In a bid to ensure better transparency in procurement processes and enhance the anti-corruption fight, Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ola Olukoyede has called for a review of the Bureau of Public Procurement, BPP Act.
While playing host to the management team of the BPP at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja, Olukoyede says the BPP Act needs to be reworked in the overall interest of Nigeria.
He says the law has not been fully operationalised as it was discovered that the law as it is has not aided much prosecution.
He says the EFCC has not secured any conviction using the BPP Act and with the Commission all out to sanitising contract and procurement award processes, the Act must be reviewed to address concerns.
Olukoyede also expressed worry over BPP’s procedure of issuance of “Certificate of No Objection” to applicants on some items for procurement. While he asked the Bureau to look at its processes and procedures and how the Certificate of No Objection is being given out to applicants, he stressed that the greatest number of corruption in public sector space in the country is on contract and procurement.
Olukoyede emphasised the primacy of collaboration between the EFCC and BPP especially in the area of prevention as an anti-corruption mechanism.
In his remarks, the leader of the delegation, Mamman Ahmadu stated that the need for better collaboration between the EFCC and BPP was the motivation for the visit. He promised that the Bureau would at all time furnish the EFCC with information it needs in its operations.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
