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August 31, 2010
His Excellency
Dr. Goodluck
Jonathan, GCFR
President and
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces
Federal Republic of
Nigeria
Aso Rock, Abuja
Your Excellency,
Strategic Role
of Procurement in National Security,
Political Stability and Economic
Development
THE CIVIL
SOCIETY VOICE
We bring you goodwill and greetings from
our Secretariat. We congratulate you
also on the recent launch of the
Roadmap for Power Sector Reform,
which has been described at both local
and international arenas as laudable
step towards ending chronic power
shortages and measurable economic
growth.
Since your assumption of office as the
President of Nigeria on May 6, 2010, we
have watched with keen interest your
administration and its programmes,
particularly on key national issues.
While we commend your government for
inaugurating several Councils and Boards
of inter-Ministerial Committees and
Agencies, we are however concerned about
the non-inauguration of the National
Council for Public Procurement (NCPP),
a more sensitive, crucial and strategic
aspect of our economy that covers all
aspects of asset acquisition and
disposal. And this creates doubts in
our mind as to your commitment in
fighting corruption.
The most recent of these Councils and
Board inaugurated by your office include
the Asset Management Commission of
Nigeria (AMCON) Board whose law was
passed only in July 2010 and the Power
Sector Reform Committee. Ironically, all
the above and those before them are
linked directly to public procurement.
Giving this fact, it therefore implies
that all the local and international
firms named in the power transmission
project from Canada, Ireland, India and
the rest cannot work without effective
public procurement system.
If we apply the rule of law
which your administration hinges her
trust upon, it will not be wrong
therefore to conclude that all
procurement activities and projects so
far engaged by your government and your
predecessor since June 2007 are illegal
and void without the Council. Be as it
may be, civil society organizations and
Nigerians at large are conscious of this
fact but considering the goodwill your
administration has enjoyed overtime, the
issue has been left with the belief that
your office will consider reviewing this
without delay.
And as we prepare for the 2001 General
Elections (2-GE), it should be noted
that the failure of the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC) to
effectively manage her procurement
process will no doubt affect the outcome
of the elections. This is indispensable
considering your avowed commitment to
‘free, fair and credible elections’
by the year 2011.
As stakeholders in the affairs of this
nation and an active participant in the
public procurement process, we have
devoted our time, energy and resources
in maintaining regular advocacy,
consultations and information
dissemination on the need to fight
corruption through transparent public
procurement process in Nigeria. Though
we have recorded some successes in the
area of awareness creation and policy
change, the central issue of regulation
is still left unattended.
From Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to
Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s
regimes, our campaign for effective and
transparent procurement system have no
bound. It is interesting to note some of
the following actions among others
attributed to our activities:
1.
Stalling the Harmonization of the
Senate and House Committees amendments
to the Public Procurement Act 2007
2.
Exposition and Exclusive Report
that lead to the cancellation of the
N64.3bn Second Abuja Airport Runway
Contract Saga
3.
Memo on the interpretation of
the law regarding the role of the
Federal Executive Council (FEC) in the
award/approval of contracts
4.
Independent Report on the
controversial N8.4bn NTA Outside
Broadcasting Vans Contract
Controversies.
Your Excellency, all the above
procurement and misprocurement
issues are still fresh in our minds.
Based on our consultation with various
organs of government, including the
National Assembly, we are worried that
the only obstacle to the inauguration of
the NCPP is the Executive. And as
election campaign hots up, procurement
corruption in our body polity will no
doubt be a subject of debate, as
indicated recently by the Chairman of
the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC).
We have therefore enclosed here for your
information, perusal and action, some of
our activities and consultations
regarding this issue while we call on
your office to produce the following
actions:
a.
Constitute and Inaugurate the
National Council on Public Procurement
with the Hon. Minister of Finance as
Chairman
b.
Direct the Council (after
inauguration) to set up a functional,
effective and transparent Secretariat by
advertising the position of the Director
General of the Bureau and other
principal staff for qualified personnel
as provided for in the Act.
While we assure you of our support for
the growth and development of the
Nigeria nation, we look forward to your
urgent response on this phenomenon.
Yours faithfully,
Mohammed Bougei Attah
Managing Editor/Project Director
NGO Network
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