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Joe Effiong, Uyo,
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, and National Orientation Agency, NOA have advised Akwa Ibom citizens to take active part in tracking constituency projects in order to avert embezzlement of funds released for the projects.
At a town hall meeting, ‘Promoting Accountable Governance through Tracking of constituency and Public Projects implementation’ yesterday in Uyo organised by Social Development Integrated Centre, Nigeria, Commissioner of ICPC in Akwa Ibom, Mr Sola Sodipo said that corruption had been responsible for non-implementation and abandonment of public projects across the country.
Represented by Mr Ukpo Kalu, the Legal Officer for ICPC, Sodipo said, corruption has gone beyond endurance and increased poverty in the country just as people are dying everyday due to it.
“Constituency projects are meant for the benefit of the people in their various constituencies but unfortunately, the funds released for the constituency projects are diverted due to corruption. Many projects has been abandoned because of corruption”.
In his remarks, the state Director, National Orientation Agency, NOA, Mr Enoh Uyoh urged Akwa Ibom citizens to be part of the fight against corrupt practices by making sure corrupt public officials were exposed.
“When we elect certain persons to pilot the affairs of the state and country, it gives the assurance that our constituencies will be developed but the reverse is the case.
” Some corrupt politicians have embezzled funds meant for the development of their constituencies. And we know that When funds are diverted citizens are the ones that suffers.
“Therefore time has come for the citizens to take action in fighting corruption so as to eradicate it because it (corruption) is the reason for underdevelopment in our country. If we do not fight corruption, it would affect generations to come” Uyoh said.
The Executive Director, Social Development Integrated Centre, Nigerian, Ms. Vivian Bellonwu-Okafor said the project was part of ongoing effort to engender accountable and good governance through mobilization of active citizens’ engagement around corruption and weak governance issues towards achieving sustainable development of both material and human capital.
Stressing that have been widespread concerns over mismanagement of funds voted for constituency projects, She added” A practical example was the discovery in some private homes, by the ICPC Zonal office in Akwa Ibom State, of equipments worth hundreds of millions of naira, meant for a Cottage Hospital in Essien Udim Local government area.
“This is just one out of the numerous cases of brazen corruption reinforcing concerns over constituency projects across the country.
“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 unto to final implementation.
“As with many public projects in Nigeria, Constituency projects have been severally flagged as cesspool of corruption in Nigeria as huge resources devoted to it have largely not resulted in any meaningful development in the local constituency areas they are meant for.
“With the case of constituency projects, and as many of us do know already, a fundamental problem in all of these is the fact that implementation processes of public projects is still being shrouded in secrecy”
