Ondo State Sets Benchmark with Public Procurement Audit Hearing
By Awodeyi Elizabeth
Compliance with the Ondo State Bureau of Public Procurement (ODBPP) Law 2017 by Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) will bring about the much-needed development in the state.
This was the position of the Ondo State House of Assembly Ad-hoc Committee on Tender and Procurement during the closing of the public hearing on the 2023 reports of the State Bureau of Public Procurement, held at the Assembly complex. The committee noted that visible development justifies the dues paid by taxpayers.
Speaking with journalists after the event, the Chairman of the Committee, Honourable Tunji Ifabiyi, expressed gratitude to all stakeholders for their cooperation, which he said enabled the committee to thoroughly examine the reports.
He explained that the audit, the first of its kind by the House since the law came into effect in 2017, was aimed at reinforcing public trust in government financial transactions and promoting transparency, probity, and accountability in governance.
Ifabiyi, however, warned MDAs to submit their reports annually as required, rather than delaying them into the following year. He urged MDAs whose reports were not cleared to comply within the stipulated time to avoid severe sanctions.
The lawmaker also emphasised the importance of regular capacity-building training for staff, noting that it would enhance their efficiency and performance. He frowned upon the transfer and retirement of senior accounting officers in MDAs without proper handovers, stressing that such practices are detrimental to the smooth running of government operations.
A senior official of the ODBPP, Mr Bunmi Akinsemola, described the exercise as historic, noting it as the first public hearing on a procurement audit report in Ondo State and possibly in Nigeria.
Akinsemola commended the State Assembly for the exercise, stating that Ondo State is setting a new benchmark in public procurement transparency.
“Although the legal framework for procurement accountability had existed for years, its actual implementation only kicked off in 2023. People had to be capacitated,trained to carry out what the law demands. That’s why there was a time lapse,” he said.
“The groundwork has been laid,training, awareness, and systems put in place. The Bureau is ready. The reports will continue to go to the House of Assembly.”
He spoke passionately about the importance of accountability in public spending: “If I take one million Naira of my personal money to the market intending to buy a vehicle, I can change my mind. But if that money is government’s—earmarked for a specific purpose,then I have no right to divert it for anything else.
“That’s taxpayers’ money. It belongs to the people of Ondo State. And nobody wants to be caught in the web of anti-graft agencies. All it takes is to follow the processes laid down by law, circulars, and guidelines. The Bible even says: to obey is better than sacrifice.”
“We’re already working on the 2024 report. We can only submit a report after the year has ended. We submitted the 2023 report last year, and now, the House Committee on Procurement and Tender is expecting our next report.”
“We will burn the candle at both ends to meet that deadline. And, of course, there will be a public hearing to ensure everyone complies.”
No fewer than 65 MDAs participated in the first and second phases of the audit for the 2023 fiscal year.
COMMENTS