Three months after Dataphyte’s investigation exposing how Teachers’ Quarters projects in Ebonyi were abandoned, the Ebonyi state government has completed one of the projects.
Dataphyte had earlier reported that work recommenced on Uwana Teachers’ Quarters project after the investigation.
Earlier, a sum of Twenty million naira(N20.108 million) was released for the project in Uwana, according to the Ebonyi State Open Data Portal. As at September 2020 but more than one year after the release of funds , the Teachers’ Quarters was uncompleted and abandoned.
However, two weeks after Dataphyte’s investigation, work recommenced on the project and three months after the report, the project has now been completed.
This development is evidence that sustained demand for accountability and transparency in how public funds are used can lead to development. Open Government initiatives like Open Contracting and Open Procurement are critical for holding the government to account.
Earlier, the then Principal of Uwana Secondary school, Orji Orji, told Dataphyte that existence of the quarters will make it convenient for Teachers’ to deliver on their expected duties.
It is hoped that the State will move to complete other abandoned projects across the states including staff quarters and classrooms in Uwana and the other locations in Ebonyi as highlighted in Dataphyte’s report.