Group tracks Zonal Intervention Project in Lafiagi, sensitises community members

By Bushrah Yusuf-Badmus

A Non-Governmental Organisation, Connected Development (CODE) has tracked Zonal Intervention Project (ZIP) in Lafiagi, Edu Local Government area of Kwara under its Project Trust programme to ensure trust and accountability.

The project is the provision of Computer Based Test (CBT) equipment to the College of Education, Technical, Lafiagi under the 2023 National budget.

The project is a ZIP of N50 million under the Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA) in the 2023 budget.

The tracking exercise was done by Project Trust’s Community of Practise led by Mr Abdurrahman Ayuba.

The institution’s Director of CBT, Dr Suleiman Bamidele said that 50 computer sets were supplied with a 1.5KVA generating set in November 2023.

He said the equipment facilitated by Sen. Sodiq Umar, representing Kwara North Senatorial District, under the ZIP has added to the existing equipments in the centre built by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (Tetfund) in 2013.

The tracking team saw 44 of the computer sets domiciled in the CBT centre, and Dr Bamidele said the remaining six were in different offices in the computer unit.

The Team lead, Soliu Abdullahi Foundation, Engr Jubril Adam who led some of the youths to the CBT centre said though the youths are aware that the facilities were brought, but they do not know who facilitated the project.

An Elder stateman in the community Alhaji Baba Ndakozhiri said he was aware that Sen. Umar facilitated the provision of the equipment to the CBT centre, but he should do more in carrying people along in projects execution.

He advised the senator not to leave his programmes or projects to party executives but to have coordinators that will ensure they are well carried out.

Alhaji Ndakozhiri who is a former Local Government Secretary advised the group to have an independent person in the community that could monitor projects for the NGO to ensure transparency.

The Emir of Lafiagi, Alhaji Mohammed Kudu Kawu commended the group for working towards ensuring trust, accountability and transparency in government.

He said the project under discussion was already serving its purpose as indigenes in the community used it for the 2024 Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB). examinations.

Revd Father, Joseph Awoyale in his remarks also commeded the group for the initiative and sought for intervention on the bad road leading to the community.

NAN reports that women, youths and People With Disability (PWD) in the community were sensitised on the need to be involved in how public funds were spent by their representatives.

They were also taken through the use of the NOMTrack project nomination and tracking tool used in nominating projects that will positively impact their communities and also tracking same projects when awarded.

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