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Procurement Act Review: NEFGAD Decries that Over 70% of Public Procurements Done in Bedrooms, Says Amendment of Act Long Overdue

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Procurement Act Review: NEFGAD Decries that Over 70% of Public Procurements Done in Bedrooms, Says Amendment of Act Long Overdue

By: Michael Mike

A public procurement advocacy group, Network for the Actualization of Social Growth and Viable Development (NEFGAD) has decried that 70 percent of procurement proceedings are being initiated and concluded in the bedrooms of privileged few in the country, even as it
commended the Federal Government over plan to review the public procurement Act 2007 for possible amendments.

The group in a statement, signed by its head of office, Mr Akingunola Omoniyi and made available to Saturday in Abuja. said President Bola Tinubu has again demonstrated courage and tact in tackling one of the most vicious enemies of the country’s growth and development.

Akingunola stressed that ‘’the current Public Procurement Act enacted about 15 years ago is due for review in line with global best practices and changing operational dynamics in the public contracting sector.”

He noted that the Public Procurement in Nigeria has become an ‘anything goes’ phenomenon whereby everything and anything is possible maintaining that the Public Procurement Act in its current form is creating veneer of legality to blatant procurement illegality.

Read Also: We Must Develop Our Agric Sector To Self-sufficiency, VP Shettima Tells Governors

He said: “The Act as it stands has been so bastardised to such an extent that restricted/selective tendency is now a norm rather than exception with more than 70 percent of procurement proceedings being initiated and concluded in the bedrooms of privileged few on whom the Act placed so much supervisory and regulatory responsibilities. The implication of this dastardly act is that 70 percent of the contract sum ended up under the same bedroom through which the procurement proceedings emanated as against solving critical national developmental problems.”

Akingunola emphasised that the Public Procurement Act is not creating any obstruction or impediment to development as what some self serving elements will want the people to beleif, the only timeline set out by the Procurement Act is the mandatory six weeks newspaper advertisement period for bid solicitation, and the wisdom in this is to promote competitiveness that will ensure economy and value for money, all other timeline and processes are at the discretion of procuring entities.

The statement further emphasised that for the country to be littered with over 11,000 abandoned federal projects alone under a regulated procurement system shows that it is the corrupt few that are now regulating their pockets.

‘’One of the major contributing factor for the bastardization of the procurement system in the country is that successive governments are in the habit of enforcing the Procurement Act in breach by the non constitution of the National Procurement Council and appointing Director General for the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) through the back door of non-competitive selection.

Akingunola admonished president Tinubu not to consider the distractive proposal of some people making the President head of National Procurement Council, noting that presidents all over the world only sit to discuss policies and programmes not with contractors to debate contracts either at weekly Federal Executive Council or as Chairman of a National Procurement Council.

He also advised the government to enslaved stiffer sanctions against rampant mis-procurement particularly reverse-procurement whereby procurement proceedings are initiated and sometimes concluded without cash backing.
End

Procurement Act Review: NEFGAD Decries that Over 70% of Public Procurements Done in Bedrooms, Says Amendment of Act Long Overdue

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State Actors Grumble Over Operational Allowances Within the Hadin Kai Theatre.

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State Actors Grumble Over Operational Allowances Within the Hadin Kai Theatre.

By: Bodunrin Kayode

There is a quiet grumble within the ranks of the Joint Security team in the Hadin Kai theatre with an allegation that some forward operational bases are paid discriminatory allowances.

Some sources within the non military rankings who spoke with this reporter claim that their military colleagues in some forward operational bases (FOB) are actually paid higher than the rest of them by the pay masters who are supposed to release these funds.

This has actually led to a silent outcry by some of the security personnel within the ranks of the Hadin Kai theatre who have decried what they described as the unnecessary disparity between their operational allowances and that of the military.

“There has been some underground grumbling within the ranks of the uniformed personnel in the Hadin Kai theatre over allowances and I am talking about the para military and the police who are in the team in this very sector one.

” From our investigation, it has never happened before and that makes it strange and we believe it is not known to the theatre commander (TC) who we all know as a just man who wants all of us to be happy.

” And that is why we are passing this injustice through you people because you are equal partners in the battles we are fighting against our common enemy because we believe the wrong will be reversed as soon as he gets to hear.

“At our own FOB for now, I can say the drilling for crude oil has stopped but we are pinning the ground against the criminals. And I must tell you, the main challenges here is water we don’t have enough water and the food served is not that good.

“we have only been allocated two bags of water for one week in this hot weather and the allowance given is 31,000 naira while the military is 45,000 naira sir.

