The Federal Government has warned that contractors handling the five legacy projects of the Bola Tinubu administration who collect mobilisation funds but fail to deliver will face arrest and prosecution.
Minister of Works, David Umahi, gave the warning during a press conference in Abuja, stressing that contractors who had received government funds but failed to execute the corresponding projects would not be allowed to frustrate the administration’s infrastructure agenda.
Umahi said some contractors had prioritised state-owned projects over federal projects despite receiving sufficient mobilisation from the Federal Government.
He directed contractors who had collected mobilisation funds to return to their respective sites and complete the projects or risk recovery of the funds through anti-corruption agencies.
According to the minister, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) would be deployed against contractors who failed to meet their obligations.
He warned that the anti-corruption agencies would take firm action against those found to have misappropriated or failed to account for government funds.
Meanwhile, the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) has urged Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to expand their monitoring of public procurement beyond contract awards to determining whether projects and services were ultimately delivered.
The Director-General of the BPP, Dr Adebowale Adedokun, made the call at the BPP-CSO Engagement 2.0 in Abuja.
Adedokun said procurement accountability should not end after confirming that a contract had been properly awarded, stressing the need for continuous monitoring from procurement planning and contract award through implementation and service delivery.
He said CSOs should pay particular attention to projects that directly affect communities and determine whether the expected outcomes were achieved.
According to him, public procurement was ultimately about development, as government procurement decisions could have a direct impact on hospitals, schools, roads, electricity, security, agriculture, employment and the quality of public services available to citizens.
Adedokun said the BPP was seeking a more structured partnership with civil society to improve transparency, accountability and citizen participation in public procurement.
He proposed the establishment of a BPP-CSO Public Procurement Partnership Framework, with five key areas: capacity building; access to procurement information and data; procurement and project monitoring; reporting and early warning; and citizens’ engagement.
Also, the Construction and Civil Engineering Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (CCESSA) has appealed to President Tinubu to urgently address insecurity, the rising cost of living and other challenges affecting workers and the construction industry.
In a communiqué issued at the end of its National Executive Committee meeting in Abuja, signed by the National President, Dr Ayodeji Adeyemo, and General Secretary, Sunday James, the association commended the Federal Government for its economic reforms and infrastructure development initiatives under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
However, CCESSA said the economic realities confronting workers and their families required urgent and sustained intervention to improve their welfare and protect their livelihoods.
The association said the construction and civil engineering sector could not thrive in an environment where workers, contractors, engineers, technicians and other professionals were exposed to threats to their lives and property.
“We call on the Federal Government to intensify the fight against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, communal violence and other forms of criminality. We also want government to strengthen intelligence gathering, inter-agency coordination and rapid-response capabilities,” it said.
CCESSA further called for adequate security along major infrastructure corridors and construction sites and urged the government to ensure that communities affected by insecurity were not abandoned to criminal elements.
The association said improved security remained essential to protecting lives, sustaining economic activity and enabling the construction industry to contribute fully to national development.
