BPP unveils new scheme to fight procurement fraud

The Bureau of Public Procurement has launched a Helpful Possession Scheme to detect and eradicate fraudulent actions throughout the procurement course of.

Director-Normal of BPP, Dr. Adebowale Adedokun, introduced this on Monday in a world press convention themed ‘Renewed Hope Via Strategic Procurement.’

Adedokun emphasised that the scheme would allow the company to establish civil servants or public officers concerned in unlawful practices.

“Our obligation, because the Bureau of Public Procurement, is that there’s what known as a beneficiary possession scheme. That may allow us to detect workers or public or civil servants who, by advantage or in any type, have interaction in these practices,” he said.

The BPP is leveraging partnerships with establishments just like the Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee, the Unbiased Corrupt Practices Fee, and the Code of Conduct Bureau to make sure accountability.

“Collectively, the place my work stops? It’s the place the work of EFCC, ICPC, and CCB begins. They’ve a whole lot of institutional and authorized capability. All I must do is to share paperwork with them,” Adedokun defined.

He stated that for the primary time in its historical past, the BPP is sharing reviews on public servants concerned in procurement fraud with the CCB.

“Beneath my watch, CCB shall be receiving [reports], and so it’s their duty, not mine, to ask questions on public servants and civil servants who’re immediately concerned in any procurement course of,” he added.

Talking on the BPP’s collaboration with the EFCC, the Fee’s Chairman, Olanipekun Olukoyede, reiterated the EFCC’s dedication to tackling procurement fraud.

Represented by a Director at EFCC, Olukoyede said, “Contract and procurement fraud represents a major proportion of the fraud round, particularly within the public sector. As an company, the EFCC just lately launched a brand new Division of Fraud Evaluation and Management to stop procurement fraud earlier than it occurs. We wish to guarantee the BPP that we are going to work intently with them to cut back such fraud to the naked minimal.”

The Govt Secretary of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, Dr. Ogbonnaya Orji, praised the management of Adedokun, citing his deep institutional data of BPP as a energy.

“Dr. Adedokun represents one of many institutional reminiscences of this organisation, and due to this fact, I anticipate that he’ll do very properly. Ninety per cent of the corruption we see within the public sector originates from public procurement, in a technique or one other,” Orji stated.

He emphasised the significance of collaboration between companies to handle these points.

Adedokun famous that the BPP can also be addressing problems with inflated undertaking prices via its Value Intelligence Unit, which displays real-time costs throughout geopolitical zones.

He pressured that open competitors in procurement processes is crucial to cut back prices.

“We are able to solely cope with the excessive value of the undertaking if we go along with open competitors. There’s no two methods about it,” he remarked.

On rising native contractors, Adedokun reassured them of the federal government’s help whereas urging them to keep up moral practices.

“We additionally wish to ask the native contractors to up their sport. Standardisation, good moral practices, and constructing the capability of their staff matter. So, we stay up for working with them,” he stated, including, “Native contractors, that is your season. Make the most of that.”

The Director-Normal additionally highlighted latest successes, together with saving $115,000 in a single energy undertaking transaction via negotiation.

“Via concerted negotiation, we have been in a position to save $115,000 for one transaction. That’s a sign to you that we start to publish to Nigerians,” he said.

The BPP’s reforms intention to boost transparency, effectivity, and moral requirements in public procurement, marking a major step in combating corruption in Nigeria.