By Chimezie Godfrey
#TrackNigeria- The Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC) has stated that it will on Monday 2nd November, 2019 embark on physical verification of selected federal government capital projects across the six geopolitical zones of the country.
According a the statement which was signed by the Acting Head, Strategic Communications Directorate, Bede Ogueri Anyanwu, the verification exercise is to be done in line with the commission’s mandate under the fiscal responsibility act.
The commission said the projects earmarked for the capital project verification are those in the Northeast, North-West and north central zones of the country, South West, South South and South East geo-political zones.
Victor Muruako, the Acting Chairman, Fiscal Responsibility Commission enjoined all the team leaders and members to carry out the assignment with great diligence, adding that the exercise is one of the core mandate of Commission.
“There is need to verify the actual existence of the projects as well as monitor the progress of the work done so far to ensure that there is value for money released for the projects.
“The verification exercise is further designed in line with the next level agenda of the present administration in the area of prudence, accountability, value for money and transparency in the efforts to meet the yearnings of the people.
“Verification must also be done within the Medium Term Framework (MTEF). The reason for this was to ensure that government embark on projects that it had the ability to find. With MTEF, cases of abandoned projects will cease to exist.
“The medium term expenditure framework shall be the basis for the preparation of the estimates of revenue and expenditure required to be prepared and laid before the national assembly under section 81(1) of the construction,” he said.
He disclosed that some of the projects earmarked for verification in the southwest includes the extension and asphalt overly of Murtala Muhammed runaway (completion of outstanding taxiway ‘B’, and completion of control/technical tower at Ibadan Airport.
Others are rehabilitation of Lagos Shagamu-Ibadan dual carriageway section 1 in Lagos State c/no. 6082 and dualization of Abeokuta-Ibadan road c/no.6081.
He further said that some projects listed for north east includes federal medical centre, Jalingo, power evacuation project at Kashimbila dam, and road construction of federal road safety commission, Gombe.
Others are construction of control tower at Maiduguri and police secondary schools in Bauchi, Yola and Maiduguri.
