Stakeholders seek participation in constituency projects

Stakeholders in Kaduna Central Senatorial District on Wednesday urged elected representatives to consult with rural communities in the planning and execution of constituency projects.

The stakeholders made the call in Kaduna, at a town hall meeting organised by an NGO, Connected Development over N496 million constituency projects in the district.

One of the stakeholders, Alhaji Balarabe Idris, the state Chairman, Ward Development Committee (WDC), said that the communities were not consulted in the planning and execution of the constituency projects.

Idris said that the elected representatives usually use their party structures and officials in deciding what projects to be executed and the location without inputs from the communities.

He advised the representatives to use existing community structures like the WDC, School-Based Management Committees (SBMCs) and other community development structures in the implementation of constituency projects.

According to him, this will enable communities to make inputs and advise on the intervention they need as well as participate in the implementation to ensure quality delivery.

Mr Victor Kazzah, WDC Chairman, Kaduna South Local Government Area (LGA), who also complained of exclusion of communities in the implementation of constituency projects, urged the electorate to ask questions on any constituency project cited in their domain.

According to him, the electorate has a right to ask their elected representatives for feedback on their representation.

Similarly, the acting State Chairman, SBMC, Mr Usman Sani, disclosed that a block of classrooms was constructed at a Primary School, Kagoro Road, Sabon Gari, saying that the community was not aware of who facilitated the project.

Earlier, CODE’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Hamzat Lawal, urged the electorate and relevant stakeholders to participate in implementation of the N496 million constituency projects in the Senatorial District.

Lawal, represented by Mrs Lucy Abagi, CODE’s Senior Programme Manager, said that the projects were sited in Kaduna North, Kaduna South, and Igabi LGAs.

He explained that the town hall meeting was organised to provide a platform for citizens and their elected representatives to dialogue and find common ground in the planning and execution of constituency projects.

Lawal called on residents of the state to take advantage of the Open Government Partnership that the government had committed to in ensuring transparency and accountability.

He also commended the state government for providing space for women to participate in the decision-making process to strengthen inclusion in governance.

The Project Manager, Mr Kinsley Agu, explained that the meeting was organised under the Deepening Citizens’ Interest in Government Spending and Addressing Accompanying Corrupt Practices project, supported by MacArthur Foundation.

Agu said that 18 Community Monitoring Teams had been mobilised to track 23 constituency projects in 10 LGAs across the three Senatorial Districts.

He said that a total of N6.4 billion was allocated for constituency projects in Kaduna State in 2020 and 2021, stressing the need for citizens to track and monitor the projects.

Mr Abubakar Mohammed, CODE’s Project Assistant, explained that the N496 million constituency projects were expected to be completed between 2020 and 2021.

Mohammed explained that N90 million worth of constituency projects were being facilitated by Sen. Uba Sani (APC Kaduna Central) within the zone.

He listed the projects as the construction and renovation of primary healthcare centre valued at N40 million and supply of kits and drilling of motorised boreholes and procurement of computers at N50 million.

“Also, N85 million worth of constituency projects was being facilitated by Rep. Zayad Ibrahim (APC Igabi Federal Constituency) for provision of solar borehole and renovation and supply of furniture to a primary school all in Igabi LGA.

“There is also the renovation and supply of furniture to a primary school in Sabon Gari, Kaduna South at the cost of N30 million being facilitated by Rep. Ahmad Mukhtar (APC Kaduna South).

“Rep. Suleiman Samaila (APC Kaduna North) is equally facilitating the printing and distribution of exercise books for primary schools at the cost of N291 million,” he said.