The Sokoto Zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, January 15, 2020, embarked on monitoring and evaluation of abandoned projects across the Zone.

The monitoring and inspection visit was sequel to petition by concern citizens of the zone, who alleged that there are various projects across the zone abandoned by contractors.

The Zonal Head, Mr. Abdullahi Lawal, who led a team of operatives on a tour of the abandoned projects located in Kebbi state, expressed deep disappointment on how meaningful projects were abandoned by subsequent governments and their agencies.

He explained that the Commission discovered that lots of fraud were perpetrated during contracts awarded to some contractors, and in some cases were paid huge amounts of money by various governments to execute the contracts but were abandoned without completion by the contractors.

According to him, monitoring of projects by every interest group, civil society groups and individuals would help in eradicating abandoned project scams by the contractors and governments and urged the public to furnish the Commission with such information on abandoned projects.

Lawal noted that corruption of abandoned projects is widespread and institionalised adding that its beyond what any single group can fight against and tasked the public to take ownership of the war against corruption to check practices that run counter to accountability and transparency.

According to Lawal, at the end of the inspection visit, the Commission will invite all the relevant stakeholders, especially the contractors of such contracts with a view to ensuring possible completion.

“The EFCC is all out to kill the monster called corruption in Nigeria, and therefore, I warn all contractors who abandoned projects after receiving monies to voluntarily return back to site before we set our satellite on them”, he added.

"Yesterday, we are in Zamfara State, where we undertake a similar exercise with our team, in which a number of various abandoned projects were visited".
Lawal therefore, urged Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), and the general public to be watchdogs of government activities and report to the Commission any form of dishonesty or fraud going on in the state.

Abandoned projects sites inspected includes, a Vocational skills acquisition Centre in Ambursa, Kebbi State Ultra-Modern Secretariat, Bye-Pass Streets Lights and 200 Units of Tractors and Implements allegedly abandoned for many years that was kept at Kebbi Agricultural Development Agency (KARDA), Kalgo local government Area.