Akakan Umoh
The Center for Human Rights & Accountability Network (CHRAN), has thrown its weight behind three bills lying in the hallowed Chambers of Akwa Ibom House of Assembly for passage into law.
The bills are Akwa Ibom State Public Procurement Regulatory Agency for the Enforcement of Public Procurement Standards, Akwa Ibom State Geographic Information Service and Akwa Ibom Senior Citizens Agency to cater for the welfare and needs of senior citizens.
Speaking at the Public Hearing of the bills at Akwa Ibom House of Assembly in Uyo on Monday, the CHRAN Director, Otuekong Franklyn Isong, said Akwa Ibom State Public Procurement Regulatory Agency for the Enforcement of Public Procurement Standards; and for other Purposes Connected Therewith has 80 Sections.
Also read:
- CHRAN Decries Akwa Ibom LG Councils as Poverty Centres
- Construct arterial roads to link coastal communities with the sea- seeks CHRAN
- CHRAN Hails EMOIMEE for Executing 35 Projects in Akwa Ibom
The Bill seeks to create an Agency which shall have powers and responsibility to regulate, monitor, supervise, evaluate and audit the public procurement processes of all procuring entities in the state; and harmonise the existing government policies and practice on public procurement.
Isong said CHRAN proposed that deletion of Section 61 with the title: “E-Procurement,” stating that in Public Procurement Law, E-Auction Process legally speaking would violate transparency, accountability, fair competition among the bidders, equal access to bidders, and proper record-keeping.
On a bill to establish Akwa Ibom State Geographic Information Service, he said the bill has 25 sections and is divided into six functional parts.
The Director pledged support to the bill, saying it would restrict its operations to the functions and objectives set out in this Bill, thus avoiding the temptation to conflict, duplicate and/or takeover the functions and objectives of the Land Use and Allocation Committee (LUAC) of Akwa Ibom State, which is a body created pursuant to Section 2(2) of the Land Use Act, 1978.
Contributing to the enactment of the Akwa Ibom State Senior Citizens Agency to Cater for the Welfare and Needs of Senior Citizens in Akwa Ibom State; and for Matters Connected Therewith, Isong explained the bill has 30 Sections, six functional parts and one Schedule.
The CHRAN, according to him, has endorsed the Bill, describing it as ‘‘a good piece of legislation. When it becomes a Law, it will provide a comprehensive legal framework for the protection and promotion of standards and programmes for the wellbeing of senior citizens in the State.’’
He applauded Akwa Ibom government and the State House of Assembly for working hard enact the legislation to sanitise the public procurement process of the State; a legislation for the Geographic Information System; and a legislation to create an Agency to cater for the welfare and wellbeing of senior citizens in the state.
‘‘When these Bills become Laws, Akwa Ibom State will be counted among states that stand out in transparency and accountability in the handling of public funds; the state will have a framework for maintenance of geographic information system in the local government areas which will provide technical support for the processing of grants of customary rights of occupancy; and the state will be seen as one of the states that provides for welfare and wellbeing of its senior citizens,’’ he added.
