EFCC Chairman Asks Politicians Details, Budgets Of Constituency Projects To Their Constituents
Politicians in the country have been told to make available details of constituency projects to their constituents.
The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, made the call at a “One-Day Stakeholders’ Consultative Meeting on Fostering Transparency, Accountability and Citizens’ Participation In The Implementation Of Constituency Projects In Nigeria” organized by the Aminu Kano Centre for Democratic Studies.
According to Olukoyede, constituency project funds must be fully disclosed to the public and the details of the contractors, timelines, and budgets be made available for community scrutiny.
He pointed out that this will not only promote transparency, but also give communities the tools to monitor progress effectively.
He also charged Nigerians across the country to rise to the task of monitoring constituency projects being embarked upon by their elected leaders to drive positive changes and development in their environments.
He maintained that sustainable development can only come when Nigerians take the initiative to interrogate projects being embarked upon by politicians in their respective constituencies.
“We must recognize that true and lasting change comes when communities are empowered to hold their leaders accountable, particularly in the monitoring of constituency projects”, he said.
The EFCC Chairman further spoke on “Imperatives of Community Driven Anti-Corruption Fight: Enhancing Constituency Project Service Delivery in Nigeria,” advising both politicians and people on the five crucial areas that will enhance accountable project delivery.
The areas, according to him, are Community Engagement, Transparency in Funding and Execution, Strengthening Oversight Mechanisms, Public Access to Information, and Partnership with Anti-Corruption Agencies.
“There must be deliberate efforts to involve communities in the identification of their priority projects. This ensures that projects are aligned with actual needs rather than being imposed or politically motivated”, he said.
He equally stressed the need for the availability of public data on constituency projects for communities to have easy access to relevant information to help them make informed decisions about the projects in their areas.
“When communities report discrepancies or suspected cases of corruption, these reports must be promptly investigated. By working together, we can build a feedback loop that ensures prompt action is taken against any corrupt practice”, he said.
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