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From Isaac Anumihe, Abuja
The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, in collaboration with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has commenced a joint nationwide verification and tracking of constituency and zonal intervention projects executed by the ministry across the country.
In a statement, the exercise was described as aimed at ensuring that all projects are delivered strictly in accordance with approved specifications, uphold principles of transparency and probity, and guarantee value for money for the Nigerian people.
The ministry, through its Special Projects Unit, supervises the execution of federal government constituency and zonal intervention projects, while the ICPC serves as the statutory agency responsible for enforcing compliance, due diligence and integrity in budget implementation and public expenditure.
The joint verification, the statement explained, was officially flagged off in Kano and is being conducted simultaneously in all states where the projects were implemented.
Teams comprising officials of both institutions have been deployed nationwide to carry out on-the-spot inspection, verification and assessment of project status and quality.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr Shuaib Belgore, represented by the Director, Special Projects Unit, Olatunde Ajayi, stated that the initiative was designed to evaluate the impact of constituency projects and ensure that Nigerians derive the intended socio-economic benefits.
“This joint verification and tracking with the ICPC is aimed at evaluating the impact of these projects and ensuring that they are executed to standard for the benefit of the people,” Belgore said.
He emphasised that the exercise underscores the ministry’s unwavering commitment to accountability, transparency and responsible stewardship of public resources, while also serving as a clear signal to contractors.
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“The ministry, in collaboration with relevant oversight agencies, will not hesitate to invite contractors for corrective action where deficiencies are identified, or demand refunds to government coffers where projects have clearly failed to meet contractual obligations,” he added.
According to him, reports generated from the exercise will support evidence-based decision-making, assist the ministry in assessing the relevance and level of implementation of projects, and highlight areas requiring adjustment to strengthen future planning and interventions.
Also speaking, the ICPC Head of Constituency Projects Tracking, Bello Idris Bakori, noted that the commission’s participation reflects its mandate to prevent corruption through proactive monitoring of public projects.
He explained that the joint effort is intended to deter sharp practices, promote transparency in project execution, and ensure that public funds allocated to constituency interventions translate into tangible development outcomes for citizens.
Bakori assured that findings from the exercise would be thoroughly documented and followed up in line with extant laws and procedures to safeguard public interest.
Some of the projects visited by the joint team during the flag-off of the tracking exercise in Kano include the provision and installation of solar streetlights in Government Girls Secondary School (GGSS) Kwa, Bichi Local Government, and Rimingado Local Government, and the construction of a sporting facility, indoor complex, football pitch, and pavilion in Gwarzo town.
Others are the construction of the Badume–Kyauta Road in Dawakin Tofa and Bichi local governments. The tracking of projects executed in Kano State continues.
