Bende Deputy Mayor Condemns Ben Kalu Over Alleged Illegal Demolition Of Teachers’ Quarters In Igbere

Tension has erupted in Igbere community, Bende Local Government Area of Abia State, following the alleged unlawful demolition of the Teachers’ Quarters at Eluokwe Community Primary School, Amaukwu, reportedly carried out by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, popularly known as “Number 6.”

The Deputy Mayor of Bende LGA, Mrs. Ngozi Anya, in a strongly worded public statement, described the demolition as “reckless, unlawful, and deeply disappointing,” accusing Kalu and his team of violating due process and disregarding community authority.

According to her, the demolition was executed without any form of notice, consultation, or authorization from either the local or state government. Even the Headmistress of the school, she said, was not informed to alert the teacher occupying the quarters to vacate before the action.

Mrs. Anya alleged that Kalu justified the demolition under the guise of preparing for a “hospital project,” but she questioned the rationale behind destroying an existing functional structure when there are several open lands available across Igbere.

“Why must development come by destruction?” she asked, describing the act as a misuse of political privilege and a clear disregard for community wellbeing.

The Deputy Mayor further disclosed that a Table Tennis Court within the school premises, built by her husband’s sister as a youth recreation project, was also destroyed during the exercise. She lamented that a valuable community facility was turned to rubble by a man who, according to her, “has never completed or maintained any project of such quality.”

Mrs. Anya said she, alongside the Mayor of Bende and the Councilors representing Igbere Wards A and B, visited the site to assess the damage. “What we found was heartbreaking—rubble where homes once stood, displacement where there was once stability, and teachers left stranded,” she stated.

She criticized what she described as arrogance and abuse of power, accusing Kalu of publicly boasting that “nobody can or will do anything about it.”

“Governance is not tyranny, and development cannot be achieved through destruction,” she declared, calling the act “an insult to public service and a betrayal of the people.”

The Deputy Mayor vowed that the Bende Local Government Council will pursue every legal and political step necessary to ensure accountability and restore the dignity of the Igbere community.

“Bende is not for destruction,” she concluded. “We stand for structure, order, progress, and respect for due process, not arrogance masked as development.”

The alleged demolition has sparked outrage among residents, with many calling for immediate investigation and sanctions where necessary.