An NGO, Connected Development (CODE), on Monday in Kaduna began a week-long sensitisation of community members on how to track execution of government projects in their areas.
Its Project Assistant, Abubakar Mohammed, said that the sensitisation was under the MacArthur Foundation-supported Deepening Citizens’ Interest in Government Spending and Addressing Accompanying Corrupt practices (DeSPAAC) in projects execution.
Mohammed said at the Local Government Education Authority (LGEA), Unguwan Rimi in Kaduna North Local Government Area of the state, that objective of the sensitisation was to mobilise citizens to track execution of government projects.
According to him, the goal is to enlist citizens’ interest in government’s spending with a view to addressing accompanying corrupt practices in the execution of government projects.
“We are sensitising community members called `Community Monitoring Teams (CMTs)’ on the constituency projects being executed in their areas, and how they can monitor to ensure the projects are delivered within specifications.
“We are also sensitising them on how to effectively use the project monitoring Mobile App and the Open Government Partnership to access projects’ information, monitor and provide feedback to the government.
“Some of the projects executed in the education sector are supply of books and other learning materials, construction or renovation of classrooms, construction of boreholes and supply of furniture.
“In the health sector, some of the projects include construction of primary healthcare centres and supply of medical equipment, among others,” he said.
Muhammed said that the CMT would be mobilised to track the constituency projects in 18 communities drawn from six local government areas – Kaduna North, Igabi, Sabon Gari, Makarfi, Kaura and Zangon Kataf.
He said that the constituency projects in LGEA Unguwan Rimi consisted of supply of exercise books, text books and computers.
The Head Teacher of the school, Mrs Christiana Ajibade, confirmed the supply of the items, describing them as crucial to quality teaching and learning.
Also, Mr Jibril Abdullahi, the Chairman, School Based Management Committee in the council, thanked CODE for mobilising them to pay attention to the execution of constituency projects in the area.
In his comments, Mr Musa Hamza, Head Teacher, LGEA Sabon Gari, Mararaban Jos in Igabi LGA, said constituency projects in the school was construction of a block of two classrooms and supply of chairs.
Hamza said the school with 5,128 pupils has only 10 classrooms, adding that the school was in dire need of additional classrooms. (NAN)
