House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Rt Hon Benjamin Kalu of the APC, who represents Bende Constituency in Abia State, has been urged by his Labour Party opponent in the 2023 election, Mr. Iheanyi Chinasa, to provide an update to his constituents regarding the current status of federal government projects being executed in the constituency.
Chinasa pointed out that Hon Kalu had asserted that he facilitated the execution of several projects within the constituency. He specifically mentioned the ₦7 billion Amewu and Methodist gully erosion control projects, emphasizing that these projects remain incomplete.
Chinasa further stated that these two erosion control projects are accounted for in the budget, and as their representative in the House and Deputy Speaker, Hon Kalu is obligated to offer his constituents explanations concerning their advancement.
Chinasa insisted that Hon Kalu should advocate for the execution of the Bende constituency projects included in the national budget, particularly those he claimed to have facilitated or attracted. As the Abuja Liaison Officer for Governor Alex Otti, Chinasa emphasized that Kalu should clarify the progress of these projects, given his role as a Principal Officer in the National Assembly.
In addition to the gully erosion control projects, Chinasa requested that Hon Kalu organize an inspection tour for his constituents and journalists to review both ongoing and completed projects in the constituency. He mentioned that this request is made on behalf of himself and other constituents.
It is worth noting that on 3 October in Aba, during the commissioning of several roads by President Bola Tinubu, represented by the Works Minister, Engineer Dave Umahi, Hon Kalu commented on the financial performance of the state, estimating monthly earnings to be between N38 and N40 billion.
Chinasa stressed that his appeal for Hon Kalu to inform his constituents was not driven by political motives, but rather a civic responsibility to hold elected officials accountable.
He stated, “This transcends politics. I am a resident of Bende. The Deputy Speaker has presented a list of projects sanctioned for our constituency. Now, I seek verification of those on his list by an impartial organization to determine their current status.”
Chinasa further called for an independent media audit to substantiate the claims, suggesting that if the Deputy Speaker fails to deliver the required update, he would be willing to personally fund the verification process.
