MacArthur Foundation, ICPC tasks Citizens to Monitor Government Projects in their Communities

Mac Arthur Foundation, an international Non-governmental Organization and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC have advised Nigerians to join in the fight against corruption and hold their leaders to account for lack of governance.

The Organizations gave the advice on Thursday in Abuja at the closing ceremony of the “Say No Campaign Project” organized by Say No Campaign Nigeria.

The Deputy Director of MacArthur Foundation, Dayo Olaide, said citizens have the power to hold those managing the countries’ resources to account and should demand from them how funds mapped out for community and national projects are judiciously used.

The Assistant Director, Public Enlightenment and Education, Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) Ese Okwong, also urged Nigerians to voice out in their various communities and ask questions on how budget allocated for the development of communities are carried out.

She also advised citizens to always have the mentality of following up on projects in their various communities, especially the abandoned ones.

The convener, “Say no Campaign Nigeria”, Ezenwa Nwagwu said the campaign will improve citizens’ engagement in tracking and monitoring projects going on around their communities.

While calling on citizens not to only monitor federal projects but to include the sub-national level, Ezenwa noted that the project has so far recorded great achievements amongst which was the returning of contractors who abandoned projects in the Abaji local government area of Abuja to finish and complete them.

He disclosed that the Say No Campaign Project is working closely with traditional rulers, trade unions, religious leaders, community networks, lawyers’ networks against corruption to demand accountability from the government and also to make citizens see it as their burden and not only for Civil Society Organizations alone.

A traditional ruler of Rimba-Ebagi under Abaji local government area, Alhaji Abu- Garba Muhammad, while calling on the government to provide governance to their community, appreciated the organizers for intervening in Abaji local government, as contractors who had abandoned projects for over nine years, are back on-site and work is currently ongoing.

Say No Campaign Nigeria is a movement that works to promote and strengthen citizens’ engagement with government institutions and is targeted at increasing accountability movement, youth and gender inclusiveness, and advanced anti-corruption campaigns.

Say No Campaign is supported by the Macarthur Foundation.