The Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC)
Assessment Report on the implementation of the Nigerian Procurement
Law, has revealed that the Ministries of Petroleum Resources,
Agriculture and Water Resources, Education and Health violate the
procurement regulations more in Nigeria than other MDAs.
The report which was launched on Monday in Abuja
also warned that the continued failures in these ministries will
continue to impact negatively on the economic growth and standards of
living within the country. The coordinator of PPDC, Chibuozor Ekwekwuo
said that 55 percent of MDAs in Nigeria are not compliant to the
regulation of procurement in the country, adding that official
responses to request for information are sluggish, restrained and in
some cases negative.
Mr. Ekwekwuo also said that four years ago in
Nigeria, 80 percent of contracts awarded in the country are not made
public. He urged the public not to lose hope, but make sure that their
voices are heard by ensuring that they monitor public activities like
the budget. He said that contractors and bidders are major part of the
problem of non- compliance with the public procurement process and also
pre-qualificaton is also a major source of abuse.
The challenges noted in the report are limited transparency of
procurement of MDA’s, shortage of technical competence and skills
within MDA’s , refusal of National Assembly to submit to the provision
of the procurement Act and regulation by the bureau, and poor ethical
standards in the service. The penalties for contravention of the
provision of the act include imprisonment up to 10 years without option
of fine.
