The group claims that amendments to the Public Procurement Act are long overdue.
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The Network for Social Growth and Viable Development (NEFGAD), a public procurement advocacy group, praised the federal government’s policies but said that 70 percent of procurement processes begin and end in the bedrooms of the country’s privileged few. claimed to have done so. Government over plans to review the Public Procurement Act 2007 and consider possible amendments.
In a statement signed by its Executive Director, Mr. Akingnola Omoni and made available to journalists in Abuja on Saturday, the group said that President Bola Tinubu is committed to fighting one of the most vicious enemies of the country’s growth and development. He said he had once again shown courage and resourcefulness. .
“The current public procurement law, which was enacted some 15 years ago, is ripe for review in line with global best practices and changing operating dynamics in the public contracting sector,” Akingunola said.
He noted that public procurement in Nigeria has become an “anything goes” phenomenon, where anything is possible. He argued that the Public Procurement Act, in its current form, legalizes the face of blatant procurement illegality.
“The current state of this practice is so egregious that its restrictive and selective tendencies are now the norm rather than the exception, with more than 70 percent of procurement procedures occurring in the bedrooms of a privileged few with government involvement. ” This law imposes significant supervisory and regulatory responsibilities. “The implication of this despicable act is that 70 percent of the contract value was spent in the same bedroom where procurement procedures were carried out that were contrary to solving important national development issues,” he said.
Mr. Akingunola stressed that the Public Procurement Act will not create any obstacles or obstacles to development as some selfish elements would like people to believe.
He pointed out that the only timetable stipulated by the Procurement Act is the six-week newspaper advertising period required for the call for bids. The wisdom for this, he said, is to promote competitiveness that ensures economy and cost performance. He said all other schedules and processes are at the discretion of the procuring entity.
The statement further goes on to say that under the regulated procurement system alone, this country is littered with more than 11,000 abandoned federal projects alone, indicating that it is a corrupt few who are currently lining their own pockets. He emphasized that this shows that something is true.
“One of the main reasons for the deterioration of the country’s procurement system is that successive governments have had a habit of enforcing procurement laws and appointing directors of the National Procurement Council in violation of the constitution. “We are promoting public procurement (BPP) through the back door of non-competitive selection,” he said.
Mr. Akingnola advised President Tinubu not to consider the proposal by some people to install the president as the chairman of the National Procurement Council. He pointed out that presidents around the world sit only to discuss policies and programs in their weekly Federal Executive Council or National Procurement Council meetings, not to discuss contracts with contractors.
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Source: dailypost.ng