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Senate probes contracts award by BPP
Mr Olumide

Nigerian-Senate-1 By Christiana Ekpa and Ikechukwu Okaforadi

The Senate yesterday mandated its Committee on Public Procurement to investigate alleged irregularities in the award of contracts by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).
The committee is to report back to the Senate in 5 weeks.
This followed a motion raised by Chairman, Committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Sen. Dino Melaye on the floor of the senate
According to Melaye, there is a monumental corruption going on at the BPP where contracts that are supposed to be awarded at N20 million are awarded at N200 million.
"In line with section 5(Q) of the Public Procurement Act 2007 the BPP is mandated to perform procurement audit and submit such audit to the National Assembly bi-annually", he said.
Melaye said the BPP had repeatedly failed and neglected to perform this crucial and statutory duty particularly for conducts of post procurement audit and submission of reports to the National Assembly bi-annually.
"This neglect of duty by the BPP has affected the National Assembly in its constitutional duty of conducting oversight with respect to the application of public funds.
"Based on section 61(C) of the Procurement Act 2007, the Bureau of Public Procurement is authorised to issue Certificate of No Objection to contracts awarded by relevant procurement entities"
"The vesting of the above power on BPP is aimed at ensuring that the letters and spirit of the Public Procurement Act is complied, government gets value for money, contracts awarded are within relevant threshold and has it backed by budgetary allocation."
The lawmaker said the BPP had consistently engaged in under-hand dealings with respect to the grant of Certificate of No Objection while abusing these powers to make pecuniary gains.
He said that if urgent steps were not taken to investigate this allegation and address proven infractions, the BPP was likely to transform itself from the regulator to a disruptor and will endanger the entire public procurement system.
Melaye equally said that most challenges bedevilling the country were as a result of corruption.
"We have not been able to confront corruption from its root through procurement processes. It is time for the senate to take the bull by the horn and ameliorate, correct and ensure that the BPP does what is right so that social services will be available for the less privilege.
"Our prerogative of government is to ensure that the security and the welfare of the people is guaranteed."
Seconding the motion, Sen. Shehu Sani (APC-Kaduna) said corruption and anti-corruption have become household names in Nigeria.
He said that the BPP was one of the institutions created with the aim and goal to check the processes of award of contracts and transactions between governments and out of government.
"But it is much unfortunate that in spite our efforts to address the problem of corruption in this country; it is becoming very clear that things have not changed. Corruption is perhaps been focused on members of the National Assembly and the executive"
$We have public office holders particularly civil servants becoming contractors. We have to bring practical steps that will cleanse the BPP," he said.
According to him, the BPP has been unable to address the problems that have to do with procurement in Nigeria.
"It is very much impossible for Nigeria to attain any enviable height as an industralised nation once our system makes it possible for individuals to enrich themselves and impoverish the country."
He called on the Federal Government to not only proclaim its commitment to fighting corruption but to also see it practically.
Similarly, Sen. Matthew Urhoghide (PDP-Edo) decried that in spite of all attempts to check corruption, much had not been achieved.
According to him, to checkmate corruption, there is a need for lawmakers to come with laws that are practicable.
In his remarks, Deputy President of the Senate, Mr Ike Ekweremadu said as parliamentarians, they had the responsibilities to Nigeria not only to make laws that will try to reduce corruption but to ensure that these laws were implemented.