The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) initiated the tracking of executive projects worth N1.802 billion in Kwara State, starting in Ilorin on Wednesday. This tracking effort aims to ensure that these projects deliver value for the money spent.
Mr. Nathaniel Sikpi, the Principal Superintendent of Investigation at the ICPC’s Kogi Office, explained to NAN in Ilorin that this tracking initiative is now in its 6th phase and covers 15 projects spanning all three senatorial districts in the state.
The primary purpose of this tracking is to ensure that these projects are not merely documented on paper but are physically implemented on the ground. Sikpi emphasized that sometimes contracts are awarded, executed on paper, and fully paid for, yet there’s no physical presence of the projects, and the intended beneficiaries (in the case of empowerment projects) are unaware of their existence.
The tracking encompasses both executive and constituency projects, with the current focus primarily on executive projects. Quantity Surveyors (QS) are part of the tracking team to provide a professional perspective in reporting.
Sikpi added that the ICPC consistently follows up on previously tracked projects to ensure compliance with their directives. The commission employs two main strategies: for construction projects found to be inadequately executed, they compel the contractor to return to the site and complete the work to benefit the intended recipients. In the case of empowerment projects, when the job is not effectively executed, they recover the funds.
So far, the ICPC has successfully recovered substantial amounts of funds, which are publicly available on the commission’s website at www.icpc.gov.ng.