Lagos certifies N320bn procurement requests in 2017, registers 1,900 contractors

LAGOS State Public Procurement Agency (LSPPA) said on Monday that it approved over 1,000 procurement requests valued at N320bn in 2017, disclosing that it has so far registered a total of 1,900 contractors desirous of doing business with the state.

General Manager of the Agency, Fatai Onafowote, said this while speaking at the state’s First Procurement Summit held at the LCCI, Alausa, Lagos, the General Manager of the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency, Fatai Onafowote, expressing optimism that the LSPPA would surpass the record in 2018.

This was just as the state governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, urged the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as well as contractors in the state to comply with the public procurement regulations and processes to ensure proper utilization of government fund and resources, warning that his administration would not condone any act of misappropriation and misapplication of public funds.

Onafowote, while expressing optimism about the Agency surpassing last year’s record in 2018, vowed that LSPPA would intensify its monitoring on all projects to ensure that no government project was abandoned or failed to be delivered in record time.

LSPPA boss lauded the state government in bringing about transparency and eliminating the perceived corruption inherent in the public procurement through demonstration of professionalism and adoption of the global best practice in the procurement process, just as he contended that public procurement as a process involved the inputs of stakeholders.

“The Public procurement as a process involves the inputs of stakeholders; the Lagos State government and its MDAs, the Public Procurement Agency, contractors and suppliers, Non-Governmental Organisations and the general public. The success of any procurement process will require the input of all stakeholders. Indeed the process cannot be or deemed satisfactory unless there is an input of all these stakeholders,” Onafowote said.

Governor Ambode, while speaking on the summit with the theme: “Ensuring Best Practices in Public Procurement in the Face of Dwindling Economy,” said that there was need for those charged with the responsibility of implementing the procurement law to be more diligent and conversant with the emerging development in the global arena in view of the current economic situation.

Governor Ambode, who was represented by Secretary to the Government (SSG), Mr Tunji Bello, described the introduction of the Public Procurement Law as laudable.

According to him, the law was meant to ensure transparency, accountability, competitiveness in the way and manner public fund are expended in the acquisition of goods and services.

He explained that the summit was designed to bring together experts and various stakeholders in public procurement with a view to taking a closer look at the law, as it was being implemented and make recommendations that would ensure greater effectiveness.

He charged the State Public Procurement Agency to be steadfast and innovative in the application of the laws and regulations, noting that it was on record that his administration placed a high premium on accountability and would, therefore, not condone any act of misappropriation and misapplication of the public funds.”

“I charged the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency to be steadfast and innovative in the application of the laws and regulations. As you are aware, this administration places a high premium on accountability and will therefore not condone any act of misappropriation and misapplication of the public funds,” Ambode said.