The Senate has resolved to carry out a comprehensive investigation on what it called monumental corruption in the Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP).
It alleged that the BPP was in deep collaboration with Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government in corruption, adding that the alleged collaboration with all the agencies and private contractors had led to the inflation of contracts to the detriment of the Federal Government.
The upper legislative chamber has mandated its Committee on Public Procurement to investigate the allegation and report back to it in five weeks. Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over Wednesday’s legislative business, vowed that the committee would get to the root of the issues raised.
According to the sponsor of the motion, Senator Dino Melaye, the BPP has reneged in its duty, stressing that BPP does not perform or conduct mandatory post-procurement audit. He also alleged that it corruptly issues certificates of no objection.
Senator Shehu Sani, while contributing, urged his colleagues to clean up the system, claiming that civil servants now execute contracts for the government.
In the same vein, the House of Representatives have also resolved to beam its searchlights on the BPP for allegedly failing to exercise its mandate as prescribed by law.
The House at the plenary session presided by Speaker Yakubu Dogara mandated its Committees on Public Procurement and Anti-Corruption to ascertain the level of complacency of the BPP and report back within six weeks for further legislative action.