Umahi partner Bureau of Public Procurement on timely project delivery

Nigerian Minister of Works, Sen. Engr. Nweze Umahi has partnered the management of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) on need for new paradigm of seamless bureaucracies in public procurement processes for efficient and timely project delivery.

In a meeting held at the Federal Ministry of Works, Mabushi-Abuja on Wednesday, the Minister stated that for the works sector to achieve greater prospects in innovation and efficiency, there must be a deliberate effort to remove all bureaucratic constraints to project evaluation.

This is part of efforts to end delays in the implementation of the Hope agenda on the infrastructure development, also to deliver efficiency in road infrastructure revolution agenda of the present administration and to best respond to the citizens’ yearning for intervention.
According to the statement released by the Minister’s aide, he noted the core mandates of the Bureau, which among others are to foster accountability, consistency in pricing, effectiveness in contract execution, and value for money.

Umahi urged the BPP to see delay as one of the greatest inhibitors of the objectives of the establishment of the Bureau. “We seek closer collaboration to enable the Ministry to fastrack delivery of the road infrastructure projects inherited and those initiated by the Renewed Hope administration.

He added, “When we came on board, we insisted on best practices, and introduced innovations to ensure we give Nigerians enduring road infrastructure that is fit for purpose. We therefore need a collaborative resolve to end unnecessary delays in the procurement processes.”
The Minister pointed out that different procurement methods, including restrictive, selective, and competitive bidding measures, are geared towards achieving value for money and effective service delivery to Nigerians.

On his response, the Director-General, Bureau of Public Procurement, Dr. Adebowale Adedokun commended the Minister for the purposeful initiatives of the Federal Ministry of Works under his watch.

The DG assured Umahi of enhanced synergies with the Ministry so that the noble objectives of the Renewed Hope of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on the works sector would be achieved.

According to him, “The interesting thing about you is that you don’t fail in your duty, which I have observed. You start, you end with something that is unique about you, and you’re passionate about what you want to do. We are glad when you extended the invitation for us to come here.
“We know you see BPP as a worthy partner towards ensuring that Mr. President’s objectives in respect of road infrastructure are achieved timely, transparently, and well-accounted.”

BPP Boss thanked the Minister for the initiative to hold the meeting to discuss areas of procurement challenges.

He said, “We are here to hear your challenges, and for us to also hear our own challenges, reach an understanding of how to make sure we work together to achieve the same goal for logical completion.

“From my experience in this job over the years, works is an arm of government that Nigerians see every day. They talk about it every day. If there is the agency or Parastatal or Ministry that if things fail, then Nigerians will shout against Mr. President, it is the Ministry of Works.
“So we place serious premium on closely working with you to ensure we deliver on the mandates in a way that value for money is achieved, in a way that sustainability of what we have on ground is improved upon and even the quality of the roads that we deliver.

“I think our partnership with you, Your Excellency, is that the quality of the roads that we see must return back to the days when we constructed a road that 25 years later is still intact”, he said.

The meeting was attended by directors of key departments of the Ministry and the Bureau, including Engr. Bede U. Obioha, Director Highways Bridge and Design, Engr. Musa Saidu, Acting Director Highways Road Design.

Also, Engr. Clement Ogbuagu, Director Highways Construction and Rehabilitation Federal Ministry of Works and Nasir M. Bellow, Isaiah G. Yesufu, Janet McDickson, Directors of the Bureau of Public Procurement.