The new Director General of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Mr Adebowale Adedokun, has cautioned staff members to desist from rumour-mongering whilst declaring his administration’s intention to maintain an open-door policy with staff.
The former Director of the BPP, Research, Strategic Training & Acquisition, made this known during the handover ceremony from his predecessor and acting Director General, Olusegun Omotola, held at the BPP office in Abuja.
Identifying rumour-mongering as one of the bureau’s significant challenges, Adebowale urged the staff to avoid rumour-mongers, noting that his administration will operate an open-door policy to every staff member.
“I assure you that my administration will not compromise on the staff’s merit, quality and development. I can assure you that I will respect you and do what needs to be done to ensure the continuous growth of the bureau. My vision is to build a BPP staff that is exportable and of global standard.”
He added that his administration would develop policies to empower women, youth, and persons with disabilities and thoroughly review and follow up on the details of his predecessor’s handover notes.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, the outgoing Acting Director General, Omotola, listed an outdated salary structure, inadequate office space, inadequate budget, staff recruitment, office furnishings and other work tools, and the need for the digitisation of the BPP for effective service delivery as the bureau’s significant challenges.
Notwithstanding the challenges, Omotola achieved significant achievements during his short administration from June 21 to November 18, 2024.
The achievements include the adoption of an open-door policy, enabling direct feedback to staff from the executive (DG), an improvement in the turnaround time for bureau procurement from two to three and no more than a month, an increase in the approval and procurement method threshold, and the stoppage of unwarranted visits of contractors to the BPP office.
“Contractors are no longer allowed into the BPP. BPP deals directly with the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs),” said Omotola.
Other achievements of the outgoing administration include a proposal to the National Assembly to review the bureau’s salary structure, which has not been updated since 2011, and efforts to support an enhanced budget ceiling of the BPP to ensure the Bureau has access to increased funds to tend to and expand its duties within and around public procurement.
In welcoming his successor, Omotola prayed for God’s wisdom and guidance in directing the BPP’s affairs.
