Rivers communities petition EFCC, demand constituency project implementation
Some communities, under the aegis of Concerned Citizens of Ikwere/Emohua Federal Constituency in Rivers State, have written to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offence Commission, and Physical Responsibility Commission, to probe the implementation of the 2024 constituency projects in their area.
The residents in the two local government areas that make up the Emohua/Ikwerre Federal Constituency said the move was aimed at ending the era where lawmakers failed to implement projects captured in the budget and funds fully released.
They said they took the sensitisation to the communities to notify them of the projects already approved for them and the allocated funds for each of the projects.
The leader of the group, Bethel-Chimzie Okwu, who disclosed this while speaking at the sensitisation in Igwuruta, Ikwerre, on Thursday, said the process started three months ago across the 27 wards of the constituency.
He explained that the constituency had often been plagued with the non-execution of projects meant for its people as approved, adding that monies meant for constituency projects had always been diverted.
He said the body had written to the EFCC, ICPC, and PRC to ensure that monies budgeted and released for the constituency projects were not diverted, adding that they would ensure that all the projects in the budgets were fully implemented.
He added, “There are several projects that have not been executed. For example, in the 2019 budget, there was a particular amount of money allocated for the purchase of speed boats for people in the Ikwerre-Emohua Federal Constituency; that was about N70m that we saw in the budget.
“We went around looking for who the engines were bought for, who were supposed to be fishermen, but we could not find anybody. So, that is why we are saying that this time round, we want to make sure any project that is coming we will identify who it was given to, we will know who benefitted.”
“We have already set in motion everything that will happen if, by the end of this year, nothing happens. The EFCC, ICPC, and Physical Responsibility Commission are aware and we have already told them that their core mandate is to ensure investigations and track up Federal Government projects across the country.”
