By 
By Tayo ABIOLA
The Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs is the only organ empowered to certify payments for Zonal Intervention Projects (ZIP)/Constituency Projects (CP), executed by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
The Head, Press and Public relations officer of the ministry, Mrs Anastasia Ogbonna, made this known in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja.
According to Ogbonna, the federal government made this known in a Servicewide Circular titled: “Revised Guidelines on the Implementation of Zonal Intervention Projects (ZIP) and Constituency Projects (CP)”.
The circular which was signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume stated that:
“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 the Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs.
“Implementing MDAs shall invite the ministry to verify all (ZIP/CP) as contained in both ZIP Appropriation and Capital Appropriation.”
The circular according to Ogbonna, added that non-compliance with the guidelines will lead to lack of proper implementation of the programmes and projects.
On the issue of funding for the verification exercise, the circular stated: “Funds for the purpose of this verification exercise shall be sourced from the Project Administration Funds of the ZIP/CP under the purview of the various MDAs”.
The circular further stated that it had become imperative to reissue it again, following flagrant disregard by implementing MDAs.
“Henceforth, MDAs that fail to comply with this circular shall be excluded from the implementation of ZIP/CP in subsequent Federal Government budgets.”
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