CODE tracks N6.4bn constituency projects in Kaduna

From: Femi  Oyelola, Kaduna

Connected Development (CODE), otherwise known as Follow The Money, has solicited the support and cooperation of the Kaduna State Government, as it tracked N6.4 billion federal constituency projects in the state, which are contained in the 2020 and 2021 federal bud

Chief Executive Officer of CODE, Hamza Lawal pleaded for the state’s cooperation in Kaduna when the budget tracking Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) paid advocacy visits to the state’s Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and Kaduna Capital Territory Authority (KCTA).

The CODE CEO who was represented by its Project Manager, Kingsley Agu said, the Federal Government budgeted N100bn for constituency projects across the country annually, hence the need to track the projects to ensure value for money and the delivery of good governance to Nigerians.

According to him, “In 2020 and 2021, over N6.4 billion was earmarked for constituency projects across Kaduna State and these projects are 118 in number in two years; 65 projects for 2020 and 53 for 2021. A careful look at these projects show that, they are projects that will affect the lives of people at the grassroots.

“So, we in Follow The Money have our champions across the 23 local government areas of the State, tracking these projects, monitoring progress and giving feedback, but it is not a work that just Connected Development can do alone. So, we are seeking the partnership of the Ministry of Local Government to re-introduce us, since we have a new set of local government chairmen.

“In March, we are planning to have our second stakeholders meeting, where we intend to invite the leadership of the ministry and the chairmen of the 23 local government areas, to share findings of the first year of our constituency projects tracking and seek more partnership from the various stakeholders.

“We are also having more like a capacity building workshop for community members tomorrow on how they can continue tracking of these projects across the State, so that they can take advantage of the open government partnership and give feedback back to the government. This is very key because the government no matter how big cannot have its eyes everywhere,” he said.