Elochukwu Benjamin
Awka
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Anambra State, has commenced the Phase 8b of its Constituency and Executive Projects Tracking Exercise, with 19 projects valued at over N1 billion targeted across the state.
The Constituency and Executive Projects Tracking Group (CEPTG) Team Lead in the state, Nzebunachi Chukwuma, disclosed this on Thursday while speaking with journalists during the exercise.
Chukwuma said the exercise, which commenced on Tuesday, August 18, would cover projects spread across the three senatorial zones and federal constituencies in Anambra.
According to him, the initiative, which began in 2019, is designed to promote good governance, transparency and accountability by ensuring that government projects are properly implemented.
“This is an initiative of the Commission to monitor the execution of constituency projects by lawmakers and government agencies across the states.
“The programme is also designed to remove opaqueness in projects awarded on behalf of lawmakers and ensure transparency in their execution.
“It is also to ensure that value for money expended is realised, reduce secrecy, diversion of funds and other forms of corruption in the execution of projects to the barest minimum, as well as ensure that end users benefit from the services,” he said.
He explained that the 19 projects selected for tracking in Anambra cut across areas including water schemes, empowerment programmes, road construction and school projects.
Chukwuma said the exercise would last seven days and was being conducted simultaneously in 21 states across the country.
He added that the projects were randomly selected by a steering committee to ensure fairness and prevent the Commission from being perceived as targeting particular lawmakers, contractors or government agencies.
“The committee consists of the Federal Budget Office, Accountant-General of the Federation and staff of the Commission, in partnership with the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, who value the projects to ascertain whether the funds expended are commensurate with the work executed,” he said.
Speaking on the impact of the tracking exercise in Anambra over the years, Chukwuma said the programme had recorded significant successes, including the recovery of value from unexecuted projects and funds that could be re-appropriated to other projects.
He said some lawmakers and contractors had also been directed to return to project sites to complete abandoned or uncompleted projects, while persons found culpable of infractions had faced prosecution.
According to him, the exercise remains part of ICPC’s preventive and enforcement strategies aimed at curbing corruption and ensuring that public funds translate into tangible benefits for citizens.
