The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has commenced the tracking and verification of 48 executive and constituency projects valued at over ₦7.3 billion in Ekiti State as part of its ongoing anti-corruption oversight responsibilities.
The exercise is being carried out under Phase 8 of the Commission’s Constituency and Executive Projects Tracking Initiative (CEPTI), a nationwide programme designed to ensure transparency, accountability and value for money in publicly funded projects.
The current phase covers multiple states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Speaking with journalists in Ado Ekiti, the Team Lead and Assistant Director at ICPC, Mr Sunday Adebayo, said the monitoring team inspected projects cutting across key sectors such as health, works, water resources, rural electrification and empowerment.
He noted that the findings so far revealed a mixed performance level among contractors handling the projects.
“To be frank, our findings are a mixture. We have seen projects that were executed according to specifications, and we have also encountered some that were not properly done”. Adebayo said.
He disclosed that in one instance, government funds had been released for the construction of a viewing centre, but work had not commenced due to a dispute over land ownership.
In another case, a borehole project was completed but not functional, while other boreholes inspected were operational and serving their intended communities.
The team also visited graded rural roads, which residents confirmed had improved access for farmers and eased transportation challenges in the affected areas.
Adebayo explained that contractors responsible for substandard or incomplete projects had been directed to return to site for immediate rectification.
“We have called back two contractors to go back and correct the deficiencies observed. Before we conclude our visit, we will revisit those sites to confirm compliance. If they fail to meet expectations, investigations will commence and necessary actions will follow”. He stated.
Also speaking, a Quantity Surveyor on the team, Mr Olaniyi Adeboye, revealed that preliminary assessments showed that approximately 44 per cent of the projects inspected were executed in line with approved specifications.
“In some of the sites visited, we discovered that certain contractors did not comply with the specifications contained in the Bills of Quantities, while others adhered strictly to the required standards”. Adeboye said.
The CEPTI initiative, introduced by ICPC to curb corruption and project abandonment, involves physical inspection, community engagement and technical evaluation of federally funded projects to ensure they are delivered as approved and beneficial to the public.
The ongoing exercise in Ekiti underscores the Commission’s commitment to strengthening accountability mechanisms and ensuring that public resources are effectively utilised for sustainable development.