Katsina lawmaker, supervisor stole N32m constituency project funds

By IDOWU ISAMOTU

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has revealed how a lawmaker from Katsina Central Federal Constituency in connivance with a constituency project supervisor siphoned the sum of N32,056,347.89.

The anti-graft agency also uncovered how a contractor abandoned construction of a block of classrooms in LEA Primary School, Tsebarawa Village, in Ajingi Local Government Area of Kano State awarded by Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) after he was fully paid.

These revelations were parts of the outcomes of Constituency and Executive Projects Tracking Exercise: Phase III of the agency, which was carried out during the fourth quarter of 2021 in order to track down fraudulent procurement practices in the award of contracts for public-funded projects.

In a detailed report of the tracking exercise made available to Daily Trust on Tuesday, the anti-graft agency did not mention names of the lawmaker and the supervisor but explained that he is currently under suspension and will be dealt with as appropriate while the amount is being recovered.

”One of the egregious discoveries is the unholy collusion between contractors and some sponsoring legislators on the one hand, and agencies’ projects supervisors on the other, to either not execute the contracts at all or underperform the execution of the contracts while passing it off as having been satisfactorily completed.

”In a project awarded by UBEC in December, 2020 with a completion period of 3 weeks, for the construction of a Block of Classrooms in LEA Primary School, Tsebarawa Village, in Ajingi LGA of Kano State, the project was abandoned but the contractor was fully paid,” the report explained.”

It further noted that the contractor was fully paid on the advice and certification of the project supervisor.

The report added, ”In another project for the construction and equipping of e-Library in Katsina Central Federal Constituency, the original design and drawings were changed and substituted with a tiny cubicle without recourse to the executing agency and without approved Change Order.

”Nevertheless, the supervisor of the project certified the project as having been satisfactorily completed on the basis of which the entire contract cost of N49,973,052.

”Quantity Survey valuation put the cost of the cubicle at N17,916,704.11. This occasioned loss of N32,056,347.89 million to the government, an amount siphoned by the sponsoring member in connivance with the project supervisor.”

The report also noted that two officers of IPCR appointed to supervise a project titled: ”Supply for youth empowerment Start up programme in Nguru Federal Constituency” sat down in their respective offices and wrote satisfactory project completion reports on the basis of which the contracts sum were fully paid when the contracts were clearly underperformed. (Daily Trust)