Mohammed Bougei Attah, a civil society expert and National Coordinator, Procurement Observation and Advocacy Initiative, in this exclusive interview with PREMIUM NEWS, speaks on wide-ranging issues in the country.

Excerpts:

Nigeria’s insecurity is growing with ceaseless kidnapping, banditry, and the rise of non-state actors to fill the void created by the government’s inability to secure Nigerians effectively. What are your fears about these developments?

My fear is that we are witnessing a growing culture of banditry and kidnapping that may turn the country into a lawless state and reducing our economic base. It may also affect our international listing as the giant of Africa.

President Muhammadu Buhari admitted recently that the closure of the nation’s land borders for over a year didn’t stop firearms proliferation in the country. What does this mean to you and how best do you think Nigeria could withdraw illegal ammunition in private arms?

What this means is that Nigeria is still living with many criminal elements that existed during the political wars where gun-running was a thing of the day. I will not suggest further legislation to curb this illegal possession of firearms but call for Presidential Order that will make offenders face serious sentence for these dastardly acts of criminality. It should be an order that gives the military access to every household in Nigeria to search for unlicensed firearms. Also, our borders need to be better manned; thank God this administration has taken the issue of arms and ammunition for our soldiers to the next level.

Nigeria is said to be one of the poverty capitals of the world, even its huge oil and gas deposit which ought to make the country prosper. What is really wrong with the country and what is the way out of this sorry state?

Without apology to any person or country, I have never shared in the belief that Nigeria is one of the capital capitals of the world. What do they mean when they say poverty capital? Those who share this concept should prove to us the yardstick applied in measuring these indices. And if your look closely at those branding Nigeria as such, it is either out of envy or for economic and political reasons. Yes, Nigeria is one of the poor nations in Africa, much as we have in other countries of the world outside Africa, but cannot be a capital country for poverty. For those that have extensive travels and know the economic structures of other nations, it is easy to know this naming is a calculated program to make countries succumb to their whims and caprices. As a fact, Nigeria is richer than many so-called advanced countries, but our challenges are leadership and management of our resources.

The illicit inflow of funds into Africa is still a big issue to the growth of Africa. How do you think this practice could be nipped in the bud?

Well, it depends on what you describe as illicit funds. I know there are lots of funds carted away from Nigeria and other African countries like DRC, Ghana, and few others into foreign countries, but that same is flowing into Africa is strange to me. Except of course you meant loans or grants through international agencies and donors, and then I can say they are not illicit but misplaced priorities. They can only be illegal when such funds are not backed up by processes and laws. And if I may add, though this is not part of your concern, many African countries have no business borrowing money. The majority of the money Africans borrowed from overseas are the same money stolen or laundered to foreign countries. Take an example of the recent Ibori Loot which the government of the United Kingdom is returning to Nigeria. Should we call these illicit funds or recovered funds? They are illicit when they steal such from Africa and taking abroad but cannot be illicit when such are coming back to us.

Transparency International recently low in the 2020 Transparency International Corruption Perception Index (TI- CPI).What is the link between this rating and President Buhari’s  claimed crusade against corruption since he assumed power in 2015?

Transparency International is an international anti-corruption and advocacy group that has made its mark over the years. But as you will agree with me, things changed with time and the system has been polluted too. The Transparency International we know before is not the same as the one we know today. You have to look at the characters and the players to assume if their reports are accurate or not. As a procurement person, reviews and evaluations on corruption perception index go through very rigorous processes that it is not just enough to evaluate a country under few months and conclude they are either low or high. So it is not within my understanding to compare that rating by TI and the Buhari administration. The facts are on the ground and as civil society actors; we know far more facts than you read on the pages of papers or social media daily

What is your take on the use of plea bargaining and whistle blowing to fight corruption in the land? Have the tools worked, what are the challenges and how can they be strengthened?

Of course, plea bargain and whistle-blowing tools have worked greatly in favor of Nigeria. There are several instances involving former public officers. Lots of monies and other resources have been returned to the country under the Asset Seizure laws. Today we are aware that the office of the Attorney General of the Federation has instituted a process on how this asset will be disposed of, even though we are still contesting that process because we have extant laws on disposal which are contained in the Privatization and Enterprise Law 2000 as well as the Public Procurement Act 2007. The success recorded in the return of all the above funds is as a result of the whistleblowing regime as the application of plea bargain. The government needs to pay more attention to whistleblowers and encourage a reward system that is realistic and transparent.

What are your concerns about Nigeria’s Public Procurement Act 2007?

So many concerns and I have stated them over and over again since the year 2010 when I graduated from the school as a professional. What we have currently in Nigeria is largely the theory of procurement and not the practice of procurement. Professionals are not allowed to perform their roles due to political interest and executive interference. So many illegalities are being practiced daily under the guidance of a Bureau with a direction on how to tackle the menace. As I have stated over time, procurement alone accounts for over 70% of total corruption in the public sector. And yet, the leadership of the procurement entities is either learning on the job or mere officers transferred from one department to another without any formal education or experience in purchasing and supply management. Today in  Nigeria, everyone is a procurement expert without evidence to back it up and these are the same people been patronized by government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies. My brother, there are myriad problems confronting us in the procurement practice in Nigeria. One area I have hammered on in the last ten years is the absence of a Council for public procurement as stipulated in the extant law. So what we have today is a Bureau (son) without a father (Council)

Your group, the Procurement Observation and Advocacy Initiative recently mounted a campaign for the constitution of the National Council in Public Procurement. What warranted this action and what is the current stage of the action to get the council constituted by President Muhammadu Buhari?

As we meet here today, and as I mentioned earlier, the situation is still the same. There have been several attempts, six in all from the 7th to 8th and 9th Assemblies to amend the Public Procurement Act through executive Bills that have failed woefully because we are watching and Nigerians are watching. Procurement corruption alone accounts for over 70% of total corruption in the public sector and to get it right, you need to get the procurement system right.  You can’t expect miracles when quacks are the managers of professional callings. The Buhari administration that we thought understands these issues failed us too. Instead of applying the law the way it was designed, they are supporting illegalities by proposing amendments to make the President Chairman of the Council. So I often ask who the President is and why is it compulsory that the President should be the chair with all his powers exercised through the Ministers and other offices.