Adhere Strictly to Procurement Act, Magu Warns Public Officers

Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja

The acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu has warned public and civil servants, particularly, heads of government agencies to adhere strictly to the provisions of the Procurement Act, 2007 in award of contracts and procurement processes or risk prosecution.

Magu, who vowed to inject fresh vigour into the anti-corruption fight in the country, noted that the anti-graft war was unstoppable.
Speaking in Abuja on Saturday at a retreat on public procurement for chief executive officers/accounting officers of ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) of government, organised by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Magu said the EFCC was resolute in combating corruption irrespective of the growing adversarial tendencies from many quarters.

He stated: “It has come to our knowledge that heads of public officers try to steal from public coffers through procurement processes. For us everybody has a duty to fight corruption.

“I want to warn that only strict adherence to 2007 Procurement Act will save you from jail term. Nothing will stop us in the fight against corruption, nothing. I say nothing, nothing at all.

“Nobody, nobody can stop the fight, it has come to stay and we are determined. We are unrelenting in the face of serious adversity serious adversity. Nothing can stop us.

“Even though, corruption is fighting back, we will continue to fight and we will win at the end of the day, because we are not fighting corruption as an individual. Every Nigerian should join in the fight against corruption,” he said
While soliciting for the support of all Nigerians to win the war against corruption, he expressed optimism that victory was certain.
“The appeal is that we want to mobilise everybody, the best strategy in fighting corruption is to bring everybody on board and I am telling you, we will succeed. No doubt about that,” he added.

In his address, the BPP Director General, Mamman Ahmadu said the retreat was organised in line with ongoing reforms for the purpose of efficiency, transparency, accountability and value for money, in the entire process.

Nigeria’s status as a signatory to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), he stated, and this made it imperative that all hands must be on deck to see that the country escapes from the throes of corruption, which is often perpetrated via public procurement activities.

He expressed the hope that the gathering would address and resolve the inadequacies in the procurement process and galvanise into more efficiency in the entire reform process.