Deviant contractors yet to deliver projects worth N74b to Nigerians – ICPC boss

Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, at the weekend revealed that the commission has tracked over 5,000 uncompleted projects since 2019, valued at N74 billion.

Aliyu, who revealed this after the commission and BudgIT Foundation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to further enshrine integrity in the execution of publicly funded projects, added that the commission has directed contractors involved to return to the site and ensure completion.

The MoU was signed at the Commission’s Headquarters on Friday when the BudgIT delegation, led by its Country Representative, Mr. Gabriel Okeowo, paid a courtesy call to the ICPC.

The ICPC Chairman expressed his satisfaction with the terms of the agreement, as it is a testament to a shared vision between the Commission and BudgIT Nigeria, as the two organisations continue to ensure that the country’s scarce resources are deployed appropriately.

“The Constituency and Executive Projects Tracking Group (CEPTG) has tracked over 5,000 projects since 2019 and successfully directed contractors to return to uncompleted projects valued at N74 billion,” he noted.

He said that ICPC would continue to hold defaulters accountable, just as it had arraigned others in the past, maintaining that the commission and other relevant authorities would deal with any issues that Nigerians report regarding their constituency projects.

He said, “The MoU will stabilise our core working relationship with BudgIT to ensure that we help Nigerians. I call on Nigerians to follow the work of CEPTG and also get a copy of the Nigerian budget, track and monitor their constituency projects in order to hold the government accountable.”

Earlier, in a brief address, the Country Representative of BudgIT, Mr. Gabriel Okeowo, stated that the MoU demonstrated the two bodies’ mutual commitment, as certain clauses within the agreement were already being implemented even before it was officially signed.

Okeowo acknowledged the Commission’s project tracking activities, ongoing simultaneously across the country, and shared that the MoU would add credence to the collaboration of both parties.

The collaboration is coordinated through BudgIT’s investigative arm, TRACKA, which will be useful in sharing relevant information, data, and intelligence concerning fraud in publicly funded project execution.