Some Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have lamented the abandonment of a fully built and furnished primary school in Zuba, a suburb of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The CSOs also complained that a fully completed computer centre built six years ago in Guzunkure, a community in Kuje Area Council had been abandoned and some the computers had been stolen.
They expressed their concerns at the opening of a week-long activities organised by the Public Private Development Center (PPDC) aimed at promoting inclusive governance through civic engagement.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that PPDC is training CSOs on project monitoring, procurement processes, FOI request, writing impactful stories and mobilisation of local communities to take ownership of projects in their areas.
The CSOs, which expressed concern over the behaviour of some politicians and community leaders in project execution, said that shady deals were affecting development.
They also called on Nigerians to take ownership of projects executed in their localities.
A representative of the CSO, Kyela Ogbelano, said many projects in communities had no blueprint and needed proper assessment.
“If people take ownership of the projects and are involved in the planning, they will hold the public officials accountable,” she said
A participant, Mr Lukman Adefolahan, said that the education authorities in their budgets were requesting for more classes for learning in the same primary school, which was abandoned two years ago.
“A primary school in Zuba built and completed two years ago is not in use but the Universal Basic Education Board, in its budget is demanding for more classes in the same area,” he said.
Also, a lecturer in the College of Education, Zuba, who craved anonymity, said that a computer centre was built snd furnished in Guzunkure, Kuje six years ago, was still under lock and key till date.
He said: “The computers were being stolen by the locals but the government has not deemed it fit to commission the infrastructure for usage.”
The lecturer also said that insecurity was making it impossible for things to work especially in many Abuja communities.
“Without security, nothing will move forward. Even people providing services in the communities have been forced to move to semi urban areas.
“The police should be proactive and be friendly to the locals in order to get more security information,” he advised.
On his part, Mr Uthman Abdulazeez, a representative of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) lamented poor security as hampering UBEC’s projects in the FCT.
He, however, added that children needed to be educated at any cost.
“We instituted School Based Management Committee (SBMC) to ensure smooth running of the schools.
“The SBMC include the headmaster, PTA, and the UBEC officials.
“They are not just to ensure the running of the schools, they also ensure that there is a sign post to every project for proper monitoring,” he said.
Abdulazeez, an engineer said the council was partnering with the FCT SUBEB on projects, added that every intervention was monitored.(NAN)
