Lagos Reviews Procurement Plans of MDAs

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

The Lagos State Government on Wednesday reviewed the procurement plans of all the Ministries, Department and Agencies, MDAs with a call on the procurement officers to exhibit transparency and accountability in the implementation of the budget.

This is in a bid to ensure that the N1. 046trn 2018 budget positively impact on the lives of the residents.

Speaking at the 2018 Procurement Clinic, held at PSSDC, Magodo, Lagos, the General Manager, Lagos State Public Procurement Agency, Mr Idowu Onafowote, said that the procurement planning is dynamic and living document, therefore estimates time requirement, assumption about institutional capacity, changing priorities and other factors could be accommodated in the course of the year.

He said the review of procurement plans prepared by MDAs for the implementation of this year’s budget needed to be evaluated in order to ensure that it is feasible, concrete to support attainment of the overall vision and mission of the state.

According to him, the workshop was organised in compliance with the Section 26 and 27 of the Lagos Procurement Agency Law (PPA Law) ch.56, Vol.6 Laws of Lagos State 2015, which required each MDA to establish a procurement Planning Committee which is chaired by the Accounting Officer supported by other key functionaries.

“The purpose of annual procurement planning was to align procurement with service delivery strategies of each MDA to government objectives in general. Therefore, these activities will be monitored for compliance in the course year’s procurement planning workshop.

“It is expected that that the outcome of this workshop will facilitate smooth and proper implementation of the 2018 budget as well as assist to enhance the state cash management system by the State Treasury Office, STO,” he said.

Head of Service, Mrs Folasade Adesoye, said that it is critical that MDA’s annual procurement plans were workable and practicable enough to support the attainment of government’s goals and objectives, particularly as it related to the state’s 2012-2025 development plan.

Adesoye stated that the state government recognised that efficient and effective public procurement process was a condition precedent to efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery and good governance.