Participants at the Roundtable on Procurement
The Lagos State Government on Wednesday charged the Local Governments to ensure compliance to due process in public procurement.
Mr Fatai Onafowote, the Director-General, Lagos State Public Procurement Agency (PPA) gave the charge in Ikeja.
He spoke during a Roundtable for Vice Chairmen, Council Managers and Procurement Officers of the 57 Local Governments/Local Council Development Areas of the State.
Onafowote said that following due process in public procurement would ensure transparent contract awards.
According to him, the PPA has observed an upsurge in divergent views and policies with regards to the operation of the public procurement process at the local government level.
He said that the agency had noticed an upsurge in divergent views concerning the implementation of the Lagos State Public Procurement Law 2021.
The Director-General said that this development had resulted in avoidable conflicts between the authorities at the local government level and the agency, thereby causing avoidable delays in concluding public procurement process.
“This state of affairs is a source of concern to the agency and, indeed, the state government, in view of the fact that Lagos State is regarded as a role model among the states of the federation, with regard to compliance to due process in public procurement.
“We are particularly worried over this development at the local government level.
“Our worries stem from the fact that the Lagos State Public Procurement Law 2021 was primarily enacted to address some observed peculiarities at the local government level and other issues.
“This is to ensure that public procurement process could be more flexible, more inclusive, more competitive and more responsive to deliver value for money at the Local Government Areas and Local Council Development Areas of the state, being the closest to the people,” he said.
Onafowote said that the state government had made a lot of efforts to address all identified areas of challenge and conflict through the Lagos State Procurement Law 2021.
He said that in spite of these, however, the public procurement system at the local government level was still characterised by conflicts and disagreements.
“As public officials at the local government level, therefore, I urge you to close ranks and work together as a team striving to achieve the common goal of entrenching good governance through proper implementation of the Lagos State Public Procurement Law 2021 in your various councils,” he said.
In his remarks, the Chairman, House Committee on Procurement, Mr Rauf Age-Sulaiman said that as representatives of the people, the primary assignment of the local government officials was to do what the people wanted.
Age-Sulaiman said that any contract awarded should be within the law, to ensure transparency and good governance.
“We have amended the law, we gave the law new look. It is always difficult to change things, but we must have to move along with global best practices,” he said.
Contributing, Mr Subur Olawale, the House Committee Chairman on Local Government and Community Affairs, said that the establishment of PPA and enactment of procurement law had brought improvements on the way contracts were given.
Olawale said that there had been reduction in the issue of corruption in public procurement. (NAN)
