The Federal Government has reiterated that only Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs Ministry (FMSDIGA) has the mandate to certify payments of Zonal Intervention or and Constitutiency Projects executed by Ministries, Department and Agencies of government (MDAs).
A press statement signed by the Ministry’s Head, Press and Protocol, Mrs. Anastasia Ogbonna, said that the Federal Government made this known in a Service-wide Circular titled, “Revised Guidelines on the Implementation of Zonal Intervention Projects (ZIP) and Constituency Projects (CP)”, signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume.
“No payment shall be made to any contractor for ZIP/CP by MDAs without verification of the execution of such projects/programmes and certification by FMSDIGA,” the circular read in part.
The circular further stated that all implementing MDAs shall invite the FMSDIGA to verify all zonal intervention/constituency projects (ZIP/CP) as contained in both ZIP Appropriation and Capital Appropriation, adding that before now, non-compliance with the guidelines has led to lack of proper implementation of government programmes and projects.
On the issue of funding for the verification exercise, the circular stated: “Funds for the purpose of these verification exercise shall be sourced from the Project Administration Funds of the ZIP/CP under the purview of the various MDAs.”
While warning that MDAs who fail to comply with the circular shall be excluded from the implementation of ZIP/CP in subsequent Federal Government’s budgets, it further stated that it became imperative to reissue the circular again, following flagrant disregard by implementing MDAs.