Over 600 Constituency Projects Completed, Says Special Duties Minister
The Minister of Special Duties and Inter-governmental Affairs, Zaphaniah Jisalo, has announced that 667 constituency projects have been completed and certified across all states, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), since his assumption of office.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Tuesday day, the minister said, “With the Supreme Court granting Local Governments autonomy, we expect more interventions, especially with our ability to streamline our work and have synergy with the National Assembly.”
He emphasized the ministry’s role as an extension of the Presidency, reporting directly to the President, and highlighted three parastatals under the ministry: Nigerian National Merit Awards (NNMA), National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC), and National Lottery Trust Fund (NLTF).
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Mr Jisalo noted, “The President has ordered that projects must be verified and certified before payments are made to contractors, ensuring completion. This synergy between the National Assembly and our office is a significant achievement.”
“These projects, which include boreholes, Primary Healthcare Centres, and schools, have been verified and certified within 8-9 months across the six geo-political zones. With LG autonomy, we will do more.” He added.
On Local Government autonomy, the minister commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his Renewed Hope Agenda, saying, “This move will take development to the grassroots level, tackling insecurity drastically.”
In another development, he cautioned Nigerian youths against upcoming protests, urging dialogue instead of street demonstrations, which he described as “old-fashioned” and prone to violence.
“I strongly urge Nigerians to shelve the strike, as Nigeria is on the path to progress. Let us embrace dialogue and avoid destruction of lives and properties.” He said.
