The Office of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives has dismissed as misleading and politically motivated a report by TrackNG concerning the construction and furnishing of an ultra-modern conference and e-learning facility at Bende Secondary Grammar School, Abia State, captured in the 2024 Federal Government budget.
In a statement signed by the Special Assistant on Press Affairs to the Deputy Speaker, Udora Orizu, the office clarified that legislators are only responsible for attracting projects and development initiatives to their constituencies, while implementation and supervision remain the exclusive responsibility of the executive arm of government and its agencies.
The office stated that it would ordinarily not have responded to the publication but decided to do so to prevent members of the public from being misled.
It described as “curious and mischievous” the use of the Deputy Speaker’s image in connection with a project over which he has no implementation or supervisory role.
The statement called on the appropriate procuring agency to investigate the matter thoroughly and ensure that whoever was awarded the contract is held accountable in line with the law.
According to the office, its major 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 because the school already has an ICT Centre.