Non-governmental Organisation, Social Development Integrated Centre, (Social Action), Nigeria, in collaboration with MacArthur foundation on Thursday challenged constituents to track and monitor the process of their public and constituency projects implementations.
The group added that such move would keep the public office holders and the representatives on their toes as well as improve accountability and the fight against corruption.
The Program Director of SDIC, Vivian Bellonwu-Okafor represented by Mr. Isaac Boti stated this in Uyo Akwa Ibom state capitalduring a one day Town Hall meeting with the theme:”promoting accountable governance through citizens tracking of constituency and public projects implementation.”
Bellonwu-Okafor urged citizens not to put on complacent attitude towards projects intheir communities noting that adequate monitoring and participation would minimize the tendencies of corruption.
The director who however attributed under developments bedevilling the rural areas to mismanagement of public funds for projects urged the people to constantly engage relevant institutions such as the ICPC, EFCC, Bureau of Public Procurement, key ministries as the Budget, Finance and departments noting that such would ensure accountable use of public funds appropriated for public good.
According to her,”There have been widespread concerns over mismanagement of funds voted for constituency projects, a practicalexample was the discovery in some privat homes, by the ICPC, of equipments worth hundreds of millions of Naira, meant for a Local government area.
There is clearly no way citizens and constituent members for which projects and services were meant for can effectively oversight and thus derive meaningful benefit from same if information regarding the said projects are kept away from them.
“This only gives out strong impression of intention to short-change.
“These concerns are further goaded by the near secrecy in the implementation of the projects starting from the release of funds to procurement opacity and to final implementation.
Also speaking,the state ICPC Commissioner Shola Shodipo represented by the legal adviser, Brr Ugbor Kalu said constituency project tracking is a better tool that can be used to fight corruption in the country,saying that if properly utilized would check abuse of public funds.
He therefore urged the people to brace up, follow up on any project earmarked for their communities, and if in doubt ask questions from their representatives on any issues pertaining the project or better still,draw the attention of the antigraft agencies.
Shodipe regretted the rate of high-profile corruption in Nigeria where political office holders alledgedy use proxies in awarding contracts as well as padding the contracts.
Dignitaries present in the town hall meeting included: Mr. I. U Collins representative of Garuba Dugum,Zonal Head EFCC, Enoch Uyoh, State Director of NOA, Sambo Peter, Permanent secretary Ministry of Economic Development and Deep seaport representing the commissioner, Akan Okon, Ugbor Kalu representing the ICPC state commissioner, Shola Shodipe.
