*The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) Thursday, January 27, in Lagos, denied scores of invited representatives from the six states in the South-West geopolitical zone entry into the venue of its sensitisation seminar in preparation for implementation of the electronic Public Procurement (e-GP) system for the Federal Government of Nigeria

Isola Moses | 绿帽献妻

The scenario simply appeared like a 鈥榯heatre of the absurd鈥�, underscoring the absurdity of human life, and utter disbelief to several delegates Thursday, January 27, 2022, at the entrance of the Naval Dockyard Limited, located along Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, in Lagos.

绿帽献妻 investigation revealed that Nigeria’s Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) irrefutably denied several Heads of Procurement in all Ministries,Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government, Contractors and 聽Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo, Ogun and Lagos states in the South-West geopolitical zone, entry into the Admiralty Conference Centre venue of the e-GP sensitisation seminar Thursday morning, apparently due to limited space.

Some of the disappointed and stranded delegates, who had come from across the six states, told our correspondent that they were shocked that the government agency could invite people from different states only to deny them entry on reaching the venue.

Essence of e-GP sentsitisation seminar

绿帽献妻 reports the Public Procurement Act 2007 established the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), charged with the responsibility to among others, provide legal and institutional framework and professional capacity for public procurement in Nigeria.

The Bureau also administers the registration of MDAs, private companies and CSOs as Federal Contractors, Consultants and Service Providers on its online platform in the West African country.

According to the Bureau鈥檚 e-Invitation to representatives, titled: 鈥淚nvitation To Stakeholders’ Sensitisation Workshop On The Implementation Of e-GP In Nigeria鈥�, and endorsed by Olusola Olowolade of BPP, sighted by our correspondent, the basic objective of the one-day e-GP programme across the country is to sensitise the stakeholders in preparation for the upcoming e-GP system implementation in the country.

Activating the Nigeria Digital Economy in public sector

Checks further indicated that the BPP鈥檚 e-GP seminar series, slated for three zones in Port Harcourt (January 20), Lagos (January 27), and Abuja (February 3) respectively, are also designed to be part of activating the Federal Government鈥檚 digital economy agenda for soci-economic transformation in Nigeria.

The Bureau stated this much in its invitation to delegates that 鈥渋n fulfilment of its statutory functions as outlined in Section 5(q) of the Public Procurement Act 2007, the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) is required to introduce, develop, update and maintain related database and technology with the aim of achieving its objectives of attaining transparent, fair, competitive and value for money practices for the procurement and disposal of public assets and services.

鈥淚n support of its mandate, BPP is in the process of introducing an electronic public procurement (e-GP) system for the government of Nigeria.

A Naval Officer in mufti (middle) ordered the representatives who came in their cars to leave the gate and park their vehicles elsewhere聽

鈥淭he move towards online/electronic procurement is expected to benefit government through efficiency gains and cost savings, the suppliers through easy and equitable access to information and opportunity for participation, and the public at large through enhanced transparency and accountability.鈥�

According to BPP, 鈥渢he Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the award of contract to the vendor, Messrs. European Dynamics, to configure the e-GP system in line with Nigerian operations.

鈥淭he vendor is currently developing the first phase of the system, which is expected to be deployed within the third quarter of Y2022.鈥�

We obey 鈥榯he last order鈥� not to allow anybody into seminar venue聽 鈹�Naval Officers

However, despite this lofty goal aimed at imminent implementation of the e-GP project for the Nigerian Government, one of the Navy personnel manning the gate was asked why the military facility denied the representatives access into the Admiralty Conference Centre, the relatively young officer said the organisers (BPP) had directed them to not allow anyone in, again, as the venue was already 鈥渇illed to capacity.鈥�

“The place is already filled up please, and there is nothing we can do. You can call the organisers,” he said.

But the apparently confused delegates, who disclosed that the security officials had treated them like elementary school pupils for even approaching them while standing at the gate for over three hours, insisted that the Bureau did not plan well for the important workshop meant to update them on the application of the e-GP system in the country.

According to one of the delegates, who identified himself as A. Richard, the representative said he and several others from different states in the South-West had waited at the Naval Dockyard Limited gate for well over two hours without being allowed to participate in the programme.

Curiously, some of the military personnel, who occasionally, addressed cross sections of delegates at the entrance, even denied any knowledge of the BPP’s e-GP workshop taking place in their facility.

One of them stated: “Gentlemen and ladies, please I don’t know about any programme; I am not aware of anything at all. I don鈥檛 know the programme you are talking about.”

绿帽献妻 investigation yet indicated that a Naval Officer named Nwonodi M.C. much later told the delegates though there was no more space at the Admiralty Conference Centre to accommodate more delegates.

He noted that the security officials at the gate were only carrying out instructions the BBP had given them to deny more invited representatives entry into the arena.

A female BPP official (middle) addressing some of the delegates to confirm that Admiralty Conference Centre venue has ‘limited space’ for all invited stakeholders

Nwonodi told the delegates: “This is a military facility; we obey the last order, that nobody should be allowed in again. Nobody.”

The officer rather advised them to call the BPP as organisers of the event over their ordeal and possible assistance.

In the same vein, S. Yusuf, a Nigerian Airforce Officer, who also came to address the delegates at the Naval Dockyard gate, rather toed Nwonodi’s line.

Yusuf also ordered the invited seminar participants to move away from the Dockyard gate, and thereafter returned to his office.

Nonetheless, it was learnt that some delegates complained that several attempts to call the two phone numbers the BPP earlier provided on their invitation letters, but call did not get through.

Mr. Johnson Akinrele, a delegate who told our correspondent that he came from Ondo State to attend the seminar Thursday morning, expressed disappointment with the entire arrangement.

He, like a number of others, said the BPP could have made the significant e-GP sensitisation virtual (online) for people from across the South-West geopolitical zone of the country.

After much persistence on knowing the real reason why they were denied entry into the venue, an elderly female BPP official, came out to address the anxious delegates at the gate still by the ever-busy Ahmadu Bello Way, on Victoria Island, Lagos.

The official, who did not give her name, confirmed the military officers’ information, and said the venue of the 鈥渟cheduled鈥� e-GP sensitisation seminar was already filled to capacity.

Pressed further to inform the invitees on what was next after shutting them out of active participation in the seminar, the official assured them of sending some registration officers to bring out delegates’ lists for them to write their details at the roadside.

Meanwhile, some of the affected South-West delegates have demanded an official apology from the Bureau of Public Procurement for their precious time and resources wasted as well as undeserved embarrassment caused them Thursday, in Lagos.

They as well urged the Bureau to get its acts right and do a far better planning and organisation of its programmes and initiatives so as to prevent a repeat of such shoddy arrangement in the future.

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