The Bureau of Public Procurement, BPP, yesterday, said it had helped the Federal Government to save, at least, N218 billion since January 2010 to March 2011, noting that contracts should be awarded at the right cost and to the best bidder.
Delivering a keynote address titled: “Media capacity building training workshop on procurement reporting and investigative journalism” in Lagos, the Director General of BPP, Engr. Emeka Ezeh, who was represented by the Director of Compliance, Gambo Muazu, called on stakeholders, journalists, consultants, NGO’s, public servants, politicians and civil society to join hands in stamping out corruption through best procurement practices.
“The BPP hopes to take Nigeria to a level where best practices in public procurement are implemented in the overall interest of national development. National development would come if corruption, which mainly takes place through shoddy procurement practices, is eliminated. It is expected that in the near future, corruption in public procurement would have completely given way to transparent and competitive procurement system,” Ezeh said.
He pointed out that transparency will drive and uphold spending within the budget to ensure speedy implementation of projects in order to achieve value for money without sacrificing quality and standards, adding “it is expected that the unfortunate reputation of our country as a corruption- ridden nation as a result of such practices would have been reduced, if not eliminated.”
Ezeh averred that the BPP experienced several form of institutional resistance to its operations, and noted that it will no longer be business as usual.
because the Bureau is constantly educating the people on the need for procurement reform.
In his words: “However, sectors of the establishment often try to work against this mass education process, and our challenge has been to rise against them and ensure that the Bureau (BPP) has its way in the overall interest country. We have as well been empowered by the zeal of the present administration to fight corruption through ensuring best Public Procurement practices.”
Project Coordinator of an Anti-Corruption Advocacy, Yinka Lawal, in his goodwill message, said “until the enactment Public Procurement laws, Nigeria fiscal governance system lacked effective coordination and was prone to abuse and manipulation for personal gains. Our policies on public expenditure did not in any way support prudent management of public resources.”
Speaking on the topic: “Non-State Actors and the Public Procurement Act in Nigeria”, Coordinator, National Procurement Watch Platform (NPWC), Uche Hilary-Ogbonna, told Journalists that the enthronement of the Public Procurement Act (PPA) is to enhance transparency, which is the objective that the workshop is aimed at realizing.
Citing Section 16 (6) of the Public Procurement Act, 2007, she said the purpose of the Section in the Act was for ensuring excellent standard and all bidding must be open in manner which shall promote competition, economy and efficiency, adding “every procurement shall be with the aim of achieving value for money and fitness for purpose in accordance with the Act and rules made from time to time.”
Director, International Press Centre, Mr. Lanre Arogundade, expressed that corruption operates in public contracting through bribery, fraud, contracting process, contract implementation and contract awarding. He advised journalists to cultivate good and reliable sources, saying “sources of information can be cultivated in different ways but it is important to understand the motivation of source.
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