The efforts of Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in tracking abandoned constituency projects across the country is already yielding results as SALIFU OYIBO reports on how the team tracked such projects in Kogi state.
Generally, constituency projects are financed by the federal government on behalf of law makers in the National Assembly.
However since 1999, there have been allegations of corruption and mismanagement involving legislators and government agencies saddled with the execution of such projects. It is also an open secret that sometimes law makers connive with the executive to siphon the fund allocated for constituency projects which invariably give rise to several cases of abandoned project across the country.
Irked by these anomalies, the chairman of Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Professor Bolaji Owasanoye in April, 2019 inaugurated the Constituency Project Tracking Group with a promise that it would ensure that all the monies allocated for constituency projects in the past were judiciously spent in the interest of Nigerians.
Blueprint gathered that states where the tracking group is currently working are Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Benue, Kogi, Sokoto and Kano. Others are Imo, Enugu, Lagos, Osun and Edo, noting that, at least, five projects were awarded between 2016 and 2018 in each of these states.
Findings from Kogi
In Kogi state, for instance, an assessment visit to some constituency projects in the state uncovered how the death of former majority leader of the House of Representative, Hon Buba Jubril, who represented Lokoja /Kogi Federal Constituency, gave contractors who handled his constituency projects an edge to abandon projects even payment were fully made.
For instance, the Lokoja Model Fish Market which was initiated by the lawmaker consists of 49 shops, two cold rooms, fish drying room, a borehole facility including overhead tank, lister generator awarded to Hasket Nigeria limited in 2016 in the sum of 120 million naira, but regrettably the facilities have not functioning until the intervention of the ICPC tracking group recently.
The same also applies to the construction of drug rehabilitation centre located at Karara village in Lokoja local government which was awarded to Coventry Nigeria limited at 240 million naira. Investigation reveals that 70 per cent of the sum was said to have been released to the contractor which unfortunately has not been functional.
Obviously, the visit of the group revealed that the contract commenced since 2018 but no supervision and evaluation by the agency in charge of the contract thereby putting the project at less than 40 per cent completion till date.
Also the construction of cottage hospital at Koton-Karfe in Kogi local government area visited by the group was discovered to have been awarded in 2016 at the cost of 235 million naira. As at the last visit of the team, 70 per cent of the sum has been released and work was still ongoing after three years.
More so, the visit of the team to Iluke-Suku- Aiyetoro-Abugi-Egan road uncovered a two kilometre-asphalt road and a kilometre surface dressing from Iluke to Suku which was awarded to a contractor but poorly executed. The project was facilitated by Senator Dino Melaye in 2018, the remaining part of the road that lead to Egan as at today washed off completely leaving the road inaccessible as all the communities along that road are cut off from the local government especially during rainy season.
Natives complain
Because of this, the people of Kabba/Bunu local government area of the state have urged the federal government to order the contractor back to site. The spokesperson of the affected communities, Mr Adebayo Abiodun Rotimi, who made this appeal when the tracking group visited the area recently, stated that the call became imperative in view of the fact that the contractor handling the project had abandoned the site shortly after the general elections.
Rotimi explained that all affected communities were initially happy when the contractor came to the site with high expectations that the road construction would bring more development to their area.
According to him, “All the affected communities of Ayetoro Kiri, Akuputa Kiri, Egan and Kupa have always been cut out of Kogi state during the raining season. The worse hit is Egan and Kupa in the riverine area of Lokoja local government area.”
He lamented that it was very shocking when the contractor who started work in 2018 did a kilometre road with mere surface dressing along Ayetoro Kiri road and finally stopped the work, noting that the contractor had left no fewer than 13 trucks load of granites at the site.
“The worst part of it is that the contractor has also removed the sign post stating the name of the contractor, supervising consultant and those that awarded the contract.”
Rotimi maintained that traditional rulers in the rural communities are not leaving any stone unturned at ensuring that the project is completed, stating that since the Iyah -Ayegunle Gbede – Iluke road construction stopped at Suku in 2006 when Senator Tunde Ogbeha was at the National Assembly, several efforts have been made to draw the attention of the federal government to the plight of the people of affected communities.
He decried the attitude of politicians who deceive the people, saying every four years, they would promise heaven on earth but no dividends of democracy to show for votes.
“The dividends of democracy are good roads network, provision of pipe borne-water, electricity, heath facilities and schools. We are not asking for too much because these are the basic necessities of life and it is our right to enjoy those things as Nigerians.”
Also speaking, the leader of KCPTG, Mr Tukur Sani Tarauni, told journalists that the purpose of the visit is to track all the constituency projects across the country and assess the level of work done and those not done at all after the collection of huge amount for the same contracts.
Tarauni pointed out that the tracking of constituency project is aimed at ensuring that all projects are properly executed without any hindrances.
Also commenting on constituency projects, the Maiyaki of Lokoja, Alhaji Aliyu Jiya appealed to federal government to support the ICPC in order to extend the tracking exercise to all projects provided by government at all levels.
Jayi, who also commended the effort of ICPC for compelling the contractors that executed the model fish market in Lokoja for the completion of the project said, “The market women can now froze and dry their fish with ease.”
Speaking further at the Lokoja Fish Market, he said, “I want to recommend that for every project federal, state government and even local government is undertaking, there should be this type of independent follow-up to track their level of completion so that where there are gaps in terms of non-completion or total abandonment, the ICPC can compel the contractors to go back to site to remedy the situation.
“What we are witnessing here today is a clear indication that without the involvement of ICPC, we would not have been able to see the contractors that handled the project half way to return and complete it.
Also speaking, the women leader of the market Hajia Fatima Ali praised the effort of the anti-graft agent and solicited for more dividends of democracy from the government and political appointees.
It’s a lesson for incoming law makers – Lawyer
A human Right Activist and Executive Chairman, Conscience for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution, Mr Idris Miliki Abdul, described the ICPC decision to track constituency projects as a good intervention and timely in a way that the new lawmakers would bear in mind that it would not be business as usual.
According to him, “It is worrisome that some contractors, having collected contract sum, would not even show up while those that commence work on the sites would abandon them because nobody cares.
The spokesperson of ICPC, Rashidat Okoduwa, said the commission would not hesitate to prosecute any contractor that has failed to deliver on the projects, including accomplices.
Members of Constituency Tracking Group with fish sellers at Model Fish Market in Lokoja recently.
