Special Duties Ministry To Certify Project Payments In MDAs

The federal government has reiterated that only the Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs has the mandate to certify payments of zonal intervention projects and constituency projects executed by ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs).

A press statement signed by the head, of press and protocol in the ministry, Mrs. Anastasia Ogbonna cited 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, 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.

According to the circular, all implementing MDAs will now have to invite the special duties ministry 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 reads that “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 this circular shall be excluded from implementing ZIP/CP in subsequent FGN budgets, it further stated that it became imperative to reissue the circular, following flagrant disregard by implementing MDAs.