By Nkechi Eze
The Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC) has commenced physical verification of selected Federal Government projects in Bayelsa State, with a team inspecting ongoing projects at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Yenagoa, to assess their level of implementation and utilisation of public funds.
The verification team, led by the Head of the Strategic Communication Directorate of the Commission, Mr. Bede Ogueri Anyanwu, visited FMC Yenagoa as part of the Commission’s ongoing exercise to ascertain the physical status of selected capital projects funded by the Federal Government.
Speaking during the visit, Anyanwu said the exercise was part of the FRC’s statutory responsibility to promote transparency, accountability and prudent management of public funds in line with the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007.
He said the Commission was particularly interested in determining whether funds appropriated and released for the projects had been appropriately utilised and whether the projects were delivering the intended value to Nigerians.
“Our mission is to promote transparency, accountability and prudent management of public funds as contained in the mandate of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission and the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007,” Anyanwu said.
He explained that physical verification enabled the Commission to establish the actual status of projects on the ground, identify factors affecting implementation and ensure that government investments translated into tangible benefits for citizens.
Anyanwu stressed that the exercise was not aimed at witch-hunting the management of FMC Yenagoa or any government institution, but at establishing the facts regarding the implementation of the selected projects.
The team inspected several projects at FMC Yenagoa, including the renovation and expansion of the Mother and Child Group Complexes; purification and renovation of pipe-borne water facilities; construction of a two-storey House Officers/Interns Block comprising 36 flats; and construction of a two-storey Resident Doctors’ Quarters.
The exercise is expected to enable the Commission to compare the physical level of work executed with funds appropriated and released, while identifying challenges responsible for delays or incomplete projects.
Receiving the team, the Medical Director of FMC Yenagoa, Dr. James Enimi Omietimi, raised concerns over the delayed release of the Centre’s 2025 capital allocation, saying the situation had affected the pace of work on ongoing projects and created operational challenges for the institution.
“We should not pretend because things have not been too good lately,” Omietimi said, stressing that the financial realities confronting the Centre had made it increasingly difficult to sustain operations and provide the expected level of healthcare services.
He appealed to the Federal Government to ensure timely release of capital allocations to enable the Centre complete its projects and strengthen healthcare delivery to residents of Bayelsa State and neighbouring communities.
The Medical Director also expressed concern over the growing reliance by some residents on traditional medicine, saying some patients now seek orthodox medical attention only after their conditions have deteriorated.
The FRC verification team comprised Mrs. Anthonia Danjuma of the Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate, Miss Into-Sam Audu of the Investigation Unit, Mr. Cyril Longpam of the Secretariat and Mr. George Nwari, representing the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, with Anyanwu serving as team lead.
The Bayelsa exercise forms part of the Commission’s broader efforts to monitor the implementation of government-funded projects, promote value for money and ensure that public resources are deployed efficiently and in accordance with approved government programmes.
