The Chairman of Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu has lamented that, despite efforts by the anti-graft agency, budget padding and contract scams remain threats to Zonal Intervention Projects (ZIPs), popularly referred to as Constituency Projects.
During a radio town hall meeting on constituency projects, organised by the Progressive Impact Organisation for Community Development (PRIMORG), at the weekend in Abuja, Aliyu, who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, identified budget padding and irregularities by implementing Ministries, Departs and Agencies (MDAs), contractors, and legislators who facilitate projects, as persistent threats to the intervention programme.
Aliyu, who was represented by the commission’s Head of Constituency and Executive Projects Division, Jimoh Oladapo Sulahiman said that ICPC’s introduction of project tracking has been helping to reduce the incidence of corruption, abandoned and poor execution of projects since 2019.
He said that, through tracking of ZIPs, citizens are becoming more aware of their responsibilities and that the commission has informed all MDAs involved in implementing constituency projects of its readiness to monitor and track the execution of funded projects this year to ensure there are no compromises.
“When we started constituency project tracking, the percentage completion of projects was below par – 43 percent, but now that we have completed the 6th phase, the percentage of project completion is 86 percent, showing that it is improving. Going out and tracking projects with Civil Society Organisations and media has galvanized the citizenry to demand accountability from their leaders, and that is what we want”, Sulahiman said.
On the difficulties of executing constituency projects across the country, he said: “The problem we are having is budget padding or insertion of projects.
“The challenges are many regarding the implementing agency, the contractor, and the facilitator (members of the National Assembly).
“NASS members technically own the projects. They are the ones that domiciled them in MDAs. Regarding these people not aligning, there is no prior needs assessment. Then, the executing agency, when you ask someone who knows nothing about civil engineering to monitor a road project or a bridge, what do you expect? Then we see some connivance between the staff of the agency and the contractors.
“Early this year, we (ICPC) did a budget analysis, and we could see what was proposed and what was eventually approved. We invited the heads of agencies to discuss the issues and inform them that the projects will be monitored line by line and defaulters will be prosecuted,” He disclosed.
Sulahiman stated that ICPC now has offices in every state of the federation and can track projects everywhere, while commending PRIMORG and other Civil Society Organisations for playing a critical role in corruption over the years.
He urged citizens to report irregularities in the execution of ZIPs and hold leaders to account always.
Former Chairman of Pegi Community Development Association, Taiwo Aderibigbe decried the lack of government’s presence in his community located at Kuje Abua. He said that there no constituency project has been cited in the community in the last 25 years.
He accused past and present federal legislators representing the Pegi community of neglect and not being in touch with the people while they wallow in a lack of basic amenities.
“The Pegi resettlement in the last 25 years has never experienced the intervention of constituency projects.
“Our Senator, Ireti Kingibe has not responded to our texts or WhatsApp messages, and we are yet to catch up with her appointment. Unfortunately, Pegi, with a growing population of about 17,000 inhabitants, makes do with an underutilised dispensary and no schools. The relative peace in Pegi today is because we cried out to the world, and the security did their best, but they can still up their game because there are still pockets of criminality”, he said.
While pleading for urgent government intervention in road infrastructure, schools, and hospitals, Aderibigbe advised lawmakers representing the community at the National Assembly that they risk being voted out in the next election if the people do not feel their impact.
He appealed: “Our priority is the decade-long 14-kilometre Pegi-Dafara road; also, the children need to be educated. There are no schools for the pupils. They travel five to six kilometres to acquire knowledge. Our nursing mothers, pregnant women and the aged also travel to Kuje General Hospital, which is also overwhelmed”.
Abuja Bureau Chief of TheCable Online newspapers, Yekeen Akinwale lamented the disconnect between legislators facilitating constituency projects and their constituents.
He emphasised that the lack of needs assessment before facilitating a constituency project is widening the gap between leaders and the led while underscoring the importance of more citizens’ awareness of their role in ensuring ZIPs are executed and sustained.
He advised that poor execution or abandoned constituency projects syndrome in the country can be nipped in the bud by addressing procurement corruption, accessibility of the representatives, and behavioural change of leaders in general.
“Most of the projects are awarded to companies owned by the sponsors (legislators).
“I think the Bureau of Public Procurement has a lot of work to do because the corruption starts from the procurement. When they call for bidding, the entities that have track records and capacity should be the ones that should execute the projects.
‘“There should be a behavioural change on the part of the politicians. If they are citing projects, they are not doing their constituents a favour, and it has to be what the people need, and they should connect with the people not only during elections”, Akinwale cautioned.
PRIMORG’s Radio Town Hall Meeting on Constituency Projects seeks to encourage citizens to take ownership of ZIP and promote accountability and sustainability in their execution and usage.
