According to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the investigation into several nationwide fraudulent constituency projects is currently in its sixth phase.
The commission’s spokeswoman, Azuka Ogugua, revealed this in a statement on Thursday.
Starting on Monday, October 16, the country’s top anti-corruption authority announced it would send its officers to each of the six geopolitical regions to monitor 1,932 projects worth N500 billion.
The commission’s spokesman, Azuka Ogugua, made this announcement in Abuja on Thursday. She went on to say that the exercise’s goal was to ensure that citizens in all parts of the nation received better service.
She cited Nasarawa, Benue, Kogi, Niger, Kwara, Plateau, Adamawa, Borno, and Bauchi as the exercise’s focal states.
Ogugua lists Taraba, Gombe, Yobe, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Anambra, Ebonyi, Imo, Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Edo, Ekiti, Lagos, Ondo, and the Federal Capital Territory as additional target states.
Additionally, it declared that it would monitor the management and execution of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) and the North-East Development Commission (NEDC) by special intervention agencies or captive funding projects.
The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), the Ecological Fund Office, the Niger Delta Development Commission, the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), and the Hydro-Electric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC), among others, would be targeted, she continued.
“The objectives of the exercise include improved service delivery to the people by investigating fraudulent procurement practices in the award of public contracts; full execution of all public funded projects; execution to specification of all projects funded by government; ensuring compliance with all regulatory requirements and ensuring that government gets value for money spent on projects.”
“The commission will also be focusing on special intervention agencies/captive funds projects handling and execution of North-East Development Commission, Presidential Amnesty Program, Niger Delta Development Commission, Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Ecological Fund Office, National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), and Hydro-Electric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC) amongst other
“As usual, the exercise will be carried out by ICPC in collaboration with relevant stakeholders such as Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS), the media and civil society organizations,” the ICPC said.