Aniefiok Christopher
A member of House of Representatives, Dr. Unyime idem has reminded permanent Secretaries in the employ of Nigerian government that the era of treating procurement laws as mere administrative formalities is over.
The Chairman House Committee on Public Procurement, Rt. Hon. Idem, stated this when the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, Federal Permanent Secretaries, Heads of Federal Agencies, Director General of Bureau of Public Procurement paid a courtesy visit on Akwa Ibom Governor, Pastor Umo Eno at Government House, Uyo on Friday, July 10.
The officials concluded a four-day Procurement Retreat in the State on Saturday will jet out Sunday for Abuja.
Dr. Idem, who is representing Ukanafun/Oruk Anam Federal Constituency in the House, said Public Procurement law places enormous responsibility on Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to ensure spending of every kobo appropriated by the National Assembly is done in accordance with the Constitution and the Public Procurement Act, 2007, particularly Sections 16 and 38, which place personal responsibility on the Accounting Officer.
Also read
- Rep Pushes for Public Procurement Tribunal to Curb Contract Fraud
- Rep Floats Roadmap for E-Procurement in Nigeria
- Gov Hails Idem for Restoring electricity, Donating N1b to Constituents
‘‘Every Permanent Secretary is the Accounting Officer of his or her MDA. Section 38 of the Public Procurement Act places personal responsibility upon the Accounting Officer for every procurement undertaken by the procuring entity. Delegation of duties does not amount to delegation of responsibility,’’ he noted.
The National Assemblyman explained that ‘‘The Public Procurement Act 2007 provides a clear procurement cycle which every MDA must strictly observe.
– Step One: Procurement Planning (Sections 16(1)(a) and (b), 18)
– Step Two: Constitution of the Tenders Board (Sections 20, 38)
– Step Three: Preparation of Tender Documents (Sections 24, 16(12)
– Step Four: Advertisement (Sections 24, 25, 26)
– Step Five: Submission and Opening of Bids (Sections 30, 31)
– Step Six: Bid Evaluation (Sections 32, 34)
– Step Seven: Due Diligence (Sections 16 (6)(d) – (i)
– Step Eight: Approval (Sections 16(11), 17(1)(r)
– Step Nine: Contract Award (Sections 16(6)(b) 34)
– Step Ten: Contract Execution (Sections 35 and 36)
– Step Eleven: Payment (Section 35)
– Step Twelve: Record Keeping (Section 38(1)(h)’’
According to him, ‘‘the Public Procurement Act criminalises such procurement offences as contract splitting, bid rigging, procurement without budgetary provision, abuse of emergency procurement, inflation of contract sums, and falsification of procurement documents.
Others are manipulation of bid evaluations, award of contracts without competitive bidding, payment for jobs not executed, abuse of procurement thresholds and collusion between contractors and public officers.’’
Idem alerted that the offences under Section 58 of the Public Procurement Act, 2007, attract prosecution, trial and conviction and jail terms for the Chief Procurement Officers who violate the act. In addition, Section 57 provides for the debarment of contractors and service providers who violate the Act.
He warned that where procurement violations disclose corruption or other financial crimes, the House of Representatives Committee on Public Procurement would exercise its powers under Sections 53, 54 and 58 of the Public Procurement Act.
The Procurement boss in the House reiterated the need to review of procurement proceedings and referral of criminal matters to the appropriate law enforcement agencies such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for investigation and prosecution.
The Ukanafun-born parliamentarian assured that House Committee on Public Procurement would intensify its constitutional oversight of MDAs, noting ‘‘We shall not hesitate to invite any Accounting Officer to explain procurement decisions that appear inconsistent with the law. Where infractions are established, we shall recommend appropriate administrative, legislative and legal actions.’’
Governor Eno identified procurement reform as critical to achieving sustainable development both at the national and sub – national levels.
The Governor noted that transparent, accountable, and efficient procurement processes ensure that public resources are used wisely, improve the delivery of infrastructure and public services, and strengthen public confidence in government.
He noted that on assumption of office, one of his administration’s earliest moves was to strengthen procurement law and scrutinize public procurement processes to enhance efficiency.
The Governor revealed that the state has saved over ₦200 billion in project costs through rigorous scrutiny of bids using in-house estimates before contract approvals.
According to him, the savings have enabled the government to execute major development projects without borrowing, while ensuring prudent management of public resources.
Eno said his administration had also established a stand alone Ministry of Science and Digital Economy to digitalise government operations, explaining that recruitment, procurement, gratuity payments and other public service processes are now conducted through verified digital platforms, thereby improving transparency, eliminating fraud and enhancing efficiency.
The Governor stated that his administration inherited gratuity liabilities of about ₦111 billion dating back to 2012 but had already paid ₦87 billion, with plans to clear the outstanding balance before the end of his first term.
He added that salaries and pensions are paid promptly while civil servants are undergoing digital skills training to prepare them for technology-driven service delivery.
Governor Eno said the development strides ranging from the International Airport, roads, and others are dividends of continuity in leadership which he believes in.
He applauded the Federal Permanent Secretaries, whom he described as the engine room of government, for their commitment towards interpreting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision in line with the Renewed Hope initiative, and for choosing to host the retreat in Akwa Ibom State.
Governor Eno encouraged the visiting Federal Permanent Secretaries and their Akwa Ibom counterparts to strengthen professional relationships capable of attracting more federal programmes and development opportunities to the state.
Also speaking, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, represented by his Senior Technical Advisor, Prof. Babatunde Bernard, commended the Governor for the laudable transformation in the State, saying he had taken special interest in the State given its unique ambience.
Earlier, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, had commended Governor Eno for his commitment to good governance, workers’ welfare, infrastructure development and public service reforms, describing the State as a model of purposeful leadership.
She recalled serving in Akwa Ibom during her National Youth Service Corps days in 1987 as one of the pioneer corps members posted to the newly created state, describing the visit as a personal homecoming, expressing delight at the remarkable transformation of the state, especially extensive road infrastructure.
Mrs. Walson-Jack announced that 33 Federal Permanent Secretaries participated in the procurement retreat jointly organised by the Bureau of Public Procurement and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation to strengthen procurement systems, leadership, accountability and effective budget implementation.
She praised Governor Eno’s ARISE Agenda, citing significant progress in infrastructure, healthcare, education, security, economic development, job creation and improved living standards.
The Head of Service also highlighted the Governor’s achievements in modern transportation, digital governance, grassroots security and transparency.
Walson-Jack particularly applauded the Governor’s commitment to workers’ welfare through the payment of inherited gratuities and pensions, recruitment into the civil service, housing support and investment in human capacity development, stressing that a motivated public service remains the engine for translating government policies into tangible benefits for citizens.
Similarly, the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement, Dr. Adebowale Adedokun, congratulated the Governor on the state’s impressive infrastructure, describing the Victor Attah International Airport as comparable to airports of similar status anywhere in the world.
Dr. Adedokun praised the ongoing infrastructural transformation across Akwa Ibom and announced plans for another visit to conduct a peer review of the state’s procurement system with the House of Assembly as part of efforts to further strengthen procurement reforms.
