Lawan faults Public Procurement Act

…Says it’s a conduit pipe for corruption

…Promises holistic review of Act by 9th NASS

Tunde Opalana, Abuja

The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has faulted the existing Public Procurement Act as creating avenue for corruption and frustrating implementation of projects, thereby slowing down performances of government ministries, departments and agencies.

He, therefore, promised that the 9th Assembly will apply parliamentary instrument to carry out holistic review of the Act as a way of sanitising the entire process of contracts awards and executions.

The Senate President expressed his displeasure with the system while playing host to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha and permanent secretaries from the Presidency in his office on Monday.

Condemning the Act as frustrating contracts awards and execution, Lawan said “the Public Procurement in Nigeria as far as I can see is not the best in the world. The Public Procurement must be reviewed and amended; we must see how we can make it more practical and holistic within the shortest possible time.

“From the stage of bidding to mobilisation, the costing of any government contracts must be uniform in order to avoid imbalances and embarrassment in the processes.

“A situation where about twenty agencies of government buy the same brand of vehicles at grossly different prices is not good. Market prices must be determined and adhere strictly to, in ensuring that Nigerians are not short-changed through abuse of processes or over invoicing

“Even the 15 per cent mobilisation fee specified in the Act by realities on ground is more of demobilising contractors than mobilising them with attendant loopholes for fraudulent practices,” he said.

Pending the planned review, he said the 9th Senate would ensure that its standing committee on Public Procurement will be composed of members who have the required knowledge and experience of the entire process.

“Our Public Procurement committee will be a very strong committee this time around. The cost of projects in Nigeria is mostly the highest in the world. We cannot continue like this, not in the face of very scarce resources.

“So, we are going to insist that the Public procurement particularly is considered better than before. If there should be a purchase of buses by ten or twenty Ministries, the cost must be uniform so that we don’t drag into crisis on what we buy.

“The Procurement Committee when in place, will make sure we work towards achieving this set agenda in order to avoid putting the public at disadvantaged position”, he explained.

Commenting earlier, Mustapha said the Nigerian project is of great importance to the present administration, urging members of the parliament to continue to strengthen the ties with other arms of government in order to achieve the set agenda of the Buhari’s administration in good time.

The SGF charged lawmakers to always put the nation first, promising that the executive arm is determined to ensure a successful tenure of office for the leadership of the National Assembly and its members.