2015 Budget Tracking: N2bn Approved Capital Projects Unidentified in Six States, Says Group
2015 Budget Tracking: N2bn Approved Capital Projects
Unidentified in Six States, Says Group
The Alliance for Credible Elections (ACE) has
revealed that 182 federal capital projects approved in the 2015 Appropriation
Act to the tune of N2,021,548,008 billion cannot be identified in six states
of Benue, Imo, Ekiti, Jigawa, Cross
River, and Gombe.
The acting General Secretary of the group, Ms Mma Odi, disclosed this at the weekend in
Abuja while presenting a-152 page report on budget tracking of the 2015 Appropriation
Act.
She also stated that the report would also be made
available to the leadership of the National Assembly, stressing that the aim
was not to name and shame but to ensure the implementation of the projects
through oversight function by respective ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).
Odi noted that ACE-Nigeria Project was aimed at
promoting citizens’ participation in the fight against corruption and good
governance in Nigeria through mobilisation and building capacity of citizens and
groups as well as tracking capital projects in the six states, adding that each
state was selected from the geo-political zone.
She noted
that 899 citizens were mobilised while a total of 1,232 stakeholders were trained for the
project.
She stressed that ACE discovered that some projects have been
completed, some of the ones completed are not being used by the communities,
some are on-going, some were executed, and while some are abandoned, some not executed at all.
According to her, in Benue State, 37 capital projects were identified and tracked,
while seven cannot be fully identified amounting to N247,750,000.
The breakdown of some of the projects that are yet to be properly or fully
identified include: "Sensitisation of human rights abuses for 10,000
persons in conflict areas of Gboko and Tarka council areas with a sum of
N85,000,000. Skill acquisition training and empowerment at Oju/Obi federal constituency at N12,250,000. HIV/AIDS awareness
campaign/free medicine outreach at Apa and Agatu council areas, N50, 000,000 among
others.
The situation was the same in Cross River State, as
ACE was able to identify and track 18 capital
projects, while 14 capital projects cannot be identified amounting to
N435,000,000.
Some of the projects that the group was unable to
identified include: "Provision of
water projects in selected communities of Obubra council area at N187,500,000.
Grants to purpose cooperative societies in Obanliku/ Obudu/ Bekwarra council
areas at the sum of N20,000,000. Supply of tricycles to selected youths in
Ikom council area of Cross River State at N50,000,000."
Odi explained that in Ekiti State, 12 capital
projects were identified and tracked while10 capital projects cannot be
identified amounting to N391,834,008.
These include supply of motorcycles (Jincheng) to
Ekiti West, Efon, Ijero council areas at N43, 000,000.
Training and empowerment project in Ado Ekiti and
Irepodun/Ifelodun council areas at N42,500,000.
Vocational training for 400 women across Ekiti
north federal constituency II at N41,666,750 among others.
While in Gombe State, the group also identified and tracked 10 capital projects
while seven capital projects to the tune
of N265,000,000 were not identified.
A breakdown of the unidentified projects showed that
"training research and development in
Yamaltu/Deba federal constituency, the project was supposed to be
implemented by the National Human Rights Commission at the cost of N75,000,000,
supply of computers and other ICT equipment at G.G.S.S, Tula Kaltungo council
area at the cost of N20,000,000, purchase of empowerment materials, sewing
machines, grinding machines, hair dressing equipment and food items at
Balanga/Billiri federal constituency at the cost of N40,000,000 among others.”
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