From Kemi Yesufu, Abuja
The House Committee on Public Procurement has summoned the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, and the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mahmoud Isa-Dutse, to appear before it today.
The Wole Oke-led committee issued the summons yesterday at the commencement of a two-day investigative hearing on two motions: “A Call for Investigation on the Allegations of Abuse, Breach and Violations of the Public Procurement Act of 2007, in the Engagement of Contractors for the Pre-Shipment Inspection and Monitoring of Crude Oil and Gas export from Nigeria” and “Need for the Investigation of Indiscriminate Issuance of Certificate of No Objections by the Bureau of Public Procurement.”
The committee in insisting on the appearance of the Minister and the Permanent Secretary, said the allegations against the Ministry touched on the revenue of the country, which makes it imperative she appears before the committee to speak on the allegations.
The committee therefore asked the Ministry’s Director of Legal Department, Christopher Gabriel, out of the venue, saying, he “had no authority to represent the Minister.”
Gabriel explained to the lawmakers that he was only informed about the hearing last Friday even as he tendered a letter which had the name of the Permanent-Secretary on it as the representative of the Minister to the hearing.
Following the Director’s explanation, the committee criticised the attitude of members of the Executive to an investigative hearing, which is related to the revenue of the country and subsequently insisted on the presence of the Finance Minister and her Permanent-Secretary in today’s session.
Director General of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Mamman Ahmad, who appeared at the hearing read two memos from President Muhammadu Buhari dated June 11 and July 3, 2015, by the Chairman of the committee in which the President insisted that the pre-shipment agents appointed to ship oil and gas must the experienced. This was as the committee said the Director General failed to verify the claims of bidders regarding their capacity and capability, adding that he didn’t carry out the President’s order by not ensuring that all laid down procurement laws are abided with.
Members pointed out that Sections 18 and 18b of the Procurement Act were violated as procurement plans, number of consultants and their locations were not submitted by the Ministry of Finance.
Ahmad said only the Ministry of Finance can answer some of the committee’s questions as the BPP acted “on the strength of the documents before us. We recommended that the Ministry carry out post-qualification investigation,” he said.
Earlier, Speaker Yakubu Dogara, said the House was committed to playing its part to ensure transparency and accountability in the lifting of crude oil in Nigeria. The Speaker was represented by the Deputy Minority leader, Chukwuka Onyema.
“The World Bank also estimated that $300 billion of government fund generated from crude oil cannot be accounted for as it may have found its way into the pockets of some individuals,” Dogara said.