ICPC calls for United Action Against Procurement Fraud
By Chizoba Njaka
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has urged stakeholders from all sectors to collaborate in fostering accountability and combating procurement fraud in Nigeria.
Speaking during the Close-out and Journalism Award Ceremony of the International Centre for Investigative Journalism (ICIR) Open Contract Reporting Project (OCRP) in Abuja, the Chairman, ICPC, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, underscored the pivotal role of procurement in public service delivery.
Dr. Aliyu announced that transparent and honest procurement processes are very vital for enabling governments to deliver infrastructure, healthcare, education, and other essential services to citizens.
He identified procurement fraud as irregular contract awards, violations of the Public Procurement Act, and other infractions as a major threat to effective governance and efficient use of public funds.
The ICPC boss pointed out the urgent need to address the issues to create a system of accountability and ensure the optimal utilization of resources in the country adding that the ICPC has implemented several initiatives to tackle the challenges, including the System Study and Review, the Constituency and Executive Tracking Initiative (CEPTI), and collaborations with civil society organizations and the media.
According to him, "these measures have yielded significant results, including the recovery of ₦50.37 billion between 2019 and 2023 from contractors who abandoned project sites. Many of these contractors were also compelled to return and complete their projects".
Dr. Aliyu further stated actions to curb procurement fraud, including fostering integrity among public service leaders, strengthening oversight mechanisms, strictly enforcing procurement laws, and imposing penalties for violations.
In his remarks, the Executive Director of ICIR, Mr. Dayo Aiyetan, emphasized the critical need to tackle budgetary and procurement fraud to fight corruption in Nigeria.
Mr. Aiyetan explained that the Open Contract Reporting Project “is a key complement to the government's accountability agenda, providing investigative reporting that exposes corruption in the procurement sector” thus reaffirmed their commitment to building a transparent and accountable public procurement system, as it is essential for Nigeria’s development and the well-being of its citizens.