A Non-Governmental Organisation, Connected Development (CODE), has unveiled an initiative to track and uncover shady deals in constituency projects across the 23 local government areas of Kaduna State.
The Project Manager of CODE, Mr Kingsley Agu, made this known at the inaugural meeting with stakeholders in Kaduna.
He said that the initiative would ensure effective citizens participation in the implementation of constituency projects to curb corrupt practices.
Agu said that the project tagged, “Deepening Citizens’ Interest in Government Spending and Addressing Accompanying Corrupt Practices (DeSPAAC)”, would be implemented between 2021 and 2023 with support from the MacArthur Foundation.
He said that the Federal Government allocated over six billion naira for constituency project in 2020 and 2021 in the state.
He explained that the DeSPAAC project would mobilise community members in the three Senatorial Zones of the state and would track N1.1 billion worth of constituency projects in 2021.
“This is taxpayers’ money that may end up in private pockets if citizens fail to monitor how the projects are implemented.
“It is therefore in the best interest of the citizens to understand the projects, their rationale and monitor the implementation process,”Agu said.
The project manager said that CODE had in the last three years tracked the implementation of Universal Basic Education Commission and Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board’s projects in four Local Governments areas of the state.
He added that the NGO, with support from the MacArthur Foundation was able to track about N500 million projects and conducted needs assessment in 609 schools in the state.
Also speaking, Mr Buhari Bello, the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission’s Team Leader on Constituency Projects, noted that tracking constituency project would ensure quality, timely delivery and prevent corruption.
Bello, who commended CODE for the efforts, said that ICPC had tracked 80 per cent of the N1.3 billion worth of constituency projects and 70 per cent of N3.5 billion Federal Government’s projects in the state in 2020.
Also speaking, Gov. Nasir El-Rufai reiterated his administration’s commitment to improving public service through reforms to reduce corruption, eliminating duplication of functions, and minimizing waste of public resources.
Represented by the Commissioner for Planning and Budget Commission, Mr Thomas Gyang, the governor said the state government will open spaces for citizens engagement through Open Government Partnership (OGP).
On his part, Malam Ibrahim Salihu, Chairman, Ikara Local Government Area of the state, commended CODE for the enlightenment on how to track implementation of government spending.
“CODE had particularly supported the tracking of projects in Ikara LGA and the result was quite commendable, as most of the projects were being implemented according to specifications and standards,”he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the inaugural meeting was attended by Local Government Chairmen, head of ministries, departments, and agencies, school-based management committees and officials of the Universal Basic Education Commission, among others. (NAN)
