Deputy Speaker’s Office Clarifies the Abia School Project Controversy

The Office of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives has called a report by TrackNG “misleading and politically motivated.” The report detailed the construction and furnishing of an ultra‑modern conference and e‑learning facility at Bende Secondary Grammar School in Abia State, a project that was included in the 2024 Federal Government budget.

In a statement signed by the Deputy Speaker’s Special Assistant on Press Affairs, Udora Orizu, the office clarified that legislators are responsible only for attracting projects and development initiatives to their constituencies. Implementation and supervision, it said, remain the exclusive duty of the executive arm of government and its agencies.

The office noted that it would normally not respond to the publication but chose to do so to prevent the public from being misled.

It described the use of the Deputy Speaker’s image in connection with a project over which he has no implementation or supervisory role as “curious and mischievous.”

The statement urged the appropriate procuring agency to investigate the matter thoroughly and to hold accountable whoever was awarded the contract in accordance with the law.

According to the office, its primary concern is to ensure that the project is completed and delivered for the benefit of the people of the constituency.

It further clarified that the initial naming of Bende Secondary Grammar School as the project location was an error, noting that the school already has an ICT Centre.