Opinion
Contractors Send SoS To Tinubu
The Contractors Association of Nigeria has sent a Save our Souls (SoS) to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to save Nigeria’s image and prevent what they described as dubious appointment of a Director General for Bureau of Public Procurement.
A statement issued by the Chairman, Contractors Association of Nigeria, Yusuf Abubakar, on Sunday 6th August, 2023, the members of the Contractors Association of Nigeria are making this urgent appeal to the President and Commander- in – Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to stop an attempt to tarnish the image of his government with a dubious planned appointment of a misfit Director General for the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).
“Knowing fully well that in Nigeria, the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) is very key to the survival of governance as every ministry and agency of government has to pass through BPP for due process of their procurements and contracts.
“The moment the BPP is subdued, all other due processes in the country is gone. And for it not to be subdued, that is why we are calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to allow the plot to bypass the laid down civil service process of succession in the public sector, as being planned in cohort with a few top government officials in the Presidential Villa, to succeed.
“The BPP has always being headed by an engineer who is vast in contract and procurement rudiments. Little surprise that a clique who claimed to have the backing of the Presidency is projecting someone who is not an engineer but a graduate of Business Administration to head BPP as Director General.
“Not only that , we had it on authority that someone being projected to the office of the Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, is a Grade Level 10 Officer. And we learnt that this week, he may be announced as Director General. This is an absurdity in the Civil Service in Nigeria.
“The person being projected was demoted from Grade Level 12 to 10 after he was found guilty of misconduct and involvement in fraudulent activities.
“He was transferred by the former DG, Engineer Eze to Owerri after being demoted to Grade Level 10. But now he has found his way back to the head office in Abuja and he is being packaged and being sold to some influential people in the Presidential Villa, particularly, office of the Chief of Staff to the President, as the next Director General of BPP.
“Records of his misconduct and demotion are in his official file till tomorrow. We wondered how a Grade Level 10 officer will suddenly be elevated to such position. Particularly, in the organisation, we have about 8 qualified Directors, who are not only Engineers but have been Directors for four years. There are Deputy Directors and there are Assistant Directors.
“This person has not even risen to the position of a Chief in the Civil Service, but he lied to those packaging him that he is currently a Deputy Director . And we also learnt that he is flaunting his acclaimed friendship with a son of one of the APC topnotch in the Villa,” the group said adding that how could such a person be brought to head a monitoring agency that is very key to the development of Nigeria as the DG?.
“This is an anathema to Civil Service rule not only in Nigeria but all over the world.
If such a person becomes DG, God forbid, he will be coming with vendetta and he will destroy that place because every senior officer from Level 12 and above will resign. And how will this help such an agency.
“We know this is without the knowledge of Mr. President and that is why we are raising this alarm. If this should happen, it will a disgrace to President Bola Tinubu and to Nigeria. Because procurement in government offices would henceforth, be done on ‘cash and carry’ basis.
“That means there will not be competitive tendering again. That means contractors will be getting ‘certificate of no objection’. That means a head of an agency of government can sit down in his office and write letters of contract awards to his family members.
“That means there will no more be checks and balances . Checks and balances is very key and that is why the frequency of going to EFCC and ICPC has been reduced. But if they succeeded in installing this person, both the EFCC and ICPC will be preoccupied with cases emanating from the Bureau of Public Procurement.
“Our appeal to President Bola Tinubu is to save his government of embarrassment. We are just beginning a new government in which every Nigerian has a lot of hope. The hope is so high that the government cannot afford to mess up .
“Appointing someone like that as the DG of BPP will not only destroy the image of Mr. President but depict us as a country where people does not know what they are doing. People will not respect us again and we will not be given recognition in the comity of nations.
“We, have no doubt that you are a listening leader, hence our appeal to you to act fast to stop the planned desecration of an highly placed agency of government as the BPP,” the group added
Ken Nnamani, a former president of the senate, says he did not beg Elisha Abbo, a former senator representing Adamawa north, on behalf of any judge after the ex-lawmaker lost his election case in court.
