A REBUTTAL TO HISTORICAL REVISIONISM: THE TRUE FACTS BEHIND THE NKPA ECOLOGICAL ROAD PROJECT

While leadership should indeed be measured by tangible results, it must also be anchored on absolute honesty and historical integrity. The ongoing attempt by praise singers to credit Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu with attracting the Nkpa Ecological Road project is a disservice to the facts, the efforts of private citizens, and the collective memory of Ndi Nkpa.

To set the record straight for public interest, here are the unassailable facts regarding the project:

1. Secured by an Nkpa Indigene, Not a Politician

Neither Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu nor his predecessor, Hon. Nnenna Elendu Ukeje, attracted the Nkpa Ecological Road contract. The contract was independently influenced, facilitated, and secured from the Ecological Project Office in Abuja by a patriotic Nkpa indigene who used personal leverage for the community’s benefit. It was a community-driven victory, not a legislative layout.

2 . Timeline of the Award

The contract was already fully awarded during the tenure of Hon. Nnenna Ukeje as the representative of Bende Federal Constituency. Following the 2019 general elections, a group of prominent Nkpa elites deliberately approached the newly elected Benjamin Kalu, presenting him with the pre-existing award document so he could formally present and defend it before the National Assembly.

3. Administrative Defense vs. Project Attraction

We grant Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu due credit for performing his official duty by defending the contract on the floor of the House. However, defending a pre-existing project won by a private citizen is vastly different from “attracting” a new project.

4 . The Shortchanging of Nkpa

If we must discuss the Deputy Speaker’s actual impact on this specific project, we must look at the modifications made under his watch. The original contract explicitly approved 11.5 kilometers dedicated entirely to the Nkpa Ecological Road. Upon political intervention, this was reduced to 6.5 kilometers, with the remaining 5 kilometers diverted and distributed to other communities within Umuimenyi.

Conclusion

As 2027 approaches, public interest demands accountability over political rhetoric. Ndi Nkpa will not sit silently while the quiet sacrifices of their indigenes are erased to build political capital. We welcome progressive representation, but we strongly reject any form of revisionist history that shortchanges our community while demanding our applause.

Signed:

Darlington Onyebuchi Agoha,
Public Interest Advocate