By Milcah Tanimu
President Bola Tinubu’s administration is under scrutiny for its lack of transparency in the recently awarded government contracts. Despite the Public Procurement Act’s requirement for competitive bidding and detailed disclosures, critical information about these contracts is missing.
Last Tuesday, Tinubu’s aide, Bayo Onanuga, shared details of 20 projects and policies adopted by the Federal Executive Council (FEC). However, only three projects included contractor names, contract amounts, and project durations. The remaining 13 projects lacked at least one of these crucial details, raising concerns about transparency and accountability.
The projects, which include road construction, street light installation, and bus purchases, are expected to follow competitive bidding processes as mandated by the Public Procurement Act. Yet, the failure to disclose complete information violates these regulations, which are designed to prevent corruption and ensure fair competition.
Attempts to obtain additional details from Onanuga were unsuccessful, as he did not respond to calls or messages. Experts in public procurement and accountability expressed concern over this lack of transparency. Ijeoma Okereke-Adagba, Project Manager of UDEME at the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), and Ayo Ladipo, Head of Tracka at BudgIT, highlighted these issues as part of a broader pattern of non-compliance with procurement laws.
Okereke-Adagba pointed out that FEC-approved projects often bypass competitive bidding and other legal requirements, such as environmental impact assessments for projects displacing people or properties. She emphasized that this secrecy makes it difficult for civil society organizations (CSOs) to monitor projects and hold the government accountable.
Ladipo questioned the procurement process for the Court of Appeal building project, approved at N37 billion, noting that only N10 billion was allocated for it in the 2023 supplementary budget. This discrepancy raises questions about the transparency of project budgeting and execution.
Both experts agreed that the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) is often sidelined, only brought in to issue certificates of no objection after contracts are awarded. This undermines the BPP’s role in ensuring fair and transparent procurement processes.
The lack of transparency extends beyond individual projects. Ladipo criticized the Tinubu administration for regressing in transparency, citing delays in publishing details of 2024 constituency projects and the 2023 budget implementation report. She also noted that the BPP’s website is not functional, preventing public access to procurement details, and the 2024 budget document on the budget office’s website is not machine-readable, hindering analysis and accountability efforts.
This situation represents a significant challenge for transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s governance. Both Okereke-Adagba and Ladipo stressed the need for urgent action to address these issues and ensure that government projects adhere to legal and ethical standards.
