Enugu Communities Lament Poor Execution, Abandonment Of Federal Projects

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News From The State Sunday, July 1st, 2018

Photo: Lai Mohammed, Nigeria’s Information Minister

From Ignatius Okpara, Enugu

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) _ Communities in Enugu state South- East Nigeria have raised the alarm over the abandonment and poor execution of various approved federal government projects cited in the 3 senatorial districts of the state which were captured in the 2017 budget.

They regretted that even when President Muhammadu Buhari has signed the 2018 budget, most of the projects captured in the 2017 budget for the state were yet to commence, or those started have been abandoned by the contracting firms handling them for unknown reasons.

The communities had revealed to members of the Civil Society organizations CSOs and Non governmental organization NGOS, operating under the platform of Enugu project watch, during their monitoring visits to the various senatorial districts and projects sites, that the development has remained a source of worry to the people.

African Examiner reports that the projects are in five major sectors, which includes, Agriculture, Health, Water and sanitation, Education, as well as works and infrastructure.

Speaking during the presentation of findings of the project monitoring team to the media on Saturday in Enugu, Professor (Mrs) Joy Ezeilo, the Executive Director of Women Aid Collective WACOL, the organization handling the implementation of the project, explained that her establishment mobilised representatives of community based monitors (CBM) and Civil Society organisations CSOs from all the senatorial zones of the state for the assignment.

The WACOL boss, who was represented by the organization’s programme manager, Anulika Ezennia, disclosed that the programme was carried out under the Voice to the people project (V2P), a Christian Aid project (CA) with funding from the British Department for international Development DFID, adding that the monitors adopted the name Enugu project watch.

In the report of the findings, presented by Dr. Uzochukwu Amakom, of the institute of Development Studies university of Nigeria UNN, and consultant to WACOL, the monitors observed that projects completed and in use is 7.69, percent while those not started, or started and abandoned are 30.77 percent

According to the monitors, there is need for the communities to always take issue of project monitoring very seriously, as well engaging of those representing them both at the upper and lower chambers of the National Assembly NASS , especially during town hall meetings.