Drama Looms As ICPC Begins Tracking Of N500billion Spent On 'Fraudulent Constituency Projects'

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has revealed that it has concluded plans to commence its sixth phase of tracking of some fraudulent constituency projects across the country, SaharaReporters reports.

The Commission's spokesperson, Azuka Ogugua, who revealed this in Abuja on Thursday, said that the commission would deploy its officers across all six geo-political zones of the country, starting from Monday, October 16 to track 1,932 projects valued at N500 billion.

Ogugua explained that the objective of the exercise was to ensure improved service delivery to the people across nooks and crannies of the country, Daily Trust reports.

She listed focal states for the exercise as Nasarawa, Benue, Kogi, Niger, Kwara, Plateau, Adamawa, Borno, Bauchi.

Other focal states, according to Ogugua include Taraba, Gombe, Yobe, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Anambra, Ebonyi, Imo, Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Edo, Ekiti, Lagos, Ondo States and the Federal Capital Territory.

The anti-graft agency also announced that it would put special intervention agencies or captive funds projects handling and execution of North-East Development Commission (NEDC) and Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) under its radar.

She added that Niger Delta Development Commission, Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Ecological Fund Office, National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), and Hydro-Electric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC) among others would be focused on.

“The objectives of the exercise include improved service delivery to the people by investigating fraudulent procurement practices in the award of public contracts; full execution of all public funded projects; execution to specification of all projects funded by government; ensuring compliance with all regulatory requirements and ensuring that government gets value for monies spent on projects.

“The commission will also be focusing on special intervention agencies/captive funds projects handling and execution of North-East Development Commission, Presidential Amnesty Program, Niger Delta Development Commission, Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Ecological Fund Office, National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), and Hydro-Electric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC) amongst others.

“As usual, the exercise will be carried out by ICPC in collaboration with relevant stakeholders such as Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS), the media and civil society organizations,” he said.