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FG: 80% of Corruption Through Procurement
- By Kunle Aderinokun in Abuja - posted on Tuesday 30th June 2009 Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Michael Kasse Aondoakaa, yesterday said that 80 percent of corrupt activities in the country were perpetrated through public procurement processes.
He also said that the Federal Government would rather entrench a society where Nigerians willingly obeyed the laws without being compelled than prosecute them when they default.
Aondoakaa, who spoke in Abuja at a National Procurement Forum on “Fighting Corruption through Good Procurement Practices,” organised by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) and World Bank Economic Reform and Governance Project (ERGP) said the Federal Government would not prosecute anybody in court when it had not been proven that such person had committed a crime.
“The desire is not to have Nigerians prosecuted but rather to make a just society where people will willingly obey law without being compelled. Procurement and tender process is the grandmother of all corruption because people who don’t have the skill get contracts. "Almost 80 per cent of corruption in the public service arise from contract over-inflation or non-delivery of items, bias, and undue influence to the bidding process amongst others, ” he said.
Aondoakaa therefore advocated the need to strengthen the capacity of the BPP to fight corruption effectively. He, however, said the Federal Government had envisaged that with the establishment of BPP and vigorous implementation of its objectives, the bureau will “stem the tide of corruption, ensure value for money and substantially improve the quality of governance.”
According to Aondoakaa, “For example, it is required under the Act that all bidders in addition to other requirements shall possess the necessary professional and technical qualifications to carry out particular procurements, have financial capability and other relevant infrastructure .”
News Source: This Day
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