By Oluwakemi Kindness
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has dismissed a recent field tracking report by Tracka on Federal Government projects in Bende Federal Constituency, describing it as false, misleading and politically motivated.
In a statement issued on Thursday by his Chief Press Secretary, Levinus Nwabughiogu, the Deputy Speaker’s office says the report misrepresented the status of several constituency projects and failed to reflect the realities on the ground.
The statement notes that the report, published on Tracka’s Facebook page on July 15, was deleted less than 24 hours later without any explanation, raising questions about its credibility.
Responding to allegations that the 2-kilometre Amaeke–Isiegbu–Umuhu Ezechi Road had been abandoned since 2024, the office insisted that the project had been completed, commissioned and is currently in use by residents.
According to the statement, the road serves farmers, traders, students and other members of the community on a daily basis.
The Deputy Speaker’s office also rejected claims that cassava processing centres in Ezeukwu and Umuhu Ezechi did not exist, explaining that the structures had been completed while the installation of processing equipment remained the responsibility of the relevant ministry, department or agency.
It added that electricity had already been connected to the facilities, while procurement of the processing equipment was ongoing in line with established government procedures.
On the report’s claims regarding 579 solar streetlights across Igbere A, Igbere B and Ugwueke/Ezeukwu Wards, the office maintained that the installations were fully operational and had improved security, enhanced economic activities and made the communities safer at night.
The statement further clarified that the constitutional role of a legislator is to facilitate the attraction of Federal Government projects, engage implementing agencies, secure approvals and ensure effective representation, rather than execute projects directly.
The Deputy Speaker’s office invited Tracka and the authors of the report to revisit the project locations to verify the facts, insisting that the projects have delivered tangible benefits to residents of Bende Federal Constituency.
It also urged stakeholders and the public to promote accountability based on verified facts, warning against what it described as politically motivated narratives capable of undermining genuine development efforts
