Constituency projects avenues for corruption - ICPC Chairman

He made this known at the launch of “Constituency Projects Tracking Group” in Abuja on Tuesday.

The chairman said that the constituency projects were intended for development projects such as provision of water, rural electrification and schools among other.

“Over the years, the projects had become enmeshed in controversy between non-state actors, the promoters of the projects and the communities that are supposed to benefit from the projects.

“The concern is that in Nigeria, rather than address the needs of constituents, many constituency projects have become avenues of corruption. Reports of internal bickering among legislators and revelations of haphazard allocation of projects reveal the underbelly of the entire process.”

He said that in the global context, a constituency project was a project conceived or earmarked by a legislator, a committee or group within a constituency acting in collaboration with their legislator to execute a community-based project.

Owasanoye noted that legislative constituency projects was first in Nigeria between 1999 and 2001 during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

He further said that critical analysis of the capital expenditure of some Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) had led to the allegation that the capital budgets of some agencies might be a conduit for corrupt enrichment.

The chairman said that the formation of the constituency projects tracking group was necessitated by the level of delivery of the projects.

He said that the group would enhance the commission’s ability to proactively prevent and eradicate the diversion of public funds by any public officer or collaborator.

Owasanoye highlighted the fact that any public officer, legislator or civil servant that attempted to sabotage the projects could also be quickly identified and investigated and prosecuted.

He noted that the programme would involve Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), grassroots organisations, investigative journalists and mainstream media.

President, Nigeria Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS), Mr Obafemi Onashile said that the institute always insisted on transparency and the fight against corruption in the industry.

“We are championing for transparency and value for money because corruption will only do you good at the moment but for generation you are in poverty.”

Managing Editor, Northern Region, The Nation, Mr Yusuf Ali, said that the fight against corruption was a divine and constitutional obligation which every individual must carry out.

Ali spoke on the “The Role of the Media in tracking Constituency Projects”.

He said that the fight against corruption was aimed at ensuring transparency and accountability to promote good governance and better service delivery.

Ali called on the media to create awareness on constituency projects as most beneficiaries were not aware of such projects.