The Federal House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government to, as a matter of urgency, set up the National Council on Public Procurement (NCPP), in line with the Act.
Moving the motion, Udem said the NCPP would actively coordinate the activities of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), and give full effect to the Act.
He noted that the National Assembly had passed the Public Procurement Act, 2004 with commencement in 2007 and several amendments thereafter.
The lawmaker said that the essence of the NCPP was to ensure that the BPP carried out its functions based on transparency, competition, integrity, and ensured best value for money.
He added that the NCPP was also to help check fraudulent practices in the award of public contracts through inflation of contract costs, poor project prioritisation and budgeting process, and other manipulations of procurement and contract award processes.
He expressed concern that the NCPP had not been constituted 13 years after the Public Procurement Act was passed and signed into law, and thus contravene Section 1 of the Act.
The Rep lamented that the constitutional functions of the NCPP had been taken over by the Federal Executive Council.
According to him, the absence of the NCPP has weakened public engagement and involvement in the procurement process being the focal point of corruption in the public service.
“It has also eroded and relegated to the background its core function of regulating the activities of the BPP responsible for monitoring and over-sighting public procurement and harmonisation of existing government policies and practices.
“The BPP as is presently constituted, is illegal and was done in flagrant disobedience to the provisions of the Public Procurement Act.
“Specifically, Section 2 (c) of the enabling Act states that the NCPP shall have the powers to appoint Directors of the BPP.
“Also, section 5 (3) states that the Bureau shall formulate the general policies and guidelines relating to public sector procurement for the approval of the Council.”
Udem said that the absence of a substantive council had made these very important functions to be at the behest of the Federal Executive Council.
He expressed optimism that a properly constituted and inaugurated NCPP would further strengthen and institutionalise the fight against corruption which had become a recurring decimal to the development of Nigeria.
The house further urged the Federal Government to immediately dissolve the existing composition of the BPP as it was not properly constituted.
Ruling on the issue, Gbajabiamila directed the House Committee on Public Procurement to liaise with the relevant Federal Government organs to ensure compliance and report back to the House within two weeks.
