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The Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu; the Secretary to Government of the Federal (SGF), Boss Mustapha; as well as the Director-General (DG), Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP), Mamman Ahmadu have been asked to appear before the House of Representative’s Committee on Public Procurement.
They were summoned over alleged procurement and administrative anomalies at the Project Development Institute (PRODA) Enugu.
This followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by Rep. Henry Nwauba at the plenary on Wednesday.
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Presenting the motion, Nwauba said that some serious management problems have emerged consequent to the suspension of the Director-General/CEO and Chairman, PRODA Governing Board, Comrade Onjeh Daniel.
He recalled that the Federal Government suspended Daniel through the Minister, Science and Technology in a letter dated 17″ November 2020, ref No. – FMST/PARA/110/S.1/111/T.
According to him, after the suspension, the situation at the Institute degenerated to alleged deception and fraud in the 2020 procurement process, indiscriminate suspension of officers and unprofessional victimization and conduct.
‘In flagrant abuse of the Procurement Act 2007, the new PRODA Management within two (2) months went into contract cancellation and re-award of same without BPP approval in contradiction of an already concluded 2020 procurement process where various contractors have executed their contracts, and are yet to be paid due to the same unresolved management brouhaha.
‘The contractors, who are citizens of this nation, who may have borrowed money to execute/conclude their jobs, may be subjected to financial pressures and untold hardship if PRODA continues to withhold their payments,’ he said.
The House, therefore, mandated the House Committee on Public Procurement to invite the Minister of Science & Technology, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Director General of BPP and PRODA Management to appear before it on the matter.
The Committee is to report back to the house within Seven Days.
THE EASTERN UPDATES
