National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) system Wide, the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) have commenced the second phase of training for staff, especially on due process and service delivery in public office.
This is in continuation of efforts to enhance compliance with procurement procedures by officers and others with related functions.
Chief information officer at NASENI, Chinyere Obiorah-Ekwuazi emphasised on this in a statement, stressing that the training has in attendance: staff from Procurement unit, Finance and Account Directorate, Audit unit, Store, Information unit and some Heads of Department from NASENI system. The training is aimed at ensuring that extra care is taken in carrying out subsequent procurement activities in the Agency.
In his welcome address during the opening ceremony of the training yesterday in Abuja, the executive vice chairman /chief executive of NASENI, Mohammed Sani Haruna, who was represented by coordinating director of Business, Planning and Development of the agency, Nonyem Onyechi, said the training was also aimed at updating concerned officers on the need to follow procedures and laws in order to get value for money spent on any project by the federal government for effective service delivery.
According to him “The federal government through its Agencies awards contracts through the procurement processes and NASENI is not an exception, therefore, adherence to the Procurement Act 2007 is very crucial.
“In order not to breach the Public Procurement Act, 2007. NASENI contacted the BPP for capacity building which gave an opportunity for on-going training in NASENI system wide”.
He pointed out that the procurement officers were drivers and operators of the procurement processes and this he said made the training very necessary, adding that the Agency needed to conform to all procurement regulations and the Public Procurement Act, 2007.
“It will further build and develop the capacity of officers in the procurement process to ensure professionalism and the act of giving priority to upholding the vision and mandate of the Agency to national development”, he said.
Haruna reiterated that the new status of NASENI under the supervision of the President requires extra care and need for effective delivery. “We cannot afford to leave any stone unturned in ensuring that the right thing is done with the special fund allocated to the Agency,” he said.
All the Procurement officers and staff of other departments present were urged to take the training very seriously, which at the end, will enhance their knowledge and would have been imparted with no room for failure or breach of public procurement Act, 2007.
In his keynote address, the director-general of BPP, Mamma Ahmadu said that “Public Procurement is a serious business and it is important to get it right in order to get value for money spent on procuring equipment for service delivery”
Represented by Babatunde Kuye, director, Energy Infrastructure, the BPP boss said every resource of the government must be used well.
“We are interested in getting it right and understanding the procurement concept so that we can move this country forward. Procurement is the easiest way to make money and the easiest way to go to prison” he warned.
