‘Executive more corrupt than legislature’

Corrupt practices are more prevalent in the executive arm of government, and measures to tackle the menace should be targeted at that level, two senators have suggested. In their contributions, following a motion, by Dino Melaye, on alleged abuse of law in procurement process by the Bureau of Public Procurement, the two lawmakers, Matthew Urhoghide and Bala Na’Allah, pointed accusing fi nger at civil servants in the executive branch who, according to them, are responsible for contract frauds.

“We are aware that 70 per cent of the recoveries come from the doorstep of the executive. So, the preventive measures should be targeted at that arm of government”, Na’Allah, (APC-Kebbi), the Senate Deputy Leader, said. He also said: “You look at the nature of the off ence before you determine the control strategy. Happily enough, with what we have heard and seen today, you can convincingly say that the entire recoveries associated with this country today, have depicted that over 70% of what have been alleged to have been recovered by the EFCC and ICPC, were recovered from the executive arm of government.”

Similarly, Urhoghide (PDP-Edo) said “civil servants are corrupt” and “they award contracts to themselves”, he lamented and held that the views by the public was that “we participate in the procurement process”. He said not only do civil servants compromise the system to award contracts to themselves, they also execute substandard projects. Before their contributions, Melaye (APC-Kogi) accused the Bureau of Public Procurement of violating Section 5 of the Public Procurement Act 2007 by failing to submit its procurement audit report to the National Assembly.

“Th e powers of BPE are aimed at ensuring that government get value for contracts awarded, but BPE has consistently engaged in under hand dealings with respect to the grant of certifi cate of no objections. “If urgent steps are not taken to investigate these allegations and address proven infractions, the BPE is likely to transform itself from a regulator to disruptor and endanger the whole public procurement system,” Melaye said. However, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided, ruled that the committee should report back to the Senate in fi ve weeks.

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