By Paul Effiong, Abuja
Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement, BPP, Adebowale Adedokun has lamented the persistent inefficiency and systemic violation of Nigeria’s budgeting and project implementation processes, calling for tough penalties against violators.
Adedokun described the current state of capital project execution as a “deliberate breeding ground for corruption and fiscal recklessness.”
The BPP boss made the observation yesterday at the just concluded National Conference on Public Accounts and Fiscal Governance, organised by the joint Public Accounts Committees of the Senate and House of Representatives in Abuja.
He emphasised the need for strict judicial sanctions to deter those responsible for sabotaging Nigeria’s public finance system, observing that strict penalty might act as a deterrent for those contemplating wrong action.
While condemning the common practice of starting multi-billion-naira projects with grossly inadequate funding, he noted that such could be a deliberate and calculated invitation to inflation of cost and diversion of public funds.
According to him, “There are projects worth N10 billion or N5 billion, but only N300 million is allocated for execution.”
He, however, disclosed that several federal projects had remained under construction as far back as 2000, yet they continue to receive annual budget allocations without clear evidence of progress.
According to him, such practices undermine fiscal accountability and perpetuate a cycle of inefficiency and waste of resources.
He highlighted the disconnection between Nigeria’s procurement practices and global best standards, stressing that capital projects should not commence without full funding secured.
He said globally, a project must have complete funding before execution, while in Nigeria, contracts are awarded without any financial backing, portraying a clear breach of the Procurement Act.
The BPP boss disclosed that the agency had uncovered several cases where contracts were awarded and executed without budgetary approval or financial support, actions that would not only violate the law, but also threaten the success of the 2024 budget cycle.
While calling for stronger oversight from the National Assembly, Adedokun urged all anti-corruption and fiscal monitoring bodies such as the EFCC, ICPC and the Fiscal Responsibility Commission to initiate strict monitoring from the start of the budget cycle, rather than intervening only after funds have been disbursed or misused.
On the judicial arm of government, he expressed frustration over its failure to convict public officials implicated in procurement violations, despite the bureau documenting nearly 500 infractions in the last seven months.
He, therefore, warned that regulatory agencies would remain toothless bulls do if public servants are not held accountable for their actions.
To prevent future abuse, Adedokun proposed that MDAs should be mandated to provide empirical evidence of past project outcomes before receiving new budget approvals.
