Constituency projects gulp N700bn, tele-medicine centre breaks down after inauguration - TrendyNewsReporters Constituency projects gulp N700bn, tele-medicine centre breaks down after inauguration - TrendyNewsReporters
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Constituency projects gulp N700bn, tele-medicine centre breaks down after inauguration

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SAMI OLATUNJI writes on the Federal Government’s constituency projects which have gulped N700bn since 2016

The Federal Government allocates N100bn annually for constituency projects, also known as zonal intervention projects, according to data obtained from the Budget Office of the Federation.

This means that between 2016 and 2022, about N700bn was allocated for these projects, which cut across the 109 senatorial districts and 360 federal constituencies.

Each state has three senators and one for the Federal Capital Territory, making a total of 109.

In the House of Representatives, there are 360 members, and the count per state depends on the number of federal constituencies each state has.

In total, there are 469 lawmakers in the National Assembly who facilitate these projects across the six geo-political zones.

Constituents, non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders expressed mixed reactions to the projects in separate interviews with The PUNCH.

While residents of Taraba, Enugu, and Plateau states stated that the projects in their areas had been completed, sources at the Federal Medical Centre in Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, Ogun State stated that a telemedicine centre in the hospital had not worked almost a year after it was inaugurated.

In 2016, there were about 2,515 projects with about 200 implementing agencies. One of the projects was an empowerment programme for youth and women in Bauchi under the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment with an allocation of N500m. There was also the construction and renovation of schools in the same state under the Ministry of Education for the same amount.

In 2017, N100bn was budgeted to execute 2,661 Zone Improvement Plans. The highest single allocation was for the construction and completion of rural roads, electrification of villages, water projects, and harvesting structures in Bogoro, Dass and Tafawa Balewa, Bauchi State, by the Ministry of Agriculture, valued at N720m. The agriculture ministry also received N724.26m for the completion of 140 projects.

For 2018, there were 2,205 projects budgeted for across the 108 senatorial districts and 360 federal constituencies. The breakdown of the distribution of ZIPs for 2018 reveals that the Ministry of Agriculture was allocated the sum of N11.31bn for 157 constituency projects.

Of that sum, N500m, which was the highest appropriation, was allocated for the empowerment of women and youth in agriculture in some selected locations. One of such projects was cited in Osun State and handled by the Nigerian Stored Product Research Institute.

The Ministry of Education had 114 constituency projects for the same year under review. Kwara Central Senatorial District received the most, with a total of N850m for constructing a block of two classrooms with furniture, VIP toilets, and a supply of educational materials handled by UBEC.

In the health sector, N222.22m was given to Ogun Central Senatorial District to build a tele-medicine conference centre at Idi-Aba, Abeokuta South Local Government Area.

In 2019, the total number of projects listed was 2,025. According to the report by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, which contains a breakdown of 2019 ZIPs allocations, the South-West got N14.28bn worth of projects for the year, while the South-East got the second-least amount of funds for projects worth N14.85bn.

The North-West got N17.97bn and was the largest beneficiary of the ZIP projects, while the North-Central got N17.90bn to come in second.

Two projects under the Ministry of Defence got the highest allocation, of N100m each. They are the construction of Adda Ali Street through Adi Byeni, Old BB Road, Wukari, Taraba State, and the Education Resource Centre, USSA, Federal Constituency in Taraba State. Both were handled by the Nigerian Army.

The Ministry of Environment allocated N2.72bn for ZIPs, of which N250 million was given to Kwara South Senatorial District for the training and empowerment of youth and women in agroforestry. The project was handled by the Forest Research Institute of Nigeria, Ibadan.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was allocated N2.92 billion for ZIPs, with 60 projects, N150 million of which was voted for sensitisation and advocacy on peaceful coexistence in the Nnewi Federal Constituency. The project was handled by the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution.

In 2020, the total projects listed for execution were 1,984. The highest appropriated funds for constituency projects were given to the Ministry of Agriculture in the sum of N18.47bn. At the same time, the office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation got the lowest allocation with the sum of N44.29m.

The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development got a total sum of N2.25bn, out of which Enugu Senatorial District got the highest for a constituency project of N100m for the provision of solar lights in selected markets and motor parks in Enugu State handled by the MDA for refugees.

For the Ministry of Police Affairs, N155m was appropriated for ZIP. Enugu got the highest with the sum of N100m for the renovation and construction of the police division school in greater Agwu, Mbanabo, Enugu, handled by police formations and commands.

From the Presidency, out of N461m in appropriated funds for ZIP, Asaba Senatorial District got the most, with the sum of N200m for the construction and equipping of vocational training centres in Asaba, handled by the Industrial Arbitration Panel.

In 2021, 1,884 projects were listed for execution. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development had the highest vote with N25bn for the execution of 334 projects. It was followed by the Ministry of Labour and Employment with a sum of N14.14bn, and the National Population Commission had the lowest with N20m.

The breakdown of the Ministry of Agriculture vote revealed that the lowest allocation was N5m, which was for the Onueke-Nwangene Awkunanaw stream water-Umuogba Erosion Control Project, which was handled by the Federal Cooperative College, Oji-River State.

Also, the construction of a community hall at Fabour in Jos South/Jos East Federal Constituency, Plateau State, gulped the sum of N5m, and the project was handled by the Federal College of Veterinary and Medical Laboratory Technology.

