The Bureau of Public Procurement,saved Nigeria the sum of N1.9 trillion from contracts fraud perpetuated over the years.
Its Director – General, Dr Adebowale Adedokun,who disclosed this in Abuja on Thursday during the budget defence session BPP had with the Senate Committee on Public Procurement,said the agency set up 17 years ago, precisely on the 14th of June 2007,is a key stakeholder in the war against corruption in the country.
BPP, he said,has within the last seventeen years been changing the landscape of public procurement in Nigeria by ensuring transparency, fairness and efficiency on contracts awards and execution.
According to him,BPP has been saving the country from loss of at least N40 billion annually to contract inflation,diversion of public funds and poor service delivery.
He added:”Records from our price intelligence unit indicate that total money prevented so far from being diverted to personal pockets from contracts awarded is N1.9 trillion.
“BPP has over the years been significantly contributing to increase revenue generation by the relevant agencies like the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Nigeria Pension Commission ( PENCOM) etc .
He,however,lamented to the committee that,while BPP on its own proposed N63.5 billion as capital vote for 2025 , the budget office gave it N157billion envelope.
The sum,he said,will not help in any way , help to solve the accommodation problem being faced by Staff of the Bureau,replacing moribund project monitoring vehicles bought since 2008 and executing the E – procurement programme that is in the pipeline .
Members of the committee chaired by Senator Olajide Ipinsagba ( APC Ondo North),wondered how BPP with just 158 workers,would effectively and efficiently monitor contract awards and execution of over 800 government agencies under its purview.
The Committee through the Chairman directed the DG of BPP to include employment of more workers in the agency’s 2025 budget .