By Chika Izuora-Lagos
Governor of Lagos state, Babatunde Fashola has launched the state tenders journal to kick start a robust public procurement process in the state with the view to curtail drain of public funds through poor contracting system.
Fashola, who performed the launch yesterday in the state during the Contractors/Consultants Forum, therefore promised that the 2015 budget implementation will witness the most robust transparency and accountability such that will deliver quality service to the people.
The governor represented by his deputy, Princes Adegoke Adefulure said that with the journal now in place, all ministries, departments and agencies of government (MDA’s) are by the provision of the state public procurement law 2011 required to publish and advertise all bids in the journal.
He explained that the law was specifically designed to entrench transparency and accountability in governance adding that the law has also engendered a new procurement regime in the state.
Fashola therefore warned that all government business, its contractors and consultants must now follow due process as contained in the law.
He said the journal and the websiite of the state procurement agency (PPA) are veritable sources of vital procurement information for existing and potential contractors.
“This is a huge opportunity for the business community to participate in governance” he remarked and urged contractors to take advantage of the opportunity to showcase their competence by participating in the tender process”.
The governor also reminded contractors that the law further provides that aggrieved persons have the opportunity to petition the process in the case where he or she feel due process was not followed.
Earlier, the general manager and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Lagos state Public Procurement Agency (PPA) Mr. Akin Onimole said the journal was a compendium of all frequently asked questions about the new procurement law in the state.
Onimole said that with the presentation of the journal all procurement entities are to abide by the provisions of the law by duly advertising all contracts and bids.
He assured that the 2015 budget will witness substantial increase in advertisement of government contracts.
In his welcome address, the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Ade Ipaye stated that the 2011 Lagos state Public P rocurement Law was not made in isolation but was a part of a process to re-engineer public sector management to ensure public resources are prudently used for the benefit of the people.
He said the law provides wider participatory opportunity to contractors to provide excellent services and a pragmatic approach to conduct public procurement in the state.
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