The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has launched the seventh phase of its tracking initiative for constituency and executive projects, encompassing 1,500 schemes with a total value of N610 billion.
In a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja, ICPC spokesperson Mr. Demola Bakare outlined that this initiative, which commenced in 2019, aims to assess the effective utilization of funds allocated to essential sectors including education, health, agriculture, water resources, and power.
“The seventh phase, which began on November 18, covers 1,500 projects across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and 21 states within the six geopolitical zones,” Bakare reported. The states involved include Kwara, Niger, Kogi, Kebbi, Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Borno, Lagos, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Cross River, Delta, Imo, Abia, and Enugu.
This tracking exercise will involve various government agencies, including intervention bodies such as the North-East Development Commission (NEDC) and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). Additionally, it incorporates the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA), the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), and the Rural Electrification Agency (REA).
Other participating agencies include the National Primary Health Care Development Authority (NPHCDA), the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), and the Ecological Fund Office.
The primary objective of this exercise is to enhance compliance with due process in the execution of government projects, thereby ensuring better value for money. It also aims to promote adherence to the scope and specifications outlined in contract documents.
In the sixth phase of the initiative, the ICPC tracked a total of 1,900 projects valued at N500 billion across 24 states in the six geopolitical zones. These projects were awarded to 1,355 contractors across 176 Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) and focused on key sectors such as education, water resources, agriculture, power, health, energy, and roads.
