*Pix above:Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu, ICPC chairman, speaking at the event
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The Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offences Commission (ICPC) announced on Monday that it has tracked above N500bn in 176 Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government and recorded 86% project execution rate among the approved projects tracked since 2019.
The projects, which were tracked by the Constituency and Executive Projects Tracking Group, CEPTG, through the Constituency and Executive Project Tracking Initiative, CEPTI, is a powerful tool against corruption in government projects and has helped improve project execution across the 176 Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, MDAs, tracked since its inception in 2019.
Speaking at a media briefing, organized in Lagos, Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, Chairman of the Commission, explained that the tracking exercise focused on critical sectors like education, agriculture, healthcare and infrastructure, spanning 26 states and the FCT across all 6 Geo-political zones.
Aliyu explained that the CEPTI which enabled the CEPTG to carry out its duties was conceived as a preventive/intervention measure to tackle corruption and to, among others, engender good governance, transparency and accountability within the body polity, focusing on how well monies allocated to critical sectors by the government are utilized.
According to him, the initiative was launched to track constituency project implementation and performance in 2015 with a Steering Committee set up to select projects for tracking in each of the phases or tracking cycles.
“The Steering Committee comprises the Commission, Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, Budget Office of the Federation, Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Office of the Auditor General of the Federation, Premium Times, International Centre for Investigative Reporting, ICIR, Bureau for Public Procurement and BudgIT.
“This initiative ensures government funds are directed towards impactful projects that benefit the most vulnerable Nigerians.
“This initiative tackles corruption at every stage, from investigating shady procurement to recovering stolen funds. They monitor project progress, ensure contractors deliver, and even analyze budgets to identify red flags. With successful recoveries and prosecutions under their belt, the CEPTG is working to ensure government projects translate into real benefits for Nigerians.
“Having conducted a thorough investigation on some infractions identified on funded projects, the Commission has instituted cases against some suspects.
Aliyu also explained that since his inception as chairman of the commission in December 2023, he has prioritized strengthening anti-corruption prevention at the ICPC through strategic collaboration.
This collaborative approach, according to him, has yielded significant progress leading to the initiation, renewal, and establishment of numerous mutually beneficial partnerships with a broad range of stakeholders such as Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,, EFCC, and Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, NFIU.
He said that the Commission was actively pursuing technological solutions to enhance transparency and accountability.
“Other partners include government agencies, civil society organizations, professional associations, and bilateral bodies. Some notable examples include: Ministry of Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy, Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS. and Ministry of Interior, among others.
“Earlier this month, the ICPC met with the Minister of Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy to explore leveraging digital public infrastructure for anti-corruption efforts.
“This strategic collaboration aims to not only utilize technology to combat corruption, but also to strengthen the ICPC’s overall capacity. From the foregoing, the ICPC’s commitment to partnering with institutions and agencies possessing technological expertise aligns perfectly with President Bola Tinubu’s vision for a technology-driven fight against corruption.
“The ICPC project tracking team combines investigators with technical experts. Quantity surveyors assess project quality, cost, and potential inflation. Civil Society Organizations, CSOs, monitor transparency and provide community feedback. Media coverage raises public awareness and fosters beneficiary participation, ensuring the initiative’s success. ICPC intend to involve and develop capacity of citizens where possible to take ownership of the projects assign to their various communities.(agency)/PLEASE SHARE
