ICPC Begins Probe of Ebonyi Lawmakers over ₦2.2bn Roads and Constituency Projects
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has opened an investigation into constituency and capital projects valued at ₦2.2 billion in Ebonyi State.
The projects are spread across 13 local government areas and were reportedly funded through federal appropriations.
Officials of Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission arrived in the state and immediately moved to several project locations.
The monitoring exercise covered Ebonyi, Ohaukwu, Ezza North and Ishielu local government areas, among others.
One of the projects inspected was a newly constructed laboratory at the Ebonyi State College of Health Sciences in Ezzamgbo. The facility was facilitated by the lawmaker representing the Ebonyi/Ohaukwu Federal Constituency. The project was executed by the Centre for Management Development and is expected to support health training in the state.
The team also assessed streetlight projects across the Ebonyi North Senatorial Zone. These projects were facilitated by Onyekachi Nwebonyi and were designed to improve security and night-time visibility in the affected communities.
In Ebonyi Central, the tracking exercise focused on empowerment programmes facilitated by Ken Eze. These programmes involved the distribution of various support items to beneficiaries across multiple local government areas.
Further inspections were carried out on streetlight installations in Amagu, Ezza South Local Government Area. The team also visited feeder road projects linking farm settlements within the same council area. These projects were also linked to Senator Eze.
The anti-corruption agency explained that the exercise is meant to confirm that projects funded with public money are completed as approved and are put to proper use. It stressed that accountability and value for money remain the focus of the monitoring process.
According to the Commission, contractors handling any project found to be substandard or abandoned will be directed to return to site. It added that funds may be recovered if any contract is discovered to have been improperly executed.
The monitoring team includes officials of the Commission, representatives of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, civil society groups and members of the media.
