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From Isaac Job, Uyo
Professionals in Public Procurement under the aegis of Association of Public Procurement Practitioners of Nigeria (APPON) have appealed to National Assembly to expedite actions in the passage of bill to establish regulatory body for the purpose of eliminating quackery in line with global standard practice.
Speaking in press conference in Uyo on Tuesday, during the 4th Annual conference tagged “Uyo 2024”, the National President of the Association Dr Emem James Kanico said passage of the bill now before the National Assembly will give legal backing to procurement to practitioners in Nigeria and provide them with a seal of practice to authenticate procurement practices .
Kanico explained that the bill will help them to check quack Procurement Officers now working in government agencies as procurement executives without adequate , knowledge , expertise and professionalism to drive procurement ethics and contract packaging for government.
“We called the national assembly to expedite action on the passage of our Bills for the creation of association of public procurement officers and another bill for the establishment of public Procurement Council of Nigeria
“This will enable the procurement officers and auditors to operate and offer their professionalism under their trust seal even after their retirement from government service as obtained in other professions”
The 4th National Conference of the body held at Watbridge Hotels Uyo, with the theme “Sustainable Procurement Practice in Nigeria: The Tool for good governance” is expected to train Procurement Officers from different government agencies on the rudiments of public procurement practices .
He lamented that the profession for now has become a free-for-all, where anybody can just move in and practice, adding that such has been responsible for failed projects in the country.
According to him the public procurement profession has been infiltrated by quacks with over 80% of the converted procurement officers not in the procurement departments.
“I want to tell you that 80% of converted procurement officers are not in the procurement departments, meaning that quacks are still running the business, in the legal profession you cannot just carry your wigs and start going to court, it is not done anywhere.
“Government has issued a circular to create a cadre for public procurement and there is another circular that prohibits non-public procurement officers from practicing, but as we speak it’s a free-for-all, whoever believes in anybody will just say my brother come on board and practice and that is why you are seeing failed projects.
“You cannot give what you don’t have and you cannot build on nothing; you must build on something. So, public procurement is above buying and selling. People still believe that public procurement is purchase and supply, it has gone above that, it’s a systemic and logical way of taking from Needs assessment to contract execution” He said.
While calling on governments at all levels to support the association’s drive, advocacy and contribution to national development by Institutionalising procurement practice in governance, the president expressed hope that the conference would equip participants with enhanced knowledge of cost reduction, improved compliance and innovation in procurement best practices among others.