In October 2023, the court of appeal sacked Abbo and declared Amos Yohanna, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as the winner of the Adamawa north senatorial election.
Appearing on Channels Television on Wednesday, Abbo said he was a victim of “miscarriage of justice”.
The former senator said Nnamani pleaded with him on behalf of a judge after he lost his election case in 2023.
Reacting in a statement, the former senate president described Abbo’s claim as “blatant lies”.
“My greatest surprise was to hear him state that Senator Ken Nnamani visited him to plead with him on behalf of a judge for the miscarriage of justice. This statement is a blatant lie. I do not know how Senator Abbo can boldly fabricate an event that never happened to buttress his allegation of judicial miscarriage against him,” he said.
“For the avoidance of doubt, I have never visited Senator Elisha Abbo at his house or anywhere. Up to this moment, I do not know where he lives. I have never discussed with him about his case, or any case pending or decided by any court of law in Nigeria.
“The only time I met with him was when he visited me in my house. It was more of a social visit by him. At this meeting, we never discussed his case or any case. I recall that when the matter of his political career came up, I advised him to avoid controversies as a young politician.
“The statements Senator Abbo made regarding me and his case are all fabrications. I believe I have had a sterling and distinguished public service career. I am determined to maintain my integrity and commitment to excellence till the end of my life.”
Heineken Lokpobiri, minister of state for petroleum resources, says the federal government plans to commence implementing the drill-or-drop provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
Section 94 of the PIA gives operators a period of three years to begin oil production or relinquish the assets to the federal government.
Speaking during the Cross Industry Group (CIG) meeting held on Tuesday in Florence, Italy, Lokpobiri said it is in the best interest of the country that all inactive wells go to work.
He said the federal government, under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, has provided every necessary incentive to ensure international oil companies (IOCs) in Nigeria run smoothly and profitably.
“Now, it is imperative for these industry players to match the government’s efforts with increased investment by announcing final investment decisions (FIDs),” he said.
Furthermore, Lokpobiri discussed “the challenges, expectations, and measures to enhance the sector’s contributions towards domestic energy needs and regional expansion across Sub-Saharan Africa”.
He emphasised that while IOCs have highlighted engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractors as a challenge, “EPCs will not come unless they see strong commitments from industry players”.
“The government has done its part to provide the requisite and investment-friendly fiscals, the ball is now in the court of the IOCs and other operators to make strategic investment decisions that will drive increased production and sustainability in the sector,” he said.
“We must also recognise that domestic crude supply is essential to national energy security. The best solution to this challenge lies in increasing production, which will ensure a balance between domestic supply obligations and external commitments.”
The minister further urged industry players to explore collaborative measures, such as shared resources for contiguous assets and the release of underutilised assets to operators ready to invest in production.
The Progressive Students Movement (PSM), a leading Pan-African student body, has commended the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) in Ogun State under Commissioner of Police (CP) Lanre Ogunlowo, PhD, for its commitment to security and community engagement.
In a statement released on Thursday, the President of PSM Nigeria, Comrade Ambassador Okereafor Bestman, highlighted the CP’s efforts in strengthening collaboration between the police, stakeholders, and other security agencies to maintain peace and stability in the state.
“It is worthy of note that CP Lanre Ogunlowo, PhD, has further fostered a harmonious working synergy between the police, stakeholders, and other security agents aimed at ensuring peace and tranquility in Ogun State,” Okereafor said.
The student leader expressed confidence in CP Ogunlowo’s leadership, stating that Ogun State is on track to becoming one of the most peaceful states in Nigeria under his administration.
He also praised the professionalism and dedication of the Ogun State Police Command in tackling crime, regardless of its scale.
Additionally, PSM acknowledged the Ogun State government’s continued support for security agencies, particularly in providing mobility and logistics to enhance their operational efficiency.
The commendation comes at a time when security remains a top priority for residents and authorities in the state, with ongoing efforts to curb crime and ensure public safety.