Civil society organisation Tracka has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the construction and equipping of a N296.4 million Information and Communication Technology/Computer-Based Test (ICT/CBT) centre at Claretian University, a private institution in Imo State.
The facility, commissioned in November 2025, was funded with public money under a constituency project facilitated by Senator Ezenwa Onyewuchi, who represents Imo East Senatorial District. According to Tracka, the centre is equipped with 40 HP laptops. The group raised concerns over the rationale for locating a publicly funded project within a private university while public schools, Health facilities, and roads across Imo State continue to face serious infrastructure and service-delivery challenges.
Checks by SaharaReporters on the Govspend public payments portal confirmed the N296.4 million payment highlighted by Tracka. In a statement released on August 22, 2026, the organisation questioned the accountability of deploying such resources to a private institution. “This raises a critical accountability question: Why was N296.4 million in public funds used to construct and equip a facility within a private university when public schools, health facilities, and roads across Imo State continue to face serious infrastructure and service-delivery challenges?” Tracka asked.
The group urged the EFCC and ICPC to examine the project’s procurement process, source of funding, contract award, implementation, beneficiaries, and the justification for siting a publicly funded facility in a private institution. Tracka emphasised that its concerns centre on transparency and the need to ensure government resources are deployed in the public interest.
The call comes amid broader scrutiny of constituency projects across Nigeria, particularly those funded with public resources but executed in locations or institutions whose ownership and beneficiaries may require further clarification. Tracka maintains that public expenditure must be subject to rigorous accountability, especially where substantial sums are involved.
The demand now places the project under the scrutiny of the EFCC and ICPC, with the agencies expected to determine whether the project complied with relevant procurement, financial management, and constituency-project guidelines. Tracka has also urged relevant authorities to provide clarity on the circumstances surrounding the N296.4 million project, including the processes through which it was approved, awarded, and implemented.
