School Unaware as N265m Federal Project Meant for It Appears Diverted in Abia
A civic accountability group, Tracka, has raised concerns over the alleged diversion and possible abandonment of a federal government project valued at about N265.3 million in Abia State.
The organisation said the project, which involves the construction and furnishing of an ultra-modern conference and e-learning facility at Bende Secondary Grammar School, Bende, was captured in the 2024 Federal Government budget but appears not to have been implemented as planned.
In a message posted on its official social media accounts on Friday (Facebook), Tracka said its team recently visited the project site to verify its status.
According to the organisation, data obtained from the government’s public spending portal, GovSpend, showed that N265.3 million had already been paid to Muslac Techno Company Limited since December 2025 for the execution of the project.
However, the group said officials of Bende Secondary Grammar School informed them that they were completely unaware of the project, despite the facility being listed in the budget as a project meant for the school.
Tracka further claimed that although the school has adequate land to host the facility, the project was allegedly relocated to another community in Ọnụ Inyang, along the Bende–Ohafia express road.
The organisation said the new location is an isolated site, raising concerns about the purpose and accessibility of the facility.
During the visit, Tracka said its team did not find any workers at the construction site. It added that the project site already appeared abandoned, with grasses gradually covering the structure that had been started.
The organisation questioned the level of progress on the project, noting that a substantial amount of public funds had already been released, “For a project that has received such significant payment for over six months, the level of work on ground raises serious concerns about implementation, supervision and value for public funds,” the group said.
Tracka called on the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Okezie Kalu, to draw the attention of relevant authorities to the issue.
The organisation also urged the Federal Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, which it identified as the implementing agency, to explain the status of the project.
In addition, it asked anti-corruption agencies including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to investigate the matter.
Tracka said several questions needed urgent answers, including why the project was moved away from the beneficiary school, who approved the relocation, and how the payment of N265.3 million was justified.
Civil society organisations have repeatedly raised concerns over the implementation of public projects in Nigeria, particularly those inserted into the national budget but poorly executed or abandoned after funds are released.
Budget monitoring groups have noted that weak supervision and poor accountability often lead to situations where projects are either relocated, under-executed, or abandoned despite large disbursements of public funds.
Tracka emphasised that government projects must benefit the communities they were originally approved for and warned that such cases undermine public trust and accountability in the management of public resources.
The organisation urged authorities to ensure transparency and proper oversight so that public projects deliver real benefits to citizens.
