Eniola Olorundare
Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED), a non-governmental organisation, has expressed dismay over some constituency projects in Kano South and Central Senatorial Districts, during the 2019-2020 budget circle.
The Manager, Programmes and Communications of the Centre, Mr Armsfree Ajanaku, said at a press conference on Wednesday in Kano, that some of the projects had limited impact on the communities.
“Our findings, gathered during the two-week tracking exercise, are unacceptable. We noticed many disturbing trends which proved that those executing the projects do not have people’s interest at heart,” he explained.
Ajanaku who spoke on behalf of the Director of the Centre, Dr Ibrahim Zikrullahi, said the current project of the Centre on constituency projects, said it was worrisome to observe that a good number of the tracked projects were not cost effective and offered limited value for the huge sum expended on them.
An analysis conducted by the Centre, with support from Civil society bodies and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC), revealed that many funds for the projects were misappropriated.
In response to the findings, the ICPC had to recall some contractors back to sites to answer to some uncleared claims, although no contractor has been prosecuted yet.
Some of the poorly listed projects, according to the Centre, included a block of classrooms at Yaryasa Town Primary school in Tudun Wada local government area.
It was said to have been constructed by Global Merchant Limited, under the supervision of the Universal Basic Education commission in 2020.
It said that another poorly handled project was a block of classrooms at government girls Arabic secondary school, Toranke, handled by Jessifas Synergy Limited.
The project was reported to have been supervised by Nigeria Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI), according to the Centre.
CHRICED therefore, stressed the need for total inclusion of benefitting communities into planning and execution of constituency projects across the country.
He said that the engagement of beneficiaries into the projects would make them take a stake and be fully part of it as theirs at all levels.
The centre, he said, aimed at reducing corruption in the delivery of social goods and services by promoting transparency, accountability and inclusiveness through its current project.
“At the heart of the project, is the power of enlightened and empowered citizens who possess the skills and capacity to make sustained demands,” he explained.
According to Ajanaku, the Centre had been working closely with the ICPC in Kano for about a year.
The aim, he said, is to enhance citizens’ vigilance through project tracking of constituency project sites.
In the process, he stressed, the Centre was able to track about 126 constituency projects in Kano South and parts of Kano Central Senatorial Districts respectively.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that CHRICED, through its project, titled “Promotion of Community-driven anti-corruption initiatives in Kano state,” is aimed at creating awareness on overall state of constituency projects.
