The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has begun tracking of constituency projects worth N610bn across 22 states.
The anti-graft agency which gave the announcement on Tuesday in a statement by its spokesperson, Demola Bakare, disclosed that a total of 1,500 projects across the six geopolitical zones would be monitored by the Commission.
According to the statement, the initiative was with a view to ensuring that the projects are not abandoned and that the allocated funds are properly utilised.
According to Bakare, the states where the projects will be tracked include Kwara, Niger, Kogi, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Kebbi, Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Borno, Lagos, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Cross River, Delta, Imo, Abia, and Enugu.
“The ICPC has kicked off Phase 7 of the Constituency and Executive Project Tracking Exercise,” he said.
“The tracking of the constituency and executive projects is an initiative of the Commission that began in 2019, focusing on how well money allocated to critical sectors of education, health, agriculture, water resources and power, among others, by the government is utilised, Bakare added.
“The seventh phase, involving 1,500 projects with a total project value of N610bn, commenced on Monday, November 18th, 2024, in 22 states across the six geopolitical zones. The states are Kwara, Niger, Kogi, FCT, Kebbi, Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Borno, Lagos, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Cross River, Delta, Imo, Abia and Enugu State.
“The Phase 7 tracking exercise will cut across agencies of government, including intervention agencies such as the North-East Development Commission; the Niger Delta Development Commission; the National Agricultural Land Development Authority, Universal Basic Education Commission, Rural Electrification Agency, National Primary Health Care Development Authority, Tertiary Education Trust Fund and Ecological Fund Office.
“The objective of the exercise is to deepen adherence to due process in the execution of government projects, improve value for money, and entrench the culture of compliance with the scope and specification as contained in the contract documents.”
Bakare also disclosed that during the last exercise, the commission tracked a total of 1,900 projects worth N500bn in 24 states.
“The ICPC tracked a total of 1,900 projects valued at N500bn in Phase 6 of the exercise across 24 states of the nation’s six geopolitical zones,” he said.
“The projects were tracked within the focal sectors of Education, Water Resources, Agriculture, Power, Health, Energy, and Roads.
“These projects in the 6th phase were awarded to a total of 1,355 contractors in 176 MDAs.”
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