The Federal Government has queried Heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) that failed to comply with its directive to submit their procurement records of 2014 to the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).
A top official at the Bureau revealed on Thursday in Abuja that letters were being disbursed to the affected agencies.
“At the moment, the letters are going out to all MDAs for chief executives who are responsible to give reasons why this part of the law could not be complied with by them.
“They will also explain why sanctions as stipulated by the Act should not be applied to them and they are expected to reply within one week of receiving the query.
“It is based on their reply to the query that further actions will be taken against both the entities and the chief executives that have not complied,’’ the source said.
The source also said that after the directive was given, only about 100 MDAs had made their submissions.
A copy of the query stated that the erring MDAs were violating Section 16(12 and 13) of the Public Procurement Act (PPA) 2007.
It also stated that the SGF had through circular Reference Number SGF.50/S.52/T/3 reminded them on the need to comply with the directive, but they had not done so.
According to the letter sanctions to be meted out would include; “suspension of officers concerned with the procurement or disposal issue, the replacement of the head or any member of the procuring or disposal unit of any entity or the chairperson of the tenders board as the case may be’’.
The source said that the law stipulates that all MDAs were expected to file in their procurement records three months after.
He noted that the procurement records were essential to help government in making future plans.
“It is part of what the government will use in planning and also for government to know what is being bought and what government expenses cover.
“It is important that these procurement records are submitted so that at a central point, it can be sealed and the planning can be made for them,’’ he said.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Babachir Lawal, had in October, 2015 directed all MDAs to collate and submit all their procurement records within two weeks.
He had warned that the Procurement Act would be enforced.
