FG vows sanctions for procurement fraud as Perm Secs meet on budget execution

By Henry Obetta

The Federal Government has warned that individuals involved in procurement fraud will face sanctions and prosecution, as the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) reopened the Permanent Secretaries’ Retreat after a four-year break.

The retreat, themed “Strengthening Procurement Leadership and Accountability for Effective Budget Execution and National Development,” began on Thursday, July 9, at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel, Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, and ended on Sunday, July 12.

Speaking at the event, Director-General of the BPP, Dr Adebowale A. Adedokun, described public procurement as a critical instrument of governance and the link between budget approval and service delivery.

Adedokun, in a statement by the Head of Press and Public Relations of the BPP, Zira Zakka Nagga, said the Bureau had initiated 23 reform programmes aimed at modernising Nigeria’s procurement system.