A civic accountability group, Monitor Initiative for Transparency in Governance (MonITNG), has called on Nigeria’s anti-corruption agencies — the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) — to investigate an abandoned ₦25 million constituency project allegedly facilitated by Senator Victor Umeh in Anambra State.
In a statement issued on Friday, MonITNG revealed that ₦25 million was allocated for the construction of a solar-powered borehole with an overhead tank at Akwankwo Village Hall in Adazi-Enu community, Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The project, according to documents reviewed by the group, was facilitated by Senator Umeh and assigned to the Federal College of Agriculture, Ishiagu, Ebonyi State, as the implementing agency.
However, findings by Tracka, a public accountability platform that monitors government spending, indicated that although a borehole was drilled at the site, the overhead tank and solar components were never installed. The contractor, Doson New Tech Nigeria Limited, allegedly abandoned the site in November 2024, leaving the community without access to potable water.
MonITNG expressed shock over what it described as “a questionable choice” of implementing agency, asking why a Federal College of Agriculture in Ebonyi State was assigned to execute a water project in Anambra.
“What is the business of a Federal College of Agriculture in Ebonyi State handling a water project in Anambra?” the group queried. “Shouldn’t agencies with direct expertise in water resources be tasked with such projects? This points to systemic irregularities in project nomination and implementation processes.”
The group condemned the failure to deliver the project despite the full allocation of funds, calling it “a betrayal of public trust and an insult to the people of Adazi-Enu.”
“₦25 million is a significant amount. For that sum, a fully functional solar-powered borehole with an overhead tank should be in operation by now. Instead, constituents have been left stranded while public funds hang in limbo,” MonITNG stated.
MonITNG has urged the EFCC and ICPC to thoroughly investigate the contractor, the implementing agency, and Senator Victor Umeh to determine how the project funds were utilized and why the project remains incomplete.
“We demand answers: Where did the funds go? Why was the project not completed? And why are communities still left without the promised water supply despite government allocation? These questions must not go unanswered if transparency and accountability are to be upheld in governance,” the group added.
The organization also commended Tracka for exposing the alleged irregularities, praising its ongoing efforts to monitor public projects across Nigeria.
“Citizens deserve better, and every kobo of public funds must work for the people,” MonITNG declared, adding the hashtags #GetInvolved and #Tracka to its campaign for accountability.