BY ABEL JOHNGOLD ORHERUATA
To further the collaboration between the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the National Orientation Agency (NOA), the agencies furthered their National Awareness Campaign on Constituency Projects monitoring.
The campaign themed “My Constituency, My Project” held on Tuessday 17th March, 2020, at Orchid Hotels Asaba is a new initiative introduced late last year that would ensure maximum participation of citizens in tracking constituency projects while holding representatives overseeing the projects accountable.
While saying that the partnership aims to fight corruption in the system, NOA Director-General (DG) Dr Garba Abari stated that it is a move to ensure that every fund allocated for the implementation of constituency project equal what is delivered by contractors and other parties.
Dr Abari who was represented by the NOA Delta State Directorate,s Director Mr John Ifeakachukwu Emah, noted that the deplorable states of constituency projects and the gross fund misappropriation in the development sector which unfortunately is often fuelled by the lax attitude of project supervisors in monitoring contractors.
He charged the public to ensure that any politician that collects money for community projects execute such projects from commencement to completion.
The NOA D-G stated that the partnership between the ICPC, NOA and other stakeholders was key to achieve the objectives of this campaign, pointing out that another important aspect of constituency projects campaign was the feedback mechanism the NOA is known for.
Dr. Abari noted that the citizens needed to know whom to report to and the avenue to use, pointing out that the people on ground would be the ears and eyes of the ICPC so that visits to the project sites would not be a “costume”.
In his remarks, Olatunji Yusuf, Delta Edo States ICPC Commissioner disclosed that the public enlightenment efforts centres on constituency and government projects in communities and the roles citizens have to play to make everyone benefit from the projects.
Yusuf said constituency projects are the projects that are slated by legislators and provided for in the budgets of government ministries and agencies for execution whereas there are other projects that developed and implemented directly by the Executive arm of government.
The ICPC chief condemned the culture of branding constituency projects as a personal favour to the citizens, noting that the new campaign is designed to educate and encourage the citizens to take ownership of government offers as theirs.
He urged the NOA to be proactive in the new partnership towards carrying out their duties as a government orientation agency to ensure that the campaign yield the desired results.
Odogwu Preye, ICPC field official, during the presentation of the new campaign, also expressed concern about the opacity around the constituency projects.
“Citizens do not even know that the government funds these projects through tax returns and it has been confused for ‘goodwill’ donations by politicians.”
Also bemoaning the slow pace of implementation of constituency projects, Patricia Nkiru Umunna (Mrs) NOA Delta State Assistant Director (AD) human resources and Administration recommended the creation of an independent committee that would query political dealings at the local government level.
P. N. Umunna noted that Corruption in constituency project is not just criminal but wicked. “this is no different from a father raping his daughter”. She lamented
Other stakeholders at the event such as media practitioners and non-governmental organisations also recommended that detail of constituency projects should be made accessible to the public online,
Participants at the colourful town hall meeting includes the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCS), Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), media practitioners, clergymen, community leaders and their representatives from the 25 local government areas of the state among others.