The Network for the Actualisation of Social Growth and Viable Development (NEFGAD) has berated the President of Senate, Dr Godswill Akpabio for calling for changes to the extant Public Procurement Act and to speed up project completion.
NEFGAD made this known through a statement signed by its country head of office, Mr Akingunola Omoniyi and made available to newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to submit an amendment bill for the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) Act.
Akpabio stated the necessity of amending the act to improve the budgeting process for projects across Nigeria.
Akingunola in his reaction stated that the public procurement Act has no slugish intent over national budget/public projects aside the mandatory 3weeks timeline setout for bid solicitation/advertisement meant to promote competition and economy.
Mr Akingunola further argued that ‘’overtime corrupt politicians are found of blaming their inability to assert undue influence over public procurement at their desired speed and recklessness on the public Procurement Act’’
He averred ‘’that aside the 3 weeks bid solicitation/advertisement timeline, other procurement proceedings leading to the final award of contracts is at the discretion of procuring entities. Hence, Mr Akpabio’s assertion that public Procurement Act slows down Budget and or projects implementation is entirely wrong, except for public officers with ulterior motive who are always looking for crooked ways of actualising their private agenda illegally at the speed of light’’ Mr Akingunola submitted.
Akingunola vowed that NEFGAD will mobilise nigerians and procurement stakeholders to resist any attempt to balkanise the public procurement Act.
Group Faults Akpabio’s Call For Amendment Of Procurement Act is first published on The Whistler Newspaper