The Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management of Nigeria (CIPSMN) recently conferred professional diploma and certificate on 294 new members.
At a colourful award ceremony held at Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja, the induction attracted CIPSMN president, Alhaji Jubrin Ado, registrar, Alhaji Mohammed Aliyu, other officers, fellows and founding fathers of the institute.
A breakdown revealed that Ogun State produced the highest number, with 77, followed by Kaduna State, 42, Lagos, 41, Abia, seven, Akwa Ibom, eight, Cross River, 14, Delta, two, Edo, 24, Ekiti, seven, and Kano, two.
Others were Kogi State, three, Kwara, five, Ondo, 12, Osun, 20, Plateau, eight, and Rivers, 19.
Registrar of CIPSMN, Alhaji Aliyu, tasked the inductees to consider their responsibilities beyond storekeeping and issuance of pen and paper and urged them to serve as major contributors to business and national development.
Aliyu noted that, without sound procurement, hospitals would wait for drugs, teachers for textbooks and cities for roads, thus “lack of transparency and corruption in procurement directly affects development, citizens and the losses to corruption are so enormous and estimated in billions every year.”
He charged the inductees to try as much as possible to carry out every procurement assignment or task for the benefit of their organisation or establishment, saying the credit would go to the institute for the training that contributed to the realisation of corporate objectives of their respective organisations.
The registrar said the institute has made efforts towards the proper placement of its certificate in the public service scheme with the Head of Service of the Federation.
Aliyu pleaded with the heads of service of the 36 states, their permanent secretaries and directors to reconsider their action because procurement was key to good governance in terms of service delivery.
“The challenges you are about to face outside this hall and in the course of participating in your profession are quite enormous, therefore, you should try as much as possible to make your assignment or task for the benefit of your organisation so that credit can come to the institute for giving you the training required to contribute positively to the realisation of the corporate objectives of the organisation,” he said.