The Director-General of the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency, Mr. Fatai Idowu Onafowote, has pointed out that regular engagement of stakeholders would ensure a better understanding and synergy in the procurement process and facilitate faster project delivery to citizens.
Onafowote spoke while welcoming participants to the roundtable organised to resolve divergent views and policies among Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) involved in the financial aspect of the procurement process flow.
The Director-General noted that the programme was designed to ensure that officials of affected MDAs understand the procurement fiscal regime in order to eliminate bottlenecks in the procurement process.
At the end of the roundtable, which featured five discussants, a 21-point communique highlighting measures required to make the procurement process more seamless was issued by the participants.
The participants resolved that the procurement process should be implemented by MDAs prior to Mr. Governor’s approval to avoid delay in project execution.
The forum also called for the adoption of joint inspection of projects and harmonisation of reports by all MDAs having responsibility for project inspection to achieve cost efficiency.
The Lagos State Public Procurement Agency was also enjoined to intensify its sensitisation and awareness campaigns to all the relevant stakeholders in the procurement process, including political heads, accounting officers and relevant officials of MDAs as well as contractors and service providers, for compliance with the Procurement Law and other instruments guiding the public procurement process.
The participants also implored the Ministry of Finance to circulate the updated list of the insurance companies approved by the State Government for the issuance of insurance bonds, while the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency was requested to forward the Guidelines for Small and Medium Enterprises to all MDAs of the State.
Participants at the event, which was held at the Amber Residence, G.R.A, Ikeja, Lagos, included Accountants, Internal Auditors, Budget and Planning Officers as well as Procurement Officers from the Ministry of Finance, State Treasury Office (STO), Office of Internal Audit, Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget as well as the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency.
The roundtable was moderated by Mr. Akintunde Omomofe, a governance reform consultant with core experience in key areas of public financial management, including public procurement, finance and accounts, budgeting, revenue administration, audit reforms and human resource management.
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