Avoid Rancour in Award of Contracts, Buhari Warns Agencies’ Governing Boards  

Oghenevwede Ohwovoriole in Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari has advised members of the governing boards of agencies and parastatals under the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy to eschew public rancour and acrimony over the award of contracts, warning that his government will not tolerate such acts. 

Buhari gave the admonition while inaugurating members of boards of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), and the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) in Abuja. 

The president, who was represented by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, who inaugurated the 44 members of the boards advised them to steer clear of awards of contracts, as it has nothing to do with their mandate.

He urged them to carry out their responsibilities based on the establishment Acts. 

He expressed his displeasure over the rancour created in some agencies with board members bickering with heads of the agencies over awards of contracts, adding that 90 per cent of members of the boards of the three agencies were retained by the administration for doing their jobs with integrity. 

Pantami said his ministry had carried out its mandate in accordance with the directive of President Buhari, and urged the boards’ members to be prepared to do the same to enable the administration fulfil its promises to the citizens.

Pantami said there would be no excuses for failure on the part of the boards’ members, explaining that the achievements of the ministry had become unprecedented in the past three years, as it had increased revenue generation to government coffers by over 600 per cent. 

“We have successfully implemented the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy, the National Broadband Plan, the National Policy on National Identity Numbers and Registration, and the National Policy for SIM/NIN on Internally Displaced Persons. 

“The ministry has contributed 17.9 per cent to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), enrolled 87 million Nigerians on the National Identity Numbers database from 42 million two years ago,” the minister said.

He said NITDA has a 19-member board; NIMC 17; and NIPOST eight.

The members of NITDA board are Dr Abubakar Saidu (Chairman), Hon. Kunle Salako, Dr Habibu Imam, Abubakar Bello, Hon. Amarachi Nwanafo and Malam Kashifu, among others. 

Inuwa Abdullahi, DG, NITDA, is the  secretary of the board. 

The NIMC has Prof. Jalo El Nafaty as Chairman, while NIPOST has  Maimuna Yahaya Abubakar as Chairman.