From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The House of Representatives has approved for second reading a bill seeking to establish the National Independent Project Monitoring Agency (NIPMA) to ensure transparency, accountability, and effective monitoring of public projects in the country.
The bill, which is sponsored by Hon. Chinedu Emeka Martins, is aimed at ensuring that projects are executed to standard within the budget and stipulated timeframes.
According to the proposed legislation, the agency, when established, will be saddled with the responsibility of conducting independent oversight of public projects, so as to reinforce accountability and significantly reduce the challenge of abandoned projects.
Chinedu, while leading debate on the bill, expressed concern that despite the high annual appropriation for capital projects in the country, the outcome is abysmal.
He said, “You will agree with me that, year after year, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria presents an Appropriation Bill to this Honourable House, detailing capital expenditures running into trillions of naira for the execution of developmental projects across the country.
“These projects are domiciled in various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) and implemented by contractors who are issued letters of award in accordance with the procedures outlined in the Public Procurement Act of 2007.
“However, the reality on the ground paints a distressing picture. Across the country, we encounter the scars of abandoned, substandard, or poorly executed projects by MDAs. This is not only wasteful; it is unacceptable. One of the major contributors to this failure is the absence of an independent, transparent, and credible monitoring system in the execution of projects by MDAs.”
The lawmaker expressed optimism that “with NIPMA in place, we can ensure that projects are executed to standard, within budget, and within stipulated timeframes. Independent oversight will eliminate collusion, reinforce accountability, and significantly reduce the trend of abandoned projects.
“The establishment of the agency will generate employment opportunities for engineers, auditors, quantity surveyors, data analysts, and other professionals. It will also stimulate local economies in project-hosting communities.
“Effective monitoring will detect inflated project costs early and ensure value for money, saving the nation billions of naira annually. Citizens will regain trust in government when they see that public funds are being transparently and judiciously utilised.
“When infrastructure projects are properly implemented, they catalyse commerce, attract investment, and promote national development, thereby expanding the economy and reducing poverty.”
The post Reps mull independent project monitoring agency appeared first on The Sun Nigeria.
