An NGO Communique On Abandoned Projects In Niger Delta

A REGIONAL CONFERENCE ORGANIZED BY SOCIAL DEVLOPMENT INTEGRATED CENTRE (SOCIAL ACTION) WITH THE THEME: TRACKING TRENDS OF CORRUPTION THROUGH ABANDONED PROJECTS IN THE NIGER DELTA, HELD ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2018 AT BEST WESTERN HOTEL, PORT HARCOURT A. INTRODUCTION In a regional conference on tracking trends of corruption through abandoned projects in the Niger Delta held today, being Tuesday august 28, 2018, organized by Social Development Integrated Centre (Social Action) in collaboration with the African Centre for Media and Literacy (AFRICMIL); and fully participated by CSOs/NGOs and representatives of MDAs and anti-corruption agencies; and with support of MacArthur Foundation; the menace of corruption in the region was recognized as pervasive and affecting the ability of public space actors and agencies to deliver expected dividends of state performance to citizens of the entire region. Conference also noted that despite the huge inflow of funds over the years, the quantum of infrastructure deficit within the region is alarming; and management of fiscal resources that were meant for improving the welfare of the people is mismanaged, leading to the posting of persistent record-level of poverty. To that end, Conference regretted that enough is not yet done for collaborative action to reduce corruption, particularly as it affects projects execution under public funding. The Conference then concluded that corruption is a major contributor to the failures surrounding the poor state of budget performance under state agencies created entirely for developing the region; the conference also agreed that expanded action is required for reducing corruption to the barest minimum, and therefore commended Social Action and its partners for organizing this unique regional discussion engagement –and by so doing, providing a window for citizens and private sector actors to play more inclusive role in partnering with state agencies to combat corruption in all its facets in order to reduce it impacts; i.e., particularly across the public project execution domains. The Conference also featured the presentation of a study report produced by Social Action (produced under the support of MacArthur Foundation), titled: Abandoned Projects –Citizens’ Report on Budgets of Selected States of Nigeria, 2017; (this document was appropriately reviewed at the event by Dr. Sofiri Peterside –a development sociology of the University of Port Harcourt). B. OBSERVATIONS The conference, examined the situation on ground across the states of the Niger Delta region as regards the menace of corruption; this was done in respect of the negative impact of corruption on public projects execution vis-à-vis recurrent inability of state services to bring appreciable benefits to citizens; Conference therefore made the following observations: The reality of abandoned projects is pervasive, and with uncompleted projects unacceptably spotting across all the Niger Delta states –reflecting ineptitude of state effort that is only posting a character of unreliable public budget process that is largely short-changing critical benefits purported for the people of the region. Budget processes of state are yet to be fully opened up for citizens’ information access, making it difficult for public space oversight monitoring and reporting to improve project execution benefits for the people; and with that seriously presenting a cover for corruption to thrive in project contracting and implementation. Public participation in project contracting remains glaringly lacking, with that presenting much difficulty for citizens’ effective demand for improved services under constitutionally stipulated state obligations/responsibility Huge funds inflow into the Niger Delta region did not result into any corresponding outcome of improved governance performance and benefiting services to citizens, leaving the people under unending poverty over the years. Spending of public funds in the region has consistently failed to reflect fiscal transparency and accountability performance, with officials responsible for such expenditures mismanaging state resources with outright impunity. State budgeting and expenditures remain sadly characterized with a record of award of spurious projects that only left the result of the budget process ever recording regrettable state of abandoned projects year to year across the region. The double character of poor release of funds to state agencies who also end up paradoxically with poor utilization of even the little they got has continued to increase the rate at which projects are abandoned in the region. There is no appreciable compliance with  federal funding accountability and transparency legal and policy rules over the whole business of public budget processes and project execution. Civil society interest in playing oversight role over budget accountability is yet to become widespread across segments of society; that is, to an extent that it will spur expanded campaign for guaranteeing social accountability. C. CONCLUSION The Conference applauded the organizing of the event and also appreciated the related oversight process of monitoring and reporting state sector performance toward combating the abandoned projects menace and its underlying problem of corruption; that is, for improving the benefits and services of public space performance in the various states of the Niger Delta. Accordingly, Conference made relevant recommendations for effort sustainability toward realizing the goal/objectives of the process that Social Action and partners have commenced. D. RECOMMENDATIONS Anti-corruption citizens groups need to intensify campaigns toward bringing the menace of corruption to an end –and thereby contribute to achievement of governance best practice whereby citizens get better services /benefits from public expenditure. Citizens participation in budget planning and implementation for better result must be improved to ensure expanded collaborative engagement that would assure sustainable nation building. Various stakeholder actors should take advantage of ever opening space for monitoring, reporting and following up with public development process to ensure best practices prevail with assured improvement of services and benefits Anti-corruption ambassadors must be promoted to add to the milieu of effective tools championing a crusade to combat corruption in the society. The school curricula must be considered for infusing anti-corruption study into formal education process right from primary school level. The use of youth gangs to induce violence and insecurity as contributing factors to the problem of abandoned project must be discouraged. The overbearing influence of the oil and gas sector must be made to contribute to prudent contracting processes in order to improve anti-corruption practice, and to also enhance contract related benefits and services to affected communities. There should be an oversight committee comprising of state and CSOs representatives to be over the task of ensuring budget compliance to ensure social accountability on project selection, budgeting and implementation for better services to the public Audit service commission can be established to bring about audit staff recruitment prudence and sectoral service discipline into public auditing processes –especially as this improve independence in funds sourcing and procurement approaches in line with accountability/transparency objectives. Parliamentary independence and oversight role must be fully utilized to improve the prospects of realizing better dividends from transparency and accountability practices around public procurement processes in the region. There is need for the state at all level to implement the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) All sectors and stakeholders should be involved at the beginning of the planning process to give all a sense of ownership to trigger implementation success for publicly funded projects . There should be more effort towards improving mass media performance in addressing public procurement processes toward meeting transparency and accountability global objectives. Open governance partnership should be adopted to strengthen CSOs input into budgeting and project implementing. Awareness creation and sensitization of the masses should be utilized to mobilize grassroots participation in combating corruption. State legislators should be more proactive in championing the effort of combating corruption. Open budget process should be vigorously pursued to enhance information access around public spending Electoral process should be improved to achieve peaceful, free and fair balloting towards enhancing prospects of combating corruption. SOURCE: ASABA POST NEWS WIRE (ONLINE)