Mixed Reactions Trail Execution Of Constituency Projects In Kaduna
By: Femi Mustapha
Residents of Kaduna state have expressed mixed feelings over constituency projects executed in their communities.
Speaking during a project tracking in the three political zones of the state-organized by Connected Development (CODE) in Partnership with Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, (ICPC) and Local Government Accountability Mechanism(LGAM), residents said some projects are poorly executed while some said the community consent was not sought before most of the projects were put in place.
At the Ungwan PA in the Jema’a Local Government Area of the state in the Southern Senatorial Zone, the Village head, Bala Gajere explained that the borehole was sponsored by the member representing the Jema’a Federal constituency, Hon. Nicholas Garba Sarkin Noma has become a burden rather than solving the water shortage in the community.
Giving credence to this, a local, Timothy Jatau said the Community has spent over sixty thousand Naira to repair the borehole but in vain.
“This Borehole, according to Mary Mark, ought to provide water for the people, but the pumping machine has stopped functioning.
According to her, the machine worked for only one month after which it packed up.
Also, the Youth leader of the community, Isaac Chan, bemoaned the pains and danger the people experience searching for water, saying, “U/PA is having a serious challenge with water supply. In fact, the challenge is always worse in the dry season”.
He said most often, the people depend on stream water, which is very far from where they live. “The streams are about one to two kilometers away from the town, and that is the distance our people go to get water”.
He added that many people in the community fall sick without knowing the cause of their problems, saying they need urgent assistance to save the people from waterborne diseases.
According to Mohammed Abubakar, the State team lead of CODE, the borehole, and others were facilitated by Hon. Nicolas Garba Sarkin Noma in the 2021 constituency projects and constructed at the cost of over N20 Million
He said the group was in the Community to track the projects and the people should be ready to speak out because the money for the projects is their money and not a donation from politicians.
Similarly, the people of Agalawa in Ikara Local Government Area in the Northern Senatorial Zone of the state expressed disappointment that they were not contacted before the construction of one block of three classrooms, building for the primary schools sponsored by the Senator representing the Zone, Suleiman Abdul Kwari
The Chairman of the School-Based Management Committee (SBMC), Alhaji Ibrahim Musa, said they only woke up to see contractors on-site without any explanation.
The building, according to him, is witnessing depreciation because of the poor quality of materials used.
Addressing the residents, CODE programs Assistant, Zaraphod Haruna informed them it is the residents’ right to ask for a Bill of quantity on any projects to be sited in their community.
She explained that knowing the Bill of quantities will enable them to ask questions about the quality of materials being used by the contractors.
She assured them that the results of the project tracking exercise will be communicated to ICPC, who is a partner in the tracking.
However, at the Ungwan Para of the same local government, it was a different ball game as the residents expressed their gratitude to Senator Suleiman Abdul Kwari for facilitating the supply of hospital equipment to the Community Primary Health Care (PHC) Center.

The head of the In-charge, Marta Ishaku said before the supply of the equipment, which includes; Beds, tables, generators, and others, the center was in a state of pity, but today they can compete favorably with other PHC Centres as far as caring for patients is concerned.
Staff at the Zakari Primary Health Center in Kaduna North Local Government Area, Central Senatorial zone said they received Mama kits facilitated by the senator representing the zone.
The Zonal Technical Officer of Drugs and equipment Aliyu Al Hassan also disclosed that a borehole was constructed by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NAPHDA).
However, the centre, like Oliver’s twist, solicited for more constituency projects to bring health care to the grassroots.
Speaking after the tracking, of some projects facilitated by members of the National Assembly from the three zones, the State Team lead of Connected Development (CODE) Mohammed Abubakar said, efforts were being made to involve the National Assembly in the adoption of the CODE constituency project tracking tool based on the success stories recorded in tracking the delivery of constituency projects in Kaduna state.
He said that of the 1.2 billion projects that were followed up during the project’s first year, 50% were completed, 22% were ongoing, and 28% either abandoned or did not start.