THE Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has commenced the 7th phase of its constituency and executive project tracking exercise.
The 7th phase covers 1,500 projects valued at N610 billion across 22 states.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, November 19, the acting director of public enlightenment and education, Demola Bakare, said the initiative focused on ensuring accountability in the implementation of projects funded by the government in critical sectors.
The exercise, which began on Monday, November 18, includes tracking projects executed by intervention agencies like the North-East Development Commission, Niger Delta Development Commission, Universal Basic Education Commission, and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, among others.
According to the statement, the focus states include Kwara, Niger, Kogi, FCT, Kebbi, Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, Bauchi, Gombe and Borno.
Others are Lagos, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Cross River, Delta, Imo, Abia and Enugu State.
“The phase seven tracking exercise will cut across agencies of government including intervention agencies such as North-East Development Commission (NEDC), Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA), Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Rural Electrification Agency (REA), National Primary Health Care Development Authority (NPHCDA), Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) and Ecological Fund Office.
“The objective of the exercise is to deepen adherence to due process in the execution of government projects, improve value for money, and entrench the culture of compliance with the scope and specification as contained in the contract documents,” part of the statement read.
It highlighted the success of phase six of the exercise, which it said tracked 1,900 projects worth N500 billion across 24 states.
“The projects were tracked within the focal sectors of education, water resources, agriculture, power, health, energy, and roads.
“These projects in the sixth phase were awarded to a total of 1,355 contractors in 176 MDAs,” it added.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: umustapha@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M