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Fresh ICPC report reveals contract overpayment, constituency project corruption
More instances of official corruption have emerged from the latest Report of the Constituency and Executive Tracking Exercise (Phase 5).
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) shared this published report on Thursday.
The projects were used to siphon public funds and contractors were unlawfully paid much more than approved funds for some projects. The report also cited other forms of mismanagement and misappropriation of public funds through zonal intervention projects (ZIPs), better known as constituency projects.
“In tracking and investigating grant projects, the Commission discovered that in some cases, intended beneficiaries got paid far less than it was provided in the BoQ,” the report read in part.
“For instance, a grant project where beneficiaries were supposed to receive N100,000 each, only N10,000 to N20,000 would be given. In another instance, a grant project of N150 million was distributed to only 10 people with each receiving between N10 million and N15 million.
“The Commission found in some cases, particularly projects executed in Ondo North Senatorial District, the chief executive officer of Centre for Atmospheric Research, Ayingba, a subsidiary of National Space Research and Development Agency, was in the habit of arbitrarily and unlawfully overpaying contractors much more than the contract sums without any approved variation. All overpaid companies were connected in some ways to the sponsor of the projects.
“A larger percentage of empowerment items under the 2020 and 2021 Appropriations were found stashed away in warehouses or private properties of the sponsors.
“In Anambra North Senatorial District for example, the Commission found some projects worth N1.1 billion procured since 2020 hidden and hoarded in the warehouse of the sponsor. So, also in Cross River South, various undistributed items worth N1 billion were found.
“The Commission has since enforced the distribution of such items to beneficiaries within the affected districts or federal constituencies.
“331 projects (Soft Projects and Empowerment Projects) representing 47% of selected projects valued at N9.2 billion were tracked. Consequently, there was hardly any of such projects tracked on which recoveries and or confiscation was not made as the projects were not executed in line with the Bills of Quantities (BoQs).
“Training exercises, for instance, that were meant to be conducted for two weeks were conducted in just one day. Also, names of beneficiaries were recycled such that their names appeared on two or more of such projects spanning different locations.”
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See Photos of World’s Tallest and Shortest Women Meet for Afternoon Tea in London
The world’s tallest woman and the world’s shortest woman met for the first time this week, sipping tea from china cups — and bonding over what they have in common while celebrating their differences.
Jyoti Amge, shortest woman, and Rumeysa Gelgi, tallest woman, meet for the first time and share afternoon tea
Rumeysa Gelgi, from Turkey, stands at 7 feet and 0.7 inches, while Jyoti Amge, from India, is 2 feet and 0.7 inches.
Jyoti Amge, shortest woman, and Rumeysa Gelgi, tallest woman, meet for the first time and share afternoon tea
Jyoti Amge, shortest woman, and Rumeysa Gelgi, tallest woman, meet for the first time and share afternoon tea
Jyoti Amge, shortest woman, and Rumeysa Gelgi, tallest woman, meet for the first time and share afternoon tea
“You’re so beautiful,” said Gelgi, 27. “Thank you — you too,” replied Amge, 30.
Their meeting, over afternoon tea at London’s Savoy Hotel on Tuesday, came ahead of Guinness World Records Day, which is held annually in November to mark record-breaking achievements and encourage people to attempt records. The pair have been honored as “World Record icons” in the 70th anniversary edition of the Guinness World Records book.
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“Meeting Jyoti for the first time was wonderful,” Gelgi said in a release Wednesday. “She’s the most gorgeous lady. I was waiting to meet her for a long time.”
Gelgi said the pair bonded over their love for makeup, jewelry and doing their nails.
Video footage showed them sitting down for tea, cakes and sandwiches stacked next to them, with the London Eye visible from the window.
Amge said in the release that she was “so happy to look up” and see the world’s tallest woman, whom she called “good-natured.” She added that it was difficult at times for the pair to make eye contact “due to our height difference.”
“Guinness World Records is all about celebrating differences,” its editor in chief, Craig Glenday, said in a statement ahead of Guinness World Record Day, which is on Thursday.
“By bringing together these two amazing, iconic women, they can share their perspectives on life with each other and, also, with us,” Glenday said.
Gelgi’s record-breaking height is due to a rare genetic condition called Weaver syndrome, which causes rapid growth, according to the National Organization for Rare Disorders.
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The primary symptom is growth and bone development that occurs faster than usual, making those affected taller than average. People with Weaver syndrome may have rigid muscles and difficulty extending their elbows or knees.
Gelgi used a walking aid for support during the pair’s meeting. Her case of Weaver syndrome was the 27th ever diagnosed and the first in Turkey, according to Guinness World Records.
Weaver syndrome is generally caused by changes in the EZH2 gene, according to the NORD, though the organization notes that some people with Weaver syndrome do not have a mutation in the gene.
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Amge, an actor who played the character of Ma Petite in the television series “American Horror Story,” has a genetic growth disorder that occurs in the early stages of fetal development, known as achondroplasia.
According to Johns Hopkins, the condition causes shorter bones, abnormally shaped bones and shorter stature. While the genetic defect can be passed from parent to child, in about 80 percent of cases, achondroplasia results from a spontaneous mutation that occurs in the developing embryo.
On Thursday, Gelgi shared photos on Instagram of the two exploring London despite the cold weather, posing side by side in front of Tower Bridge.
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