The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, says the commission is committed to complying with the provisions of the Public Procurement Act in project delivery.
Ogbuku stated this in Port Harcourt during a capacity-building training on public procurement for the NDDC executive management and directors.
Ogbuku explained that the training was necessary to ensure that management staff fully understood the procurement process.
This was contained in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Tuesday by the NDDC Director of Corporate Affairs, Seledi Thompson-Wakama, and made available to journalists.
He noted that the commission’s contract award letters had been digitised to prevent the circulation of fake award letters, acknowledging that many directors and service providers had encountered problems with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in the past due to fake or incorrect documentation.
Ogbuku stated that the “NDDC introduced the e-procurement system to combat corruption and promote accountability,” expressing optimism that the digitisation of the procurement process was the right step to reduce human error and eliminate lengthy manual processes.
According to the NDDC boss, the commission had come of age and must adhere to government rules and policies to enhance development in the Niger Delta region.
He urged directors to comply with procurement regulations in implementing their procurement plans and to ensure that all requests align with approved procurement plans.
Ogbuku maintained that every director should have a good understanding of the procurement process, saying that “proposals from vendors should be scrutinised in line with the order of priority.”
He insisted that “procurement plans must align with the region’s needs assessment,” stating that the commission’s vision and direction vary each year in line with that assessment.
The NDDC managing director further stated that procurement demands “must align with the procurement plan, which is based on the annual budget.”
Ogbuku told the directors that there was a need for sacrifice in public service, which includes prudence in the management of public funds.
In his remarks, the NDDC Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Chief Boma Iyaye, stressed the importance of capacity building for government officials involved in the management of public funds.
The NDDC Director of Procurement, Dr Chuks Osuji, said the training was aimed at enhancing the knowledge, skills and competencies of procurement professionals, project managers, finance officers and other key stakeholders involved in the procurement process.
Osuji said the NDDC was committed to investing in capacity development initiatives that promote integrity, transparency and excellence in public procurement while supporting effective service delivery and good governance.
The pioneer Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement, Engr. Emeka Eze, in an overview of public procurement in Nigeria, said procurement was designed to prevent corruption, not merely to fight it.
According to him, procurement remains one of the areas of government activities most prone to corruption.
The facilitator advised the directors to strictly comply with procurement regulations to avoid becoming entangled in corrupt practices and their attendant consequences.
Eze emphasised that transparency, integrity, openness, fairness, competition and accountability should guide all public procurement processes.
He commended the NDDC for taking the bold step of adopting e-procurement, describing it as a game-changer.