The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership has called on the National Assembly to amend the constitution to criminalise the abandonment of projects by political office holders.

CACOL lamented that the abandonment of projects by political officeholders, particularly governors, had contributed to the debt burden of the country.

The Executive Director of CACOL, Debo Adeniran, who made the call in an interview with Saturday PUNCH, said the state and federal governments had misplaced their priorities, adding that the development had affected several sectors of the economy.

He, therefore, called for the amendment of the constitution to allow the prosecution of any political office holder for project abandonment.

This, according to him, will discourage politicians from engaging in corruption and diversion of funds meant for the execution of infrastructural projects.

Adeniran said, “If there is no continuity in government, abandonment of major projects will be a cynosure everywhere. We have always advised leaders that if even they have a gigantic project, start from that section that they can complete before they go, and do it in phases.

“I think the constitution needs to be amended to make it a criminal offence for any government, any governor or president to abandon a project he started except if there is a natural disaster or pandemic upon which funds could be diverted and that could hinder the completion of the project.”