The Association of Nigerian Women in Procurement (ANWIP) has appealed to the Federal Government to inaugurate National Council on Public Procurement to strengthen procurement activities.
The National Coordinator of ANWIP, Mrs Patricia Uka, made the appeal at the asassociation’s end-of-year celebration in Lagos on Monday.
Recall that the National Assembly enacted the Public Procurement Act of 2007 in June 2007.
The Act was created to streamline public procurement bidding, fight corruption in the procurement processes, have a level playing ground for participants in the economy, and ensure fairness, diversity and equality in wealth creation.
Uka said that inaugurating the council would help to strengthen activities of the Bureau of Public Procurement’s (BPP).
According to her, human activities are centred around procurement.
She described procurement as the live wire of any government, family or individual.
The coordinator said that after the enactment of the Act, there ought to be immediate inauguration of the council to guide the BPP, but that had not been done.
“I am appealing to the Federal Government to inaugurate the National Council on Public Procurement.
“This has become necessary because Nigerians and Nigeria are being daily short-changed due to back procurement – procurement done by non-professionals.
“Procurement should be given to professionals certified by the institute to do the job.
“If trained professionals are given the opportunity to do the job, Nigeria will save money from contract scam, spend right and buy right,” she said.
She added that women had always been the majority of those inducted by the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management of Nigeria annually, with regard to Lagos State.
Earlier, Prof. Mohammed Aliyu, Registrar/Chief Executive Officer, Chartered Institute of Purchasing/Supply Chain of Nigeria, said that there was the need for full implementation of procurement and supply chain management rules, regulations and procedures.
Aliyu said that it would go a long way to ensure that award of contracts and associated procurement matters would be handled professionally in line with best practices.
“Procurement and supply chain management professionals must be empowered to work for the benefit of the Nigerian economy.
“The aim is to uplift the status of the country environmentally, socially, economically by reducing poor governance at all levels and make public procurement processes more efficient and effective,” he said.
The registrar said that effective procurement would add value and increase benefits in product purchase.