By Dada Ahmed in Lokoja.
An expert in constituency project tracking, Mr Henry Omokhaye, has described constituency projects in Nigeria has called for effective implementation of constituency projects with the Media and Civil Society Organisations CSOs leading.
He stated this on Tuesday during a two-way training workshop for Journalists and Civil Society Organisations,CSOs in Lokoja, kogi State, organised by Stallion Times Media Services, Wole Soyinka Centre for investigative Journalists and funded MarArthur foundation.
Some of the participants at the training workshop.
The expert said while the concept of constituency projects is laudable,the the manner it was being executed made the projects to lack value for money for the people they are meant to benefit.
According Omokhaye,who works with Budgit, the process of constituency project is characterized by anomalies such as “duplication of projects,using the same description, same narrative,same amount, same location awarded by the same agency”.
He said because of the abnormalities in the implementation of constituency projects, ICPC came up with a programme called Constituency Project Tracking Group ( CPTG) in 2019, to change the narrative.
Omokhaye disclosed that CPTG recovered N 2billion representing money recovered from projects not executed and money collected.
The expert noted that legislators were usually out of picture of where constituency projects are to be located, adding that ranking of states where such projects are to be sited is determined by the number of principal officers at the national assembly by states.
He also identified non-inclusion of citizens in the implementation of constituency projects, poor execution of the few implemented projects and incapability of assigned agency to execute the projects.
On steps to be taken in project implementation and tracking, Omokhaye, urged on those billed for such work to plan, set goal, a lot time, get relevant documents, get the project in mind and identify critical stakeholders, such as the media,CSOs, MDAs, citizens and traditional rulers.
He also advised that those going for project tracking to have camera mobile phone,GPS device among other tools to accomplish a report.
“Visit the project site, organise town hall meeting to sensitise the people about the project for them to know your mission, engage the legislators with your tracking report and guide the community to write a letter to their legislators.
Prepare your tracking report and engage the legislators or their aides,” he said.
He called on media and CSO to engage in sensitisation to change the narrative for the best result among other measures.
The Reporters reports that the workshop,the last of its kind for 2022, was organised by Stallion Times Media Services limited, the Wole Soyinka Centre for investigative journalism and funded by MacArthur foundation.
Some of the participants who spoke at the end of the workshop, thanked the stakeholders in the organization of the exercise, describing it as impactful.
They added adding the experience gained would boost their efforts, especially in the area of tracking constituency projects to ensure the people benefit, maximally,from the constituency projects being sited in the state.
