An NGO, Connected Development (CODE) on Tuesday organised a townhall meeting over N191 million constituency projects in six local government areas in Kaduna North Senatorial District, Kaduna state.
The projects were being facilitated by Sen. Suleiman Kwari (APC Kaduna North) and Rep. Tajudeen Abbas (APC Zaria Constituency), captured in the 2020 and 2021 budgets.
Mr Abubakar Mohammed, CODE’s Project Assistant, said at the meeting in Zaria, that the townhall meeting was to enlighten community members on their rights to participate in the design and implementation of constituency projects.
Mohammed, who said that the projects were being facilitated by Kwari, listed them as: construction of one block of classrooms each at Ikara, Sabon Gari and Makafi at N12.5 million each.
“There is also the construction of one unit of Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) at Makarfi at the cost of N37.5 million.
“The 2021 projects include the completion of a Model PHC in Chikaji, Sabon Gari local government area at the cost of N50 million.
“There is equally the supply of medical equipment to five PHCs at the cost of N60 million.
“They are PHC Danguzuri in Makarfi, PHC Kauran Wali in Kudan Local Government Area, PHC at Unguwan Bawa in Lere, PHC Pala in Ikara and PHC at Sakadadi in Sabon Gari local government Area.”
He added that other constituency project was the construction of four blocks of three toilets at Zaria local government area, which was captured in 2020.
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 have 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, “we want to know the status of the project and your concerns in their implementation.”
Also, CODE’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Hamzat Lawal, said that the meeting was organised to draw the attention of elected representatives at the State and National Assembly to carry people along in project design and implementation.
Lawal, who was represented by Mrs Lucy Abagi, CODE’s Senior Programme Manager, said that the goal was for community members to monitor implementation of constituency projects.
“This meeting is to create a platform for community members, their elected representatives and other stakeholders to dialogue and agree on inclusive delivery of constituency projects,” he said.
One of the participants, Mr Bala Jibrin, Chairman, School-Based Management Committees, Makarfi LGA, commended CODE for organising the meeting.
Jibrin, however, complained that the elected representatives were not at the meeting and did not send their aids to listen to the complaints of the electorate.
Participants at the meeting include government officials and officials of Zaria, Makarfi, Sabon Gari, and Ikara local government councils.
Others are women leaders, community monitoring teams, religious and traditional leaders, and School-Based Management Committees.
A similar meeting was held for Kaduna South Senatorial District in Kafanchan on Monday.
