Mohammed Shosanya
A group of anti-corruption civil society organizations,CSO,is amplifying campaign against the growing corruption in public procurement in Nigeria.
The group,comprising of four leading CSOs is facilitated by Procurement Observation and Advocacy Initiative, PRADIN in partnership with Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, CISLAC, Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice, ANEEJ and Human and Environmental Development Agenda,HEDA.
It conveyed its renewed campaign against corruption in an invitation letter signed by Mohammed Bougei Attah, the National Coordinator of PRADIN on behalf of the group, and made available to Premium News.
It identified a 2010 study by NGO Network, a national CSO working in the area of information management, identified procurement corruption as responsible for over 70% of total corruption in the public sector in Nigeria.
The group lamented that the menace has reached the rooftop despite several investments in the fight to reduce the problem in the country.
Key stakeholders have been invited to a one-day Roundtable to discuss,digest the critical issues, and advance a new strategy in tackling the cankerworm,as well as set in motion practical steps and strategies towards addressing the phenomenon that will assist the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the fight against corruption in Nigeria.
Slated for Thursday August 24, the event is expected to draw participants from the government, professional bodies and civil society groups in a bold move to create avenue for synergy and partnership among stakeholders in the fight against corruption in the country.
According to the invite,some of the major stakeholders invited and grouped into three categories of implementer, regulators and monitors are; the Bureau of Public procurement, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC and the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply management of Nigeria.
Others include;the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Strategy Implementation Task Office for the Presidential Executive Order 5 and the Nigeria Society of Engineers.