The Federal Government and its anti-graft agencies have been urged to probe irregularities and corrupt practices in implementing 1,052 solar streetlight projects worth over N762 million in some communities in Borno State.
An investigative report by the International Centre For Investigative Reporting (ICIR) had indicted contractors awarded streetlight projects in the local communities of Bayo, Kwaya Kusar, and Shani in the state of failing to install over 400 streetlights, and the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development for supervisory failures.
Participants called for an immediate probe During an anti-corruption radio programme, Public Conscience, produced by the Progressive Impact Organisation for Community Development (PRIMORG), on Wednesday in Abuja.
On the programme, ICIR’s Investigative reporter, Muhammad Ali tasked leading anti-corruption agencies, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to look into the discrepancies in the streetlight project execution and the violation of Public Procurement Act, leading to missing streetlights.
Lamenting that politicians, in connivance with contractors, were taking advantage of gaps in public procurement to divert projects meant for communities for their personal use, Ali urged that “the government must act fast to ensure the streetlight project is completed”.
Explaining how the contractors failed to implement the streetlight project properly, he said: “The streetlight project was worth N762,301,082.14 and was awarded to contractors in 2021.
“Dunkulu Global Venture was awarded 277 streetlights but installed 230, meaning that the company failed to account for the 47 uninstalled solar streetlights.
“The project file of Dunkulu Global Venture at the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development lacked evidence of how the project was executed and did not meet the required documentation standards for payment processing.
“As for Facile Concept Service, they claimed to have fulfilled their part by bringing all 221 solar streetlights to Bayo and that they were installed within Briyel and other wards. However, it remains unclear how these streetlights were distributed and installed because, according to the residents, some of them never worked.
“RKK Inspire Service Limited did not execute a streetlight project in Shani, from our findings. Two hundred seventy-seven solar streetlights were installed on paper. Interestingly, records of the Open Treasury Portal show that RKK Inspire Service Limited was paid over N202 million in February 2022. When we visited the communities marked for the project on 1 July 2024, there was nothing on the ground to show that the contractor even mobilised to the site”.
BudgIT’s State Officer for Tracka, Garba Abdullahi described the reported corruption in the implementation of streetlight projects in Borno State communities as unfortunate, while noting that the development reflects the existing flawed public procurement system in the country.
He called on the EFCC and ICPC to immediately beam their searchlight on the report, while insisting that government agencies must ensure strict adherence by contractors to the Public Procurement Act.
He lauded PRIMORG and the ICIR for amplifying corruption reports, urging citizens to support anti-corruption agencies with information to track and recover public projects mishandled by contractors.
Abdullahi said: “It’s so unfortunate that, in Nigeria today, we are still not getting it right in this act of public-funded projects, and I think the anti-corruption agencies must be alerted and should act.
“The ICPC and EFCC should put more effort into tackling these issues. The ICPC is doing a great job with that, but they cannot do it alone. They need citizens to help them report such cases.
“Whenever we discover issues like these, as BudgIT, we write to the ministry, the ICPC mostly, the EFCC, the ministry and inform the citizens. We tell the citizens so that they can confront their representatives with their votes. I encourage the ICIR to write to these agencies and the public. If they do, there will be a solution to that.
“People need to be involved. The Procurement Act is supposed to be followed according to how it is stated. But, sadly, somebody with a detailed certificate seeking contracts will submit a bill of quantity proposal for the project. Still, MDAs (Ministries, Departments and Agencies) will dump it because they don’t know you or are not related to you”.
He expressed disapproval of those calling for the scrapping of the EFCC, describing that as the handiwork of corrupt elements in the society.
The Supreme Court has scheduled 22 October to hear a suit filed by 16 state governments challenging the legality of the EFCC.
Public Conscience is a syndicated weekly anti-corruption radio program PRIMORG uses to draw government and citizens’ attention to corruption and integrity issues in Nigeria.
The programme has the support of the MacArthur Foundation.
