Hon Benedict Etanabene, the member representing Okpe, Sapele and Uvwie Federal Constituency, has issued a frank statement defending the captions he posted via a viral video about an empowerment project by his colleague, Rt Hon Amobi, who represents Umunneochi and Isiukwuato Federal Constituency. Etanabene said there was nothing unusual about his comments and insisted that his observations were accurate.
He explained that his post had raised questions because many people do not fully understand how empowerment programmes are funded. According to him, while some lawmakers can easily roll out large-scale projects, most members of the National Assembly cannot afford such ventures without cutting corners. He said he had addressed this matter several times and urged his constituents to revisit his earlier explanations.
Etanabene recalled that when he was elected in 2023, he pledged to speak honestly, even when the truth might be uncomfortable or politically risky. He said his conscience remained guided by his faith and that he would never steal, divert public resources or join questionable networks to impress anyone. He stated that he knew how some public officers amassed wealth but refused to follow such a path, noting that he preferred to do his work with clean hands.
He listed the projects and programmes he had delivered under the 2024 budget. These included the establishment of an ICT hub at Our Lady’s School, Effurun, complete with solar power, internet service and computers. He also installed solar streetlights along major routes in Ekpan and in several communities, fenced Egborode Secondary School, and sponsored advanced computer training for more than fifty participants, all of whom received laptops. He supported sewing training for over sixty people, fish farming programmes for more than eighty youths, and disbursed about fifty million naira in SME support over two batches. He added that he pays monthly stipends to more than one hundred elderly and physically challenged persons and distributes fertiliser and other relief items to farmers and affected communities.
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Etanabene said all these efforts came from the 2024 allocation, which he argued was not enough to fund everything once taxes were deducted. He maintained that he had not received any refunds for money personally committed to the projects. He added that his legislative work included motions on ports, roads, security and state creation efforts, which he considered part of his core duties.
He noted that the differences among lawmakers often depend on their positions in the National Assembly. Some chair lucrative committees and enjoy access to agencies willing to support their programmes. Others do not. He said Rt Hon Amobi, who chairs the committee on HIV, AIDS, Malaria and Infectious Diseases, naturally operates at a level that members without such influence cannot match.
Etanabene said he understood that some constituents expected him to return home with the kind of wealth often associated with public office, but he refused to pursue corrupt gains. He promised to continue representing his constituency with honesty and said he would share Amobi’s reaction once his colleague had read the message.
