Tinubu Called Upon To Tackle Procurement Irregularities In Ministries And Agencies

Tinubu Called Upon To Tackle Procurement Irregularities In Ministries And Agencies

As preparations for the 2025 budget intensify, the Network for the Actualization of Social Growth and Viable Development (NEFGAD) has issued a warning to Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) against budgeting and executing projects outside their established mandates. The group has urged President Bola Tinubu to investigate and impose sanctions on any MDAs found to be violating these mandates during procurement processes…….CONTINUE READING 

In a position paper signed by Country Head of Office Akingunola Omoniyi and sent to President Tinubu, NEFGAD emphasized that MDAs have specific objectives and mission statements that are crucial for national growth and development, as outlined in both the constitution and the laws establishing these agencies. They asserted that violations of these mandates come with serious consequences.

The paper noted, “It is alarming to see the extent to which public procurement in Nigeria has spiraled out of control, with MDAs treating themselves as supermarkets for all manner of purchases without regard for their core responsibilities.”

The organization criticized instances where research and space agencies engage in the procurement of unrelated items, such as palace buildings for traditional institutions, motorcycles, and streetlights, or where Women Affairs establishments allocate budgets for highway construction. NEFGAD warned that such reckless procurement practices result in the misappropriation of public funds, ultimately worsening the living conditions of ordinary citizens.

The position paper further explained, “The root causes of the current hardships faced by Nigerians are linked to these unchecked procurement practices, which turn procuring entities into dumping grounds for illicit transactions that lack proper needs and impact assessments, as mandated by the Public Procurement Act of 2007.”

Highlighting President Tinubu’s commitment to his Renewed Hope Agenda, the group noted that while the president is actively seeking funding for vital infrastructure projects, these positive efforts are undermined by misguided procurement practices that hinder the pace of development. NEFGAD concluded by asserting that a nation cannot progress under such disorganized and unprincipled procurement and fiscal conditions.