Bende School Project: Tracka’s claim misleading, says Kalu

From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja

The Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has dismissed report by a Tracka, a Civil Society Organization (CSO), involved in the tracking of constituency project, on a e-learning facility allegedly slated for Bende Secondary Grammar School, in Abia.

Tracka, in a post on its X handle, TrackaNG, had noted that the project, the construction and furnishing of an ultra-modern conference and e-learning facility, in the school, which was attracted by Kalu and captured in the 2024 budget has allegedly been abandoned.

However, the Deputy Speaker, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Press Affairs, Udora Orizu, said the role of the legislator is to attract projects to his constituency and not execution.

The statement read “the attention of the Office of the Deputy Speaker has been drawn to a misleading report published by an organization known as “TrackNG” regarding the construction and furnishing of an ultra-modern conference and e-learning facility at Bende Secondary Grammar School, Bende, Abia State, as captured in the 2024 Federal Government budget.

“The Office of the Deputy Speaker categorically states that the role of a legislator is to attract projects and development initiatives to his constituency. The legislature neither serves as the procuring agency nor supervises the execution of such projects. Implementation remains strictly the responsibility of the executive arm of government and its relevant agencies.

“Ordinarily, this office would not have dignified the publication with a response, but for the need to prevent unsuspecting members of the public from being misled by what is clearly a politically motivated narrative.

“It is therefore curious and mischievous that the image of the Deputy Speaker was used in connection with a project over which he has no implementation or supervisory responsibility.”

It added”We call on the appropriate procuring agency to take immediate steps to investigate the matter thoroughly and ensure that whoever was awarded the contract is held accountable in line with the law.

“For us, our primary concern remains that the project is completed and delivered for the benefit of the people of the constituency.

“On the issue of the project location, it is important to clarify that the initial naming of Bende Secondary Grammar School was an error, as the school already has an ICT Centre. The project was originally intended for Onuinyang, and a corrigendum was subsequently issued to correct the location accordingly.”