“So why is there a difference in the money while both of us are working in the same assignment. Before the allowance was N45,000 and was equal to that of the Army but now they have reduced non military to N31,000 and they expect us to pay returns of 5,000 inside the same N31,000” Said the angry operative.

Operatives of operation Hadin Kai are made up mostly of the entire military, Federal Police, immigration, customs, Civil defence, custodial service, vigilante and the civilian jtf.

In spite of all these collaboration among services which includes the state security services sometimes, the war has gone on for almost 17 years with no sign of a true, seize fire, table negotiations or a total end of the hostilities between the country and non state actors.

State Actors Grumble Over Operational Allowances Within the Hadin Kai Theatre.

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Grumble within ranks in joint security team in Borno

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Grumble within ranks in joint security team in Borno

By: Bodunrin Kayode

There is a quiet grumble within the ranks of the Joint Security team in the Hadin Kai theatre with an allegation that some forward operational bases are paid discriminatory allowances.

Some sources within the non military rankings who spoke with this reporter claim that their military colleagues in some forward operational bases (FOB) are actually paid higher than the rest of them by the pay masters who are supposed to release these funds.

This has actually led to a silent outcry by some of the security personnel within the ranks of the Hadin Kai theatre who have decried what they described as the unnecessary disparity between their operational allowances and that of the military.

“There has been some underground grumbling within the ranks of the uniformed personnel in the Hadin Kai theatre over allowances and I am talking about the para military and the police who are in the team in this very sector one.

” From our investigation, it has never happened before and that makes it strange and we believe it is not known to the theatre commander (TC) who we all know as a just man who wants all of us to be happy.

” And that is why we are passing this injustice through you people because you are equal partners in the battles we are fighting against our common enemy because we believe the wrong will be reversed as soon as he gets to hear.

“At our own FOB for now, I can say the drilling for crude oil has stopped but we are pinning the ground against the criminals. And I must tell you, the main challenges here is water we don’t have enough water and the food served is not that good.

“we have only been allocated two bags of water for one week in this hot weather and the allowance given is 31,000 naira while the military is 45,000 naira sir.

“So why is there a difference in the money while both of us are working in the same assignment. Before the allowance was N45,000 and was equal to that of the Army but now they have reduced non military to N31,000 and they expect us to pay returns of 5,000 inside the same N31,000” Said the angry operative.

Operatives of operation Hadin Kai are made up mostly of the entire military, Federal Police, immigration, customs, Civil defence, custodial service, vigilante and the civilian jtf.

In spite of all these collaboration among services which includes the state security services sometimes, the war has gone on for almost 17 years with no sign of a true, seize fire, table negotiations or a total end of the hostilities between the country and non state actors.

Grumble within ranks in joint security team in Borno

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EU Commits €235 Million to Tackle Escalating Humanitarian Crises in West and Central Africa

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EU Commits €235 Million to Tackle Escalating Humanitarian Crises in West and Central Africa

By: Michael Mike

The European Commission has unveiled a €235 million humanitarian aid package aimed at addressing the deepening crises across West and Central Africa, where conflict, hunger, displacement, and climate shocks continue to devastate millions of lives.

The funding will target the region’s most vulnerable populations, including those affected by armed conflicts, food insecurity, forced displacement, and communities cut off from essential services. A significant portion—€75 million—has been earmarked for the Central Sahel, widely regarded as the epicentre of the region’s instability.

Other allocations include more than €72 million for Chad, €33 million for Nigeria, €22 million for the Central African Republic, €16.6 million for Cameroon, €4.8 million for Mauritania, and over €6 million for coastal countries. An additional €6.4 million will support region-wide humanitarian initiatives.

Announcing the intervention, Hadja Lahbib, European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, described the situation as a convergence of multiple emergencies.

“West and Central Africa is facing a storm of humanitarian crises, driven by conflict, poverty, hunger, instability, and climate shocks,” she said, recalling firsthand encounters with displaced families during a visit to Chad.

According to Lahbib, the aid will provide critical relief, including food, clean water, healthcare, shelter, and access to education for children whose lives have been disrupted by violence and displacement.

The region’s humanitarian situation remains dire, with conflicts in the Central Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin continuing to spill across borders, intensifying instability in coastal nations and triggering widespread displacement. The ongoing crisis in Sudan has further strained resources in eastern Chad, while separate emergencies persist in north-western Nigeria, parts of Cameroon, and the Central African Republic.

The European Union reiterated its commitment to acting as a reliable humanitarian partner, emphasizing that the intervention is designed not only to save lives but also to restore dignity and hope for affected communities.

EU Commits €235 Million to Tackle Escalating Humanitarian Crises in West and Central Africa

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