Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, may have stirred controversy following the release of a list of projects he claimed to have attracted to his constituency, as one of his constituents, Chief Iheanyi Chinasa, has challenged him to an independent media verification of the said projects.
Chief Chinasa, who serves as the Abia State Liaison Officer at the National Assembly, also urged the Deputy Speaker to account for “tens of billions of naira” reportedly captured in the national budget for constituency projects.
Expressing doubts about the authenticity and level of completion of the projects, Chinasa called for an independent media audit to verify Kalu’s claims.
Speaking at a press conference in Umuahia, the Labour Party chieftain volunteered to personally sponsor the verification exercise if the Deputy Speaker was unwilling to do so.
“Just looking at the submissions made online as projects attracted and executed by the Deputy Speaker — even on a cursory look — they appear very spurious,” Chinasa said.
“My demand as a citizen and a constituent of Bende Federal Constituency is for an independent media verification audit of all the projects. If he’s not willing to sponsor it, I will pay for it myself. Let the media go and confirm those purported submissions by Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu — from the Nkpa bridge he claimed to have attracted to the classrooms he said he built, every single one of them.”
Chinasa, who was Kalu’s main opponent in the 2023 House of Representatives election, dismissed suggestions that his position was politically motivated, insisting it was a civic duty to demand accountability.
“This is beyond politics. I’m coming as a citizen of Bende. The Deputy Speaker has given us a long list of projects he claims to have executed. Now, I want those on his list verified by an independent body. Let’s know if he’s telling us the truth.”
He further questioned the whereabouts of some projects captured in the federal budget for Bende Constituency but missing from the Deputy Speaker’s published list.
“There are several of them running into billions that have not seen the light of day. I would also like the Deputy Speaker to disclose how much his allocations are — not N1 billion, but in tens of billions. Let him give us the cost of each project and see if they correspond with the current state of those projects.”
Chinasa emphasized that public office holders must be accountable to their constituents, adding that stewardship demands transparency.
“We’re talking about service to our constituency. This money doesn’t belong to him; it belongs to all of us. Let’s see how he has fared so far.”
The Abia Liaison Officer also took a swipe at Kalu’s empowerment programmes, saying they were unimpressive compared to those of other lawmakers from the state, despite his exalted position as Deputy Speaker.
“He often touts himself as the number six man in the country. What has he really done for our people? I’ve seen the empowerment done by other members in Abia, and his own, even as Deputy Speaker, doesn’t match.”
Chinasa particularly demanded explanations on the ₦7 billion Amewu and Methodist gully erosion control projects in Bende, which he claimed had yet to commence despite being in the budget.
“These two erosion sites are in the budget, but nothing has been done. Has he collected the money? I can’t say, but it’s in the budget and nothing has been seen. He’s our representative and should explain what’s happening.”
He concluded by insisting that Kalu must be held accountable for all constituency projects captured in the national budget under his name.
“He should be held accountable for whatever he put in that budget. He is the Deputy Speaker of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. What’s the total budget allocation to his office — aside from constituency projects and other emoluments? He is not an arbiter to himself. He must be accountable to the people of Bende, and I’m holding him accountable right now.”
