The House of Representatives has raised concern over the non-implementation of Zonal Intervention Projects (ZIPS) in the 2020 budget by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Office.
The house committee on SDGs at the 2021 budget defence session, also expressed worry that while funds were fully released for other projects in the budget, there were zero releases for zonal intervention projects.
The lawmakers queried Adejoke Orelope- Adefulire, senior special assistant ( SSA) to the President on SDGs for being so comfortable to have executed every other project, leaving only those that directly affect the lawmakers.
They were angry that the year was fast running but no fund has been released to take care of the special intervention projects in their constituencies.
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Rotimi Agunsanya (APC Lagos), chairman of the committee, told members to hold the federal ministry of finance accountable for the non-release of the funds, adding that he has been working closely with the SSA to ensure that funds were released and the projects executed.
Speaking on the performance of the 2020 budget of the SDGs, the presidential aide said a total of 459 contracts amounting to N26.851 billion were awarded in 2020 but N3.009 billion was so far paid to contractors.
“The 2020 budget performance can be said to hanging due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Nigeria like most countries was affected, so it affected our performance, although we have done all our procurement process, so some projects have been executed while some are still ongoing.
“We have completed all our procurement but the payment is ongoing. We have paid N7.5 billion. The problem this time around is that procurement is very slow,” she explained.
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