A professional body, Chartered Institute of Public Procurement in Nigeria (CIPPN), has tackled Federal Government over the independence and operation of Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).
The Institute disclosed that the Bureau could not work effectively under the current BPP Act 2007 where it relies on the National Assembly and Presidency for funding all the time to run its day-to-day affairs.
Specifically, the CIPP explained that until the BPP moves away from the Presidency block in Aso Rock, Abuja, to its own complex, stakeholders in the procurement industry would not have confidence in their activities.
Dr. Abdul Mamman, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Procurement and the Chairman of CIPPN made this known in a chat with New Telegraph.
He said most of the activities of the BPP had been adjudged to be lopsided and influenced by government, stressing that the Bureau should stop rushing to NASS and Presidency for funds to run its daily affairs.
Mamman also stated that the BPP should respect existing laws binding procurement in the country, pointing out that BPP as an agency of government was only meant and responsible for regulating procurement activities and not to set standards and organise certificate programmes for public and private procurement professionals in the industry.
He said: “Let me ask this, it might not come at the moment, but at a point in time probably we might need to create some institutional independence for the Bureau.
“Now where the DG will have to go to some places of government to get funding and if they withhold your funding, you won’t be able to operate effectively.
“I think we have to get to that level where the Bureau should have full independence financially. That is going to help the Bureau to work better and support procurement.
The Bureau needs independence to operate because a situation you keep running to the National Assembly and Presidency for funding confirms the proverb that says, ‘he who pays the piper dictates the tune.”
While speaking on the professional body and BPP on conflict of interest, Mamman advised BPP not to add more responsibilities to its mandate like going to academic institutions.
He said: “A typical example is that the offices of Accountant General and Auditor General, do not fight, create, nor develop any curriculum for ICAN or ANAN so let us get it right.
“Because what it means is this, I think if not mistaken the Bureau came to being in the last 17 years, my Institute celebrates 51 years old of existence and now as a body of knowledge, we know where we are coming from, the track record.
Even the BPP Act, I was privileged to be one of the consultants to the National Assembly that made the laws for the country.
“Mentioning of six universities for certification programmes by the Bureau’s managing director is a conflict because they are now taking over what we have developed before without respecting us. “Because on one side, they are regulators.
Now, they are develop – ing curriculum for the universities and at the last stakeholders meeting what we heard was that they wanted to develop National Procurement Certification for stakeholders.
“You don’t have such powers. Such power is not giving to an agency of government that is into regulating activities within the confines of procurement, because the Bureau is established for public sector procurement, while the professional body trains people that are relevant to both public and private sector organisations.”
He added: “ For instance, if you are focusing on issues that have to deal with procurement there are distinctive elements that suppose to allow you to move further.
“Today we are talking about AfCFTA, over time how do you ensure a relationship between Nigeria and other African countries taking into consideration our peculiar experience as a body in Nigeria.
“So what the BPP DG is bringing on board is good, but go by the law because at this point you are violating the law.” Mamman pointed out the “an agency of government does not set standard for a professional body rather they collaborate.
If you have such ideas you bring it in and we sit down. “The DG of BPP is here today and the law in Nigeria said that for you to practice procurement you must first of all be a member of the professional body.
Help me ask him, if he has ever applied as a member of our institute to get qualified through the institute. No. “That’s a violation of the law.
Nobody is against any developmental programmes that the BPP is doing but you must respect the other institution that is out to help advance the course of procurement practice in Nigeria.”