The Ministry of Labour, with 311 projects, got N14.14bn for ZIP. The sum of N5m was budgeted to grade Abo/Ugba NTAN to Abo Nkpamg in Boki LGA of Cross River Central Senatorial District.

The Ministry of Power, with 12 projects, was allocated N508.98m for ZIP. The highest constituency project sum was N100m, which was for the supply of 500 kVA and 300 kVA transformers in the North East handled by Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc. However, the number of transformers was not indicated.

The Ministry of Women Affairs, with a N1bn budget, had 22 projects. The lowest allocation of N5.9m went for the supply of customised kits for pregnant women in Bodinga/Dange-Shuni/Tureta Federal Constituency, Sokoto State, handled by the National Centre for Women Development.

Two vocational projects got the highest vote of N70 million each under the Ministry of Women’s Affairs. They were the skill acquisition training for women and youth in Borno Central Senatorial District with N70 million, executed by NCWD, and the construction of a skills acquisition centre in Abua/Odual Local Government Area, Rivers West Senatorial District, Rivers State with N70 million, also executed by NCWD.
In 2022, a total of 100 billion was budgeted for executing 1,713 ZIPs. The Ministry of Agriculture received the highest allocation with a total of N28.04 billion for the execution of 373 projects, followed by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation with a total of N13.24 billion for the execution of 249 projects across the federation.
Residents of Wukari and Lissam in the Wukari and Ussa local government areas of Taraba State have expressed satisfaction over the completed Ada Ali-Adi Byepi through the old BB Road in Wukari and the education resource centre in Lissam.
In a telephone interview with one of our correspondents, the residents appreciated their representatives in the National Assembly for facilitating the execution of the projects, which they said would benefit the people of the area.
One of the residents of Wukari, who spoke to our correspondent, Mr. Tsokwen Ali, said the construction of the road in Wukari had opened up the town and addressed the erosion challenge in that part of the town.
On his part, Mr. Habila Andeyantso said the construction of the education resource centre equipped with computers would address the challenge of students travelling long distances to write the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination. The resource centre in Ussa has been completed and furnished but has yet to be put to use.
Also, some of the constituents of Jos East/Jos South Federal Constituency of Plateau State, who spoke with The PUNCH following the construction of a new community hall in Zarazong village, Fobur district of Jos East LGA, have hailed the execution of constituency projects in the areas.
It was learnt that though the lawmaker representing the constituency, Dachung Bagos, had yet to inaugurate the community hall, a traditional ruler in the community, Chief Izang Azi, confirmed the completion of the project.
Azi said, “Yes, we have a new community hall at Zarazong, courtesy of the lawmaker representing us at the National Assembly. We learnt that it was part of his constituency project to better the lives of his constituents, and the people will remain grateful to him.”

Investigations by one of our correspondents showed that the telemedicine conference centre constructed at the Federal Medical Centre, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, Ogun State, broke down 24 hours after it was inaugurated in 2020.

A highly reliable source, said the centre which gave access to physicians from any part of the world was opened for use but broke down the day after its inauguration. It was learnt that some gadgets were not functioning at the centre.

When contacted for comment, the Public Relations Officer of the FMC, Abeokuta, Segun Orisajo lauded the project.

According to him, the centre affords people the opportunity to seek medical attention via technology, which is well installed in the telemedicine conference hall.

He said, “You can communicate with physicians, a diagnosis can be made, and a necessary prescription can be made also.

“It saves time and it saves cost. Anywhere you are in the country, you can access a health care facility. That’s the joy of it, the beauty of it.”

While confirming the state of the centre, Orisajo said, “Apart from a few things, there are hiccups along the line, but the donor and the management are trying to surmount them.

“It has once been in operation, but I think there are certain facilities and gadgets that are still being expected that would make it more functional, than the present state of it.”

Assessing the projects, the head of Tracka, a subsidiary of BudgIT, Damen Ilevbaoje, in an interview with The PUNCH, criticised their implementation process.
According to him, there is a lack of effective citizen inclusion in terms of needs assessments, and he added that many of the projects do not meet the needs of Nigerians.
He said, “There is a lack of citizen inclusion in terms of needs assessment. You will see a lot of constituency projects that do not meet the needs of citizens.
“Over 50 per cent of these funds are channeled towards empowerment programmes, which include distributing sewing machines, Keke Napeps, grinding machines, capacity-building machines, and the like. It is in this country that you would see people do tailoring under constituency projects for three days, and they now call them designers.”
He further noted that many of the projects are targeted at party loyalists.
“Also, a lot of these beneficiaries are mainly party loyalists. They use constituency projects to give back to those who have worked for them in their party. They use the funds as a means to empower their party,” Ilevbaoje noted.
He further said that there are few capital projects, like building schools, medical centres and water projects, and that rather; most of the projects are simply empowerment programmes.
He also questioned the use of certain agencies that lack the mandate to implement certain projects, giving the National Human Rights Commission as an example, which procured Keke Napeps for members of a constituency.
On the challenges in tracking these projects, Ilevbaoje noted that many of the projects did not have a specific location, and there was also a lack of access to some documents on the projects.

Additional reports by Gift Habib, Damilola Aina, Daud Olatunji, James Abraham, and Justin Tyopuusu

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