COVER
How NASS Members Corner Billions Via Constituency Projects-ICPC
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has revealed that Nigerian federal lawmakers, in connivance with executing agencies, have perfected fraudulent means of pocketing billions of naira under the guise of constituency projects.
One of the means used in the fraudulent scheme is the duplication of contracts using the same description, narrative, amount, location and awarded by the same agency.
This, the ICPC said, was done by lawmakers to bring the amounts allocated to them within certain approval threshold of executing agencies so as to avoid ministerial tenders, the report found.
Another method used in stealing public funds was the insertion into budgets of a series of fluidly species of constituency projects termed “capacity building and empowerment projects,” which entails training and distribution of items and even cash to constituents.
“These Capacity Building and Empowerment projects have become a convenient conduit for embezzling public funds by the sponsoring legislators and the executing agency as they are difficult to track and verify due to their “soft” nature,” the report, which was signed by Bolaji Owasanoye, Chairman, ICPC, read.
The report, Constituency Projects Tracking Group (CPTG), which is in its first phase, tracked 424 projects from 2015–2018 zonal intervention projects (also called constituency projects) between June and August, 2019, across 12 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The states include Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Benue, Edo, Enugu, Imo, Kano, Kogi, Lagos, Osun and Sokoto.
President Muhammadu Buhari had in November said there has been very little benefits to the grassroots from the ₦1 trillion that had been earmarked for constituency projects in the last 10 years.
This is so in spite of the wide disproportionality between appropriations for constituency projects and statutory projects of some implementing agencies, especially those of Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (SMEDAN) and Border Community Development Agency (BCDA).
“For instance, in 2015, while the total mandate allocation for SMEDAN was N1,592,323,599, constituency projects allocation was N5,814,369,579,” the report said. “95 per cent of these constituency projects allocations were for empowerment and capacity building projects. This appropriation jumped up in 2016 to N11,120,099,958; 741 per cent of mandate budget with empowerment and capacity building projects taking 99% of the amount.”
“The size, number and types of Zonal Intervention Projects (ZIP) domiciled in SMEDAN and BCDA, for instance, have turned them into conduits for, and means of abuse of constituency projects and therefore vulnerable to corruption.”
The ICPC report said there was need to review the statutory mandate of SMEDAN and BCDA against the types of Zonal Intervention Projects being embedded in them.
It also called for the temporary suspension of empowerment and capacity building constituency projects since they were “just free money without accountability, aside from being difficult to track. If however, they must go on, the implementation process and mechanism must be completely overhauled to put it strictly under absolute control of the executing agency.”
The spokesperson for the Senate, Godiya Akwashiki and his colleague at the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, did not answer or return calls seeking their comments for this story. They also did not reply text messages sent to them.
Sensitization of Communities
The ICPC report however, called for a robust sensitization of the local communities on the concept, funding and implementation of Zonal Intervention Projects (ZIP). This, it said would enable citizens to track projects and follow the money thereby reducing incidences of corruption in the implementation processes.
Also, the ICPC urged the federal government to oversee the mopping up of unutilised Zonal Intervention Projects releases into the national treasury account at the end of the financial year, like it is for regular national budget releases.
“In order to reduce the influence of the sponsoring legislators on the emergence of a preferred bidder and strengthen the bidding process, project sites must be determined and given by legislators before advertisement for, and award of contract so that award letters will be specific and particular about projects locations,” another recommendation read.
In order to stall slow paced projects implementation and the tendency of appropriating for the same project every year under the guise of “ongoing project”, the government was advised not to accept new projects in a particular constituency, if there were existing uncompleted or underfunded projects in that constituency.
By David Torough, Abuja
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has revealed plans for a major political coalition involving the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the Labour Party (LP) to confront what he described as the ‘incompetent and inefficient’ government of President Bola Tinubu.
Atiku made the announcement, while addressing a delegation of stakeholders from the Kogi East Senatorial Zone, led by former Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Simon Achuba, in Abuja. He said he was deeply concerned over the country’s worsening security crisis, blaming the Tinubu administration for its lack of political will to address the issue.Atiku recounted his experience as Vice President during the early days of the Boko Haram insurgency, highlighting how decisive leadership under his administration had temporarily quelled the threat.He stated, “How can leaders remain indifferent while their citizens are being killed? Such apathy is the height of irresponsibility for any political leader, anywhere.“I hold our current leadership accountable for the widespread insecurity plaguing our nation. There is a lack of political will.“Let me remind you of when Boko Haram first emerged in 2002, during our time in office. The president summoned me and asked, ‘Mr Vice President, what should we do about this?’ It began in Yobe. I advised him to call the service chiefs and set a clear deadline: if they couldn’t quell the insurgency, they should resign.“The president summoned the service chiefs, I was present, and issued firm orders. Within weeks, the insurgents in Yobe were subdued, and the threat did not resurface until after we left office.”Atiku also criticized the government’s under-policing strategy, suggesting that unemployed graduates be recruited into the police force to address the security manpower deficit.“We are under-policed. There are not enough police officers in this country, while many educated individuals remain unemployed. Why not recruit them into the police force?” he asked.He emphasized the need for a united front against the current administration, stating, “We are forming a coalition, all major political parties, including the APC, the PDP, and the Labour Party, are involved. This is the only way forward to confront such an incompetent and inefficient government. I assure you of my understanding and full support.”Simon Achuba, who led the delegation, echoed Atiku’s concerns, lamenting the rampant violence, kidnappings, and destruction of communities in the North.He accused the federal government of failing in its constitutional duty to ensure peace and security, urging northern leaders to step up and foster unity within the region.“Unfortunately, the government is doing little to alleviate this crisis, and it is their responsibility, sir. It is the government’s duty to ensure peace and order in our communities.“Yet, in a situation where the government fails to take adequate action, I believe, we believe, that northern leadership must step up,” Achuba said, calling for internal healing and brotherhood among northerners.
