ICPC to track constituency projects

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has reiterated its determination to ensure accountability in the utilization of funds released for constituency projects.

ICPC chairman, Bolaji Owasanoye, made this known on Tuesday in Abuja, during the launch of the Constituency Projects Tracking Group (CPTG).

He said in the light of annual budgetary allocations to constituency projects, and actual releases by the government, it is believed that the impact ought to be more visible.

He noted that open source information on the level of implementation in 16 focus states in 2016, showed that out of 436 constituency projects that were tracked, 145 were completed, 77 on-going, and 211 not executed.

He said for 2016; out of 852 projects in 20 states tracked, 350 were completed, 118 were on-going, 41 locations were not specified in the budget, while 343 were not done.

He noted that there was only 40 percent performance of 2016 constituency projects in 20 states, adding that for 2017; 1,228 constituency budgets were tracked for performance as at June 2018.

“Out of these, 478 were completed, 173 were in unspecified locations, 200 on-going, 13 abandoned, while 364 were not started,” He said.

Owasanoye explained that to verify amounts appropriated for projects and its utilization, ICPC will collaborate with the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS).

He said the formation of a Constituency Projects Tracking Group will enhance the Commission’s ability to proactively prevent and eradicate the diversion of public funds.

He said any public officer, legislator or civil servant that attempts to sabotage the projects can also be quickly identified, investigated and prosecuted.

He said the ICPC-CPTG is envisaged to investigate fraudulent procurement practices in the award of contracts for constituency projects.

He said they are also to monitor the implementation of constituency projects from inception to completion, and make recoveries on projects confirmed to have been inflated or which contractors under-performed.

The ICPC would also track contracting companies for all statutory regulatory compliance like; tax, pension, NHIS among others.

He said since taking over leadership, its new board has focused on evaluating capacity gaps, infrastructure deficiency, funding challenges and redirecting the focus of the ICPC for effective performance.

He said the ICPC is streamlining its focus to spend its budget on public interest issues, noting that it is reviewing the personal and capital cost in government agencies.

He noted that this would assist government block leakages in expenditure and sanction infractions, adding that tax fraud and illicit financial flow team would be set up.

He said the team would collaborate with the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to close the gap in public revenue by capital flight through commercial transactions.