ODAHIEKWU OGUNDE, Yenagoa
The Bayelsa State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has inaugurated an eight-man committee to undertake an on the spot assessment of various Federal Government constituency projects across the state.
The Chairman of the NUJ in the state, Comrade Samuel Numonengi, performed the inauguration of the committee on Monday at the state secretariat of the council in Yenagoa, the state capital.
Numonengi said while inaugurating the committee that its formation was in line with the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission’s (ICPC’s) commencement of third phase tracking of the federal constituency and executive projects across some states of the federation including Bayelsa.
According to him, the setting up of the committee is also in accordance with the mandate from the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning through BUDGIT budget tracking of the 2020/2021 Federal Government constituency projects
He said the exercise was geared towards intersecting citizens’ engagement with institutional improvement to facilitate societal change and bring government close to the people by holding them accountable.
He stressed that the committee was saddled with the responsibility of moving to the various constituency project sites located across the eight council areas and carry out inspections to ascertain the quality of such projects in line with the Federal Government’s transparency initiatives.
Numonengi charged the committee members to carry out the assignment diligently without fear or favour within two months and come up with a report that would be passed to the appropriate authorities.
Mr. Charles Kuroteizi was appointed the Chairman of the committee while the State Council Secretary, Ogio Ipigansi, is to serve as Secretary.
Other members of the committee are Mrs. Otuogha Panebi-Alazi, Mr. Jackson Dauseye, Emem Idio, Frank Shadrach, Diepreye Bariki and Ebiowei Lawal.
The 2020/2021 Federal Government constituency projects in the state comprise solar-powered streetlights, construction and rehabilitation of roads, jetties, schools, health facilities, community town halls, solar-powered boreholes, canalisation, skills acquisition and empowerment programmes among others.