By Eze Okechukwu, Abuja
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio has said that Nigeria was long overdue for a national census, adding that the exercise would assist the country in national planning.Akpabio made the remarks while playing host to members and management of the National Population Commission(NPC) who visited him in his office to update him on the preparation for the next Census for the country.
Akpabio told his guests: “I don’t want to call it a national disgrace but can I say it’s a national embarrassment that even Nigerians who go outside to represent us in different fora do not know the number of Nigerians. ”Sometimes you will go to some places and they will say 250 million Nigerians. At another place, they will say you people are over 270 million. Some African countries think we are over 300 million.”If you go to places where they are holding retreat now, they are now shrinking from 250 million to 220 million. I think it’s time to bring that confusion to an end.”Any country that fails to know its population has already started to fail in its planning. You cannot truly plan for the future if you don’t know the number of mouths you want to feed. You do not know the number of children that you want to put in schools. You can’t know the number of classroom blocks you will build.”We must plan. Any country that does not plan for its future has already accepted failure. We will be failing the future generation of Nigerians if we do not begin to plan for the future and start the planning of this Census. This Census is important so that we know how many people we are planning for.”Akpabio assured members of the NPC that the National Assembly would support the Commission to succeed.”It is very important that we support you. The National Assembly will support you to succeed. I have no doubt, with the calibre of men and women that I have seen here, that the task that Mr President has given to you, once the proclamation is done, you will rise to the occasion. And I know that the National Assembly, the Senate in particular, will stand by you all the way,” he said.Earlier, the NPC chairman, Nasir Isa Kwarra who led the delegation said the visit was to keep the Senate President abreast of the stage of preparation and seek continued support of the National Assembly for the next Census.”We cannot conduct this Census without your support. So we will continue to count on your support and we want to make Nigerians proud by conducting a very thorough Census that will yield a lot of data that will assist in planning policy formulation and tracking our development,” Kwarra said.
By David Torough, Abuja
Former Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido has called on President Bola Tinubu to show courage by closing the chapter of June 12 once and for all.According to him, the payment of the N45 billion debt owed to the family of the late presumed winner of the June 12, 1993, presidential election, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola, would serve as a symbolic and moral closure to the June 12 struggle and Abiola’s unjust treatment following the annulment of the election, widely believed to have been won by the late business mogul.
The former Minister of Foreign Affairs made the call while delivering his closing remarks at the launch of his autobiography, “Being True to Myself,” held yesterday in Abuja.“When (General) Murtala (Muhammed) died, Abiola came in with a claim that he was owed, I think, about N45bn for contracts executed by International Telephone and Telecommunication for the Ministry of Communications. The military high command at that time said no.“He went around the Emirs in the North to lobby, and the Emirs asked that they (the military) should please pay the money. They (the military) said they annulled the June 12 elections because if they made him President, he would take his money, and the country would become bankrupt. Those who were close to Abacha should know this because Abacha was then one of the big shots; they were all aware.”“Before I end my remarks, I want to appeal to President Tinubu to finally close the chapter of June 12. In his book, General Ibrahim Babangida acknowledged that Abiola won the election. When I visited him, he also confirmed that Abiola is owed N45 billion. He was doubly punished: first, denied the presidency; second, denied what is owed to him.”Lamido urged the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Muhammad Idris Malagi, who represented President Tinubu at the event, to deliver the message to the President.“Please tell the President to pay the Abiola family the N45 billion. Once this is done, the June 12 chapter will be closed. It is very important,” he stated.
Taraba 2025 Appropriation Provides for Budget Funding Through Loans-Lawmaker
ShareThe Taraba House of Assembly has said that it’s approval for the Executive to secure a N350 billion bond from...
NDDC Seeks Legal Advocacy to Accelerate Niger Delta Development
ShareThe Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has emphasised that legal advocacy on issues affecting the Niger Delta holds the potential...
TMSG Hails FG’s Cash Transfer to 15m Vulnerable Households
ShareThe Tinubu Media Support Group (TMSG) has hailed the fast-track disbursement of funds to 15 million households under the Conditional...
UTME Glitches: Oloyede Deserves Commendation, not Condemnation, Says Group
ShareThe Muslim Ummah of the South West of Nigeria (MUSWEN) says Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, the Registrar,Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board...
NAHCON Airlifts 20,515 Nigerian Pilgrims to Saudi Arabia in one Week
Share The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) says it has transported 20,515 Nigerian pilgrims to the Kingdom of Saudi...
Murder of Lawyer: Anambra NBA Orders Boycott of Sittings May 20-21
ShareThe Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Anambra Chapter has condemned gruesome murder of its member, Mr Ifeanyi-Rolex Iloakasia.Iloakasia, a member of...
Dada Highlights Milestones as FMC Medical Director
ShareDr Adedamola Dada, outgoing Medical Director of Federal Medical Centre, Ebute Metta, said the hospital exported its best practices to...
Tinubu Commits to Curbing Insurgency
Share President Bola Tinubu on Friday reaffirmed the commitment of his administration to roundly countering insurgency in the country.The president...
Nigeria’s Enemies’ll Soon be Brought to Their Knees — COAS
ShareThe Chief of Army Staff, (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, said the enemies of Nigeria would soon be brought to their...
FG Promises Access To Eye Care For Every Nigerian
Share Dr Iziaq Salako, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare says the Federal Government will ensure that...
Arabic
Chinese (Simplified)
Dutch
English
French
German
Italian
Portuguese
Russian
Spanish