The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) said it has commenced the tracking of 1,500 projects worth N610 billion to ensure due diligence and contract compliance for government projects nationwide.
This was disclosed in a statement published on the ICPC website on Tuesday, November 19, 2024.
The ICPC described the initiative as Phase 7 of its “Constituency and Executive Project Tracking Exercise.”
Tracking Objectives
The anti-graft agency explained that the tracking of constituency and executive projects focuses on how funds allocated to critical sectors such as education, health, agriculture, water resources, and power, among others, are utilized.
The Commission stated that the initiative began in 2019.
“The 7th phase, involving 1,500 projects with a total value of N610 billion, commenced on Monday, November 18, 2024, in 22 states across the six geopolitical zones.
“The states are Kwara, Niger, Kogi, FCT, Kebbi, Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Borno, Lagos, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Cross River, Delta, Imo, Abia, and Enugu,” the statement added.
- The ICPC further disclosed that Phase 7 of the tracking exercise will cover agencies of government such as the North-East Development Commission (NEDC), Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA), Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Rural Electrification Agency (REA), National Primary Health Care Development Authority (NPHCDA), Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), and Ecological Fund Office.
- The Commission emphasized that all government-approved contracts must be implemented to the letter for the benefit of constituents.
“The objective of the exercise is to deepen adherence to due process in the execution of government projects, improve value for money, and entrench the culture of compliance with the scope and specifications contained in the contract documents,” the statement added.
- The ICPC recalled that it tracked a total of 1,900 projects valued at N500 billion during Phase 6 of the exercise, which covered 24 states across the nation’s six geopolitical zones.
At the time, these projects were awarded to a total of 1,355 contractors across 176 Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
What You Should Know
The tracking exercise underscores the investigative powers of federal anti-graft agencies.
- The ICPC’s powers have been further strengthened by a recent landmark judgment of the Supreme Court, which upheld that the ICPC and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) were legally established by Acts of the National Assembly and are empowered to investigate and prosecute financial crimes across states.
- The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Motonmori Kekere-Ekun, also revealed that a total of 2,398 financial crime convictions were recorded in the judiciary between January 2, 2024, and August 2, 2024, by the EFCC and ICPC.
Speaking on Monday, September 30, 2024, during the 2024/2025 legal year opening of the Supreme Court, Kekere-Ekun stated that between January 2, 2024, and August 2, 2024, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), with relevant support, secured 2,387 convictions, while the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) filed 54 cases and secured 11 convictions.
