Minister Seeks End To Procurement Bottle-necks For Timely Completion Of Road Projects
By ABAH ABAH, Abuja
As part of efforts to end delays in the implementation of road projects, Minister of Works Sen. Nweze David Umahi has had a partnership discussion with the management of the Bureau of Public Procurement, BPP, on the need to due away with bureaucracies that cause delays in public procurement processes for efficient and timely project delivery.
During a meeting held at the Federal Ministry of Works in Abuja, the Minister noted that for the works sector to achieve greater prospects in innovation, efficiency, and economy in the road infrastructure revolution agenda of the present administration and to best respond to the citizens’ yearning for road sector intervention, there must be a deliberate effort to remove all bureaucratic constraints to project evaluation by BPP.
The Minister, in a statement signed by his media aide, Barr. Orji U. Orji, said the core mandates of the Bureau includes fostering accountability, consistency in pricing, effectiveness in contract execution, and value for money, urging them to see delay as one of the greatest inhibitors of the objectives of the establishment of the Bureau.
“We seek closer cooperation and collaboration to enable the ministry fastrack delivery of the road infrastructure projects inherited and those initiated by the Renewed Hope administration.
“When we came on board, we insisted on best practices, and we introduced innovations to ensure we give Nigerians enduring road infrastructure that is fit for purpose.
“We therefore need a collaborative resolve to end unnecessary delays in the procurement processes,” he said, pointing out that different procurement methods, including restrictive, selective, and competitive bidding measures were geared towards achieving value for money and effective service delivery to Nigerians.
On his part, the Director-General, Bureau of Public Procurement, Dr Adebowale Adedokun, commended the Minister for the purposeful initiatives of the Federal Ministry of Works under his watch and assured him of enhanced synergies with the ministry so that the noble objectives of the Renewed Hope administration of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for the works sector would be achieved.
He said, “The interesting thing about you is that you don’t fail in your duty, which I have observed. You start, you end with something, and you’re passionate about what you want to do.
“We are glad when you extended the invitation for us to come here. We know you see BPP as a worthy partner towards ensuring that Mr President’s objectives in respect of road infrastructure are achieved timely, transparently, and well-accounted.”
He noted that Works is one critical sector among the rest in the economy that anything that happens there affec all Nigerians irrespective of status.
“So we place serious premium on closely working with you to ensure we deliver on the mandates in a way that value for money as well as sustainability is achieved.
“Our partnership with you, Your Excellency, is that the quality of the roads that we see must return back to the days when we constructed a road that 25 years later is still intact,” he said.
The meeting was attended by directors of key departments of both the ministry and the Bureau, including Engr Bede U. Obioha, Director Highways Bridge and Design, Engr Musa Saidu, Acting Director Highways Road Design and Engr Clement Ogbuagu, Director Highways Construction and Rehabilitation Federal Ministry of Works among others.