ICPC wants higher participation of Akwa Ibom citizens in projects execution

Denies alleged bribe taking from legislators
The Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has charged Akwa Ibom people to always show greater interest and commitment in initiation, monitoring and execution of projects in their communities.

State Director of ICPC, Shola Shodipo, gave the charge during the launch of an awareness campaign on “My Constituency, My Project,” in Uyo yesterday.

He explained that the sensitization programme was aimed at enlightening members of the public on their roles in the execution of projects by the executive and legislative arms of governments.

He stressed that the commission has continued to carry out sensitisation exercise to educate the people on the need for them to own and take responsibility in the execution of projects in their various domains.

According to him, constituency projects are selected by legislators and provided for in the budget of government’s Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) for execution, adding that projects executed by the executive arm of government have also been added to those expected to be tracked by citizens.

“Our Public enlightenment effort centres on constituency and government projects in the communities and the role citizens have to play to make everyone benefits from the projects.

State Director of National Orientation Agency (NOA), Eno Uyoh told participants that the programme was organised to sensitise members of the public on the importance and need to monitor consistency projects sited within their communities under the care of their representatives in the state and federal houses.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the commission, Professor Bolaji Owasanoye, has debunked allegations that the commission takes bribes from legislators for approved projects in their constituencies.

He said contracts were not awarded to legislators but contractors, insisting that constituency projects were selected by legislators, which are provided for in the budgets of MDAs for execution, whereas there are other projects the executive arm of government implemented directly.

Owasanoye, who was represented by Mary Atabor, said in its drive to end corruption in projects execution, ICPC launched its constituency Projects Tracking Group (CPTG) initiative in 2019 in 12 pilot states to see whether constituency projects were executed and done satisfactorily.

He added that the exercise was a success in the communities of the pilot states because several abandoned projects were completed or being completed due to ICPC’s intervention.

For him, the exercise also led to recovery of equipment and machineries that were not distributed, adding that in the process, ICPC recovered money from those who did not execute the projects, under-performed or inflated the cost of projects.