Lagos charges Accounting officers on transparency, prudence in procurement process

The Lagos State Public Procurement Agency, PPAA in collaboration with David Consult recently engaged top government officials, Local Government and Local Council Development Areas chairmen in a workshop with the theme ‘Entrenching Transparency and Prudence in Management of Government procurement process: The responsibility of stakeholders’ at Airport Hotel Ikeja.

While declaring the two days’ workshop open, the Head of Service, Hakeem Muri-Okunola said the workshop was designed to deepen understanding of what procurement process was all about and the need to comply with procurement Law and regulations to support the attainment of the state developmental goals and objectives plans of 2012-2025.

According to him, having good knowledge of the process would bring additional development to the state as well encourage smooth and swift implementations of projects and programmes of the government for the benefit of the masses.

He, however, charged the participants to make the best out of the opportunity of the workshop offered by applying all the tips and knowledge acquired in all procurement processes of the state.

The General Manager, PPA, Onafowote Fatai Idowu, in his welcome address stated that the workshop was essential in order to sensitise and educate participants on the requisite knowledge and skills in Public Procurement and contact management during the implementation and acquisition of goods and service.

“It is a well-established fact that clear, and transparent procurement processes are at the heart of anti-corruption measures, aimed at building people’s confidence in today’s government,” he said.

He added that there was the need to understand that all expenditure by government should be appropriately geared towards the realization of set priorities and targets generated from medium range Strategic plans at the most cost effective and cost efficient basis.

He said the workshop waas aimed at achieving purpose of deepening the understanding of procurement process so that MDAs and Local government overcome the insufficient knowledge of procurement practices and procedure when carry out procurement process in the respective MDAs and LGAs in adherence to procurement law, regulation and procurement guide line.

Idowu further stated that development was only possible and achievable when everybody that involved in the procurement process are ready to work as team, because procurement is about team work and value for money in the public expenditure.

He posited that the problem in the implement of procurement process was issue of corruption that is very pervasive in Nigeria today and the anti- graft Agency, such as EFCC, ICPC are fighting vigorously, therefore as Accounting Officers, there is a need for proper records of all transactions that can speak for us in our absents and the need for compliance.

The Workshop was attended by permanent Secretaries, Director Generals, General Managers, Executive Secretaries, Local government/LCDA Chairmen and Senior Management Officers across the State.