked a staggering ₦8.05 billion for the construction, renovation, and equipping of places of worship across the country in the 2026 budget.
The allocation was uncovered and made public on Sunday by Tracka, a public accountability organisation under BudgIT.
According to the budget breakdown, the government allocated ₦1.91billion for projects tied to seven churches, while ₦6.14billion was earmarked for 52 mosque projects.
The document analyzed by SaharaReporters on Sunday revealed several contentious line items embedded under ministries and agencies traditionally detached from religious affairs.
Among the projects is code ERGP20273981, which details ₦1 billion allocated through the Industrial Arbitration Panel under the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment for the provision and distribution of musical and cultural equipment to churches in Bende Local Government Area, Abia State.
But despite evidence, the Deputy Speaker’s office claimed that the proposed allocation is not N1 billion but N780 million after Value Added Tax (VAT) and other statutory deductions.
The Deputy Speaker’s office said that the programme is designed to support over 130 churches across Bende Federal Constituency, with each church expected to receive between N5million and N6million during the first phase of implementation.
“The proposed allocation is actually N780 million after VAT and other tax deductions,” Nwabughiogu stated.
“It is earmarked as a Youth Re-orientation and Social Support Programmes delivered evangelistically through faith-based organisations in Bende Federal Constituency of Abia State.”
Nwabughiogu stated that Bende Federal Constituency comprises 13 federal wards and more than 200 churches, with the initial phase targeting about 10 churches in each ward.
According to him, the intervention is intended to strengthen churches’ capacity to engage young people through programmes focused on character development, moral instruction and community outreach.
The Deputy Speaker’s office added that the funds would be used to procure evangelical equipment, including musical instruments and public address systems, to support campaigns against drug abuse, sexual offences and violent crimes.
“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, and violent crimes while instilling discipline, values, peace, and character development among young people in the communities,” Nwabughiogu stated.
Defending the initiative, the Deputy Speaker’s office argued that government investment should not be limited to physical infrastructure but should also extend to initiatives aimed at rebuilding societal values.
“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,” Nwabughiogu stated.
The office further said the programme aligns with the government’s non-kinetic approach to promoting peace, unity and social stability, adding that traditional institutions had previously benefited from similar interventions through the construction of town halls and community engagement centres.
According to the statement, faith-based organisations also play a significant role in preserving moral values and should receive similar support.
The Deputy Speaker’s office maintained that such interventions are already being implemented in other parts of Nigeria and that the Bende initiative seeks to strengthen youth development efforts in the South-East through church platforms.
The office also claimed that no funds had yet been released because the 2026 budget had not commenced implementation.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the 2026 budget, where this is domiciled, is yet to be implemented,” Nwabughiogu noted.
“The selected churches will receive notification once the procurement processes have been concluded.”
The office added that Nigeria is still implementing the 2024 and 2025 budgets and that releases for the 2026 budget have not begun.
It also acknowledged that there was a technical error in the procurement description contained in the budget and disclosed that a corrigendum had already been initiated through the Budget Office and the National Assembly’s Appropriation Committee to correct the description before implementation.
“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,” Nwabughiogu added.
The Deputy Speaker’s office urged the media and members of the public to disregard what it described as sensational reports surrounding the budgetary provision and to support initiatives aimed at promoting both infrastructure development and societal values.
