N2.97 billion for constituency projects unaccounted for – Report
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An audit report by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation has revealed that, an estimated N2.97 billion for Constituency projects, was unaccounted for in 2016.
The Paradigm Leadership Support initiative (PLSI), which made the disclosure in Abuja on Tuesday said the money was for execution of 30 critical projects in about 14 states.
The constituency projects, which included water, road projects were said to have been included in the budget by some members of the 7th Assembly.
They were, however, said to gave either been abandoned, or not executed after huge sums of money was paid to contractors.
The Executive Director PLSI Olusegun Elemo who disclosed this during an Accountability Dialogue said that some of the projects are located in Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Kwara state, giving instance of the Igboho-Kishi road nominated for Oyo State by honorable Hosea Agboola and awarded in 2014.
He said the project was awarded for N94million and and about N83million has been paid to contractor “As at now the road has been abandoned we have the pictures the road is still in deplorable state”.
This was he identified the water project in Pansheke, Ogun state, nominated by former Speaker of the House of representative Dimeji Bankole, awarded for over N300 million has been abandoned after a lump sum of the money has been paid to the contractor.
Elemo further noted that PLSI had conducted report on the 2016 audit report and highlighted 30 critical project that has been abandoned, adding that they had developed value for money handbook that could serve an accountability tools for stakeholders to utilize.
Stressing the need for the National Assembly to review the 2016 audit report, take necessary actions and send recommentation to the executive arm for implementation, he lamented that money are constantly been lost and public funds wasted.
He lamented that the Audit act of 1956 is very obsolete and there need to expeditiously pass the audit bill currently at the national assembly to the President so as to have a audit office that is more efficient to reliever value for the money.
He pointed out that they have been working to ensure that critical abandoned project located in rural communities are either completed or money gotten back from defaulting contractors are made to refund returned to the treasury.
Executive Director, Centre for social Justice Eze Onyekpere, stressed the need to strengthen the role of the Auditor General of the Federation and the the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practice Commission (ICPC) be made to work alongside with the auditor General office.
” if we are serious about making the anti corruption struggle a success the auditor general should have the power to summon those who run in violation of the law to have them respond under oat so that whatever they say ,can be used to pressure and also sub charge those who have made the treasury to suffer a lose and if you are not happy with the surcharge, you cab go yo a specific court under which the adjudication could be done in a fast and expeditious manner so that a conclusion is reached .”
“The EFCC and ICPC should look more into the auditor general’s report and take prime and special case of violation of the laws and provision and possibly implicate them further but where the violations are manifest, the person should be taken to court, charged and let the court determine whether he is guilty or otherwise,” he said.
Onyekwere also stressed the need for the Auditor General to be given power to probe security votes to state Governors and those found wanting should be named and shamed at the end of their tenure when their tenure expire.
Stella Enenche, Abuja