Anxiety as FG begins monitoring of backlog of 2017/2018 FEC approved projects

Okwe Obi and Benjamin Babine, Abuja

The Federal Government said it has commenced physical monitoring and evaluation of backlog of projects approved and implemented by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) between 2017/2018.

Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, George Akume, disclosed this, yesterday,  in a statement by the Deputy Director of Information in the ministry, Osagie Jacobs.

The move has sparked fears in federal establishment.

But Akume said the aim of the exercise was to ensure budgetary allocations were judiciously utilised for the development of the country.

“The physical monitoring exercise commenced with the first team covering North East, South South and South East geo-political zones from September 14 -18.  While the second team will cover North Central, North East and South West geo- political zones from  September 21- 25,” he said.

He listed the  Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), Water Resources, Works and Housing, Power, Aviation, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Federal Fire Service as affected in the exercise.

The minister said prior to the physical monitoring exercise, the ministry organised a sensitisation workshop in collaboration with resource persons from the national monitoring office, Ministry of Budget and National Planning with the title “Current Basic Skills and Knowledge in COVID 19 Era.

“The workshop was aimed at articulating modalities and parameters for an efficient, effective and result based oriented conduct of the exercise. Following the workshop, was a bilateral meeting between the Ministry and selected Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) whose projects were being monitored to get their buy in and success of the programme.”

Meanwhile, Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) has suspended plan to remove 23,089 parastatals’ pensioners from the Federal Government payroll following an appeal by the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP).

PTAD had said  in August that it would delist the pensioners who they alleged  were “ghost pensioners” from the government payroll, but the NUP had intervened seeking for more time to allow those affected to identify themselves.

It was learnt that the pensioners have been given up to October 31 to clarify their status with the PTAD.

NUP also called on the acting Chairman of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC), Mr. Ekpo Nta, to expedite action on the review of pensions to align with the new national minimum wage.

The union requested that already approved templates and consequential adjustments should be submitted to President Buhari.

General Secretary of NUP, Actor Zal, in a statementsaid: “PTAD has acceded to our request that they will not remove the names of pensioners until the end of October. They have extended the time for about three months. PTAD took the decision owing to the agitation by NUP, hence it advised NUP to ensure that all pensioners know that it has been extended by three months and whoever has not done verification has up till October ending to perfect his records; if not they would remove the names.”

Zal further called on pensioners at home and abroad to check their records and put it right with PTAD, using all the available channels provided. He also commended the Federal Government, especially the Ministry of Finance for the recent release of money to settle Nigerian Airways pensioners.