Why ICPC Wants To Track N15 Billion Constituency Projects

In a bid to ensure satisfactory execution of all constituency projects, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC has begun tracking the first phase of constituency projects in 12 states.

The exercise is an investigation into fraudulent procurement practices in the award of over 15 billion contracts for constituency and other projects in the states.

Aside ensuring the acceptable execution of projects, the aim is also to obtain value for money released to elected representatives to their constituents.

This was disclosed in a brief signed by the commission’s Public Relations Officer, Rasheedat Okoduwa.

The initiative was launched on April 2, 2019 by the Chairman of ICPC, Professor Bolaji Owansanoye, at the ICPC headquarters in Abuja.

A check by this medium on the official website of ICPC at https://icpc.gov.ng reveals that the states earmarked for the June 18, 2019 commencement of the exercise under the Constituency Project Tracking Group (CPTG) are Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Kogi, Sokoto and Kano. Others are Imo, Enugu, Lagos, Osun, Akwa Ibom and Edo states.

The check further revealed that at least five projects awarded between 2016 and 2018 have been selected in each of the 12 states spread across the six geo-political zones for the exercise, bringing the total to 86 projects to be tracked.

According to reports, Members of the Steering Committee for the initiative included Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS), Budget Office of the Federation, and Office of the Accountant General of the Federation.

Other members are Premium Times, International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) among others.

Further reports reveal that In Lagos, the investigating committee would visit the site of the construction of a community recreation centre in Epe, which was awarded at the cost of N720m in 2016.

It will also visit 21 schools in Surulere, Iponri, Lagos Island, Oke-Suna, Eti-Osa, Ajiran, and Lagos Mainland where projects were awarded for the construction of toilet facilities and the provision of motorised boreholes at the cost of N213m.

In Osun State, the team will inspect the site where a community education centre was constructed in Ila Oragun at the cost of N350m.

It will also look into an empowerment programme for women and youths on agriculture in some selected parts of the state, which was executed at the cost of N500m.

In Adamawa, constituency projects worth N540m will be investigated by the panel, while projects worth over N1bn will be investigated in Bauchi State.

Similarly, projects in the same region of cost will be looked into by the ICPC in Kano State.

The anti-corruption agency will also visit sites of projects worth over N1.6bn in Edo State.