By Terhemen Ater
A wave of jubilation swept through the air as constituency projects were initiated in select communities within the Kwande/Ushongo and Buruku federal constituencies of Benue State back in 2021. However, as the calendar flips two years forward, the excitement has given way to a sobering reality, with residents expressing a profound sense of disappointment as their once-soaring expectations lie shattered.
Projects were either abandoned at various stages or executed poorly
Visits by Safer-Media Initiative (SMI) to the affected communities and a trail of the projects can reveal that many of the projects were abandoned at various stages of implementation.
SMI also found that instead of the expected motorised boreholes, manual water pump machines were installed, deviating from the original project design as shown on the signpost erected for the contract at the project sites. In some cases, the boreholes were completed, but not a single drop of water flowed from them, leaving communities grappling with unmet expectations.
The projects were zonal interventions outlined in the 2021 budget.
Zonal Intervention Projects (ZIPs), also referred to as constituency projects, were introduced in 1999 during former president Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration.
The ZIPs are nominated by members of the national assembly from the thirty-six states and the Federal Capital Territory—the one hundred and nine senators and the three hundred and sixty members in the House of Representatives.
Each budget year allocates one hundred billion naira to ZIPs, and the implementation is done by relevant ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) of the federal government, with lawmakers carrying out the oversight function.
The ZIPs sites in Benue State visited by SMI were water projects nominated by former House of Representatives members for Kwande/Ushongo, Robert Tyough, and that of Buruku Federal Constituency, Kpam Jimin Sokpo, with the National Water Resources Institute Kaduna as the client and Polaris Capital Limited Abuja as the contractor.
The projects were sited at LGEA Primary School Uyough, Koti Apera, Ushongo Market Square, NKST Church Kuhe and Central Mosque Adikpo in Kwande/Ushongo Federal Constituency.
The other sites are at Tofi, Tse Gbor and Gbaabo communities in Buruku Federal Constituency.
In Mbaade-Buruku, residents told SMI that they were poised with hope as the prospect of a water project loomed large. However, the reality that unfolded was different.
“Two large communities here, with a combined population exceeding five thousand, were hoping to benefit from the water project, but it has not been functional and all efforts to draw attention of our former House of Representatives Engineer Kpam Jimin Sokpo failed," Dooga Hanior, resident of Tofi Community in Mbaade told SMI
Adding to the chorus of disappointment, another resident, Msughter Targbanger said: “Nobody has taken a drop from the borehole because it was not fully completed.”
In another community, Koti Apera, the project was also uncompleted.
A resident of the community Paul Lange said: “The motorised borehole project in the community was not completed and no one knew the fate of it.”
He added that the project kicked off during the election campaigns, possibly to appeal to voters. However, once the elections concluded, the contractors failed to return to the site
”The water project which would have been useful to the community was abandoned which has dashed our hope of getting a quality potable water,” lamented Terdoo Tyav, another resident of the community.
In Ushongo market square, a borehole was built, complete with an overhead tank. However, there was no power source installed to operate it.
SMI discovered that residents have been relying on streams for their basic water needs. They reported that waterborne diseases like diarrhea, dysentery, and cholera were widespread in their communities.
“There have been rampant cases of people, especially children, stooling and vomiting. Whenever we take children to clinics, the health personnel attribute the situation to bad water. It sometimes results in death," Terhemen Aondofa of the Uyough community told SMI.
In a contrasting scenario at NKST Church Kuhe, Reverend David Labe said the hand pump borehole has been providing water for the Tulan and Nanev communities, and that has largely addressed the water challenge in the two communities.
Project awarded to a party loyalist
A check on the contractor of the projects, Polaris Capital Limited, on the Corporate Affairs Commission portal confirms the company’s address as seen on the signpost erected for the projects. The company was registered on July 19, 2013, with its address at No. 11, Dunukofia Street, Area 11, Garki-Abuja.
Further checks using Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) show that Polaris Capital Limited has Kelvin Sesugh Vihishima and Ruth Iember Vihishima as directors. The checks also show that Kelvin Vihishima was an aspirant for the House of Representatives’ seat for Gboko/Tarka Federal Constituency in the 2019 elections under the platform of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP. This gives rise to the suspicion that the award of the contract to his company might have been a reward system for political affiliates.
Upon reaching out to Kelvin Vihishima regarding SMI's findings on the contract, he initially answered the call. However, after the reporter's introduction, Kelvin requested to be excused, promising to talk later. Subsequently, he avoided responding to calls and messages sent through various channels.
An expert speaks about the poor execution of the water project
Commenting, Ijagbemi Olutayo, Head of the Hydrogeology Department at the Lower Benue River Basin Development Authority, attributed non-functional and low-yielding boreholes to compromises made by project executors aiming to maximize profits.
Olutayo emphasised that a fully operational motorised borehole requires components such as a submersible pump (either electric or solar-powered), a reservoir, an overhead tank, a solar control room, and a control switch.
He highlighted the importance of geological surveys, stating that they indicate the depth of a stable water base, guiding contractors to explore the borehole to the level where water can be reliably obtained. Olutayo noted that failures often occur when these guidelines are not followed, suggesting that the ulterior motives of the project executor could be a contributing factor.
Lawmakers who nominated the projects could not explain how they were either abandoned or poorly executed
SMI, acting through this reporter, reached out to former House of Representatives members who nominated the projects for their respective constituencies.
In response, Terfa Nongo, a political associate of the former House of Representatives member for Buruku Federal Constituency, Kpam Jimin Sokpo, rather conveyed Sokpo's achievements.
According to Nongo, Sokpo has successfully completed over seventy water projects across the Buruku Federal Constituency. He said some were funded by the former member personally, while others were facilitated by him. Nongo emphasised that Sokpo maintains his projects through a dedicated technical team, including those initiated by the federal government.
Nongo said the borehole at Tofi was vandalized despite its completion. However, during SMI’s visit, the borehole was not operational, and residents corroborated that the project had never functioned.
Former House of Representatives member for Kwande/Ushongo Federal Constituency, Robert Tyough, failed to respond to email and WhatsApp messages repeatedly sent to him.
National Water Resources Institute Kaduna, failed to respond
The client, National Water Resources Institute Kaduna, acknowledged receipt of the email sent to its official address but did not comment further.
The ICPC found irregularities in the way projects were carried out
A reliable source close to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC) in Benue State, who pleaded not to be named, revealed that the anti-graft agency has identified irregularities in many of the constituency projects. The source shared that individuals implicated in these projects have been summoned and that the Benue State office of the Commission had submitted its reports to the headquarters and was awaiting further directives on the matter.
SMI requested the findings of the ICPC
On September 25, 2023, Safer-Media Initiative, acting through this reporter, reached out to the ICPC Benue State office, inquiring about the progress of their investigation into the constituency projects. Despite multiple email attempts, the anti-graft agency remained silent. The head of the Benue office cited awaiting approval from the headquarters as the reason for not commenting on the matter.
Almost three months later, as the story was on the verge of publication, the ICPC from its Abuja headquarters wrote to the reporter in Makurdi, granting him an interview on a later date in Abuja, a condition that could not be met before this publication.
This investigation is produced by Safer-Media Initiative with the support of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) under The Collaborative Media Engagement for Development, inclusivity and Accountability Project (C-Media Project) funded by the MacArthur Foundation.