Just In:
Deputy Speaker's Office Dismisses Tracka's Report on FG Projects in Bende, Describes It as False and Politically Motivated
The Office of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has dismissed a recent report by civic accountability organisation Tracka on Federal Government projects in Bende Federal Constituency, describing it as false, misleading and politically motivated.
In a press statement issued on Thursday by the Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Speaker, Levinus Nwabughiogu, the Office faulted the "field tracking" report published by Tracka on July 15, 2026, noting that it was deleted from the organisation's Facebook page less than 24 hours after publication for reasons yet to be explained.
According to the statement, the report was a deliberate attempt to mislead the public and reflected a poor understanding of how Federal Government capital projects are executed.
Responding to Tracka's claim that the 2km Amaeke–Isiegbu–Umuhu Ezechi Road had been abandoned after work allegedly stopped in 2024, the Office maintained that the road had been fully completed, commissioned and is currently in daily use by farmers, traders, students and other residents.
It described the report as "a political pamphlet cloaked in the language of accountability," insisting that portraying the completed road as abandoned in 2026 ignored the reality experienced by the people who use it every day.
The Office also rejected allegations that the garri processing centres located at Ezeukwu and Umuhu Ezechi do not exist.
It explained that the project had initially been misclassified by the relevant implementing Ministry, Department or Agency (MDA), but that the error had since been corrected. It stated that the physical structures of the processing centres have been completed 100 percent, electricity has been connected, while only the procurement, delivery and installation of the processing equipment remain outstanding.
The statement emphasized that equipment procurement falls entirely under the responsibility of the implementing MDA and not the Deputy Speaker, stressing that the existence of completed buildings awaiting equipment installation represents progress rather than project failure.
Similarly, the Office dismissed claims that residents were unaware of 579 solar-powered streetlights installed across Igbere A, Igbere B and Ugwueke/Ezeukwu Wards.
It maintained that the solar streetlights have already been installed and are fully operational, providing illumination for roads, markets, junctions and residential areas, while improving security, supporting evening economic activities and creating safer environments for residents, students and traders.
The Office questioned whether Tracka's assessment was actually conducted in the affected communities, arguing that the operational streetlights are visible every night.
Clarifying the constitutional responsibilities of a federal lawmaker, the statement stressed that the Deputy Speaker is not a contractor or an implementing agency.
According to the Office, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu's responsibility is to facilitate the attraction of Federal Government projects, engage relevant MDAs, secure approvals and ensure that Bende Federal Constituency receives its fair share of national development, while the execution, procurement and commissioning of projects remain the statutory responsibilities of the implementing agencies and their contractors.
The Office further argued that Tracka, by recommending that the Deputy Speaker should "facilitate engagement," had inadvertently acknowledged that he successfully performed the most important aspect of his assignment by attracting the projects to Bende in the first place.
It maintained that representation should not be criminalised simply because government procurement and implementation processes follow established administrative timelines.
The statement also alleged that the timing, tone and targets of the report suggested an attempt to undermine the developmental strides recorded across Bende Federal Constituency rather than a genuine effort to promote accountability.
While reaffirming its commitment to transparency and accountability, the Office insisted that claims suggesting public funds were disbursed without corresponding projects on the ground were unsupported by facts.
It therefore invited the authors of the report to revisit the project sites with objectivity by inspecting the completed cassava processing facilities, driving along the completed Amaeke–Isiegbu–Umuhu Ezechi Road, visiting the communities after sunset to observe the operational solar streetlights and interacting directly with beneficiaries.
The Office maintained that Federal Government interventions facilitated by the Deputy Speaker have brought meaningful development to Bende through road infrastructure, solar lighting and agro-industrial projects.
It concluded by urging stakeholders to continue demanding accountability and timely execution of projects by the relevant MDAs while ensuring that public discourse remains anchored on facts rather than misinformation.
The statement added that the people of Bende are well aware of the projects executed in their communities and can distinguish between genuine public service and politically motivated misinformation.
