We suffer shortage of staff, poor accommodation, no vehicles – Plateau BPP

The Plateau Bureau for Public Procurement, BPP, has decried the dearth of personnel, conducive accommodation, functional vehicles and other needs crucial to efficiency.

The BPP also said the challenges had constituted a major setback to the effective operation of the bureau toward ensuring open contracting in the state.

This was disclosed by the Acting Director General of the agency, Mr Yabilsu Dogo, at a stakeholders’ consultative meeting organised by a group, Accountability Lab, in Jos the Plateau State Capital.

According to him, “We don’t have a conducive environment for procurement operations in the state.

”Few days ago, our entire office building was flooded and we are currently operating outside.

”As we speak, we don’t have a functional vehicle, how do we embark on monitoring projects?

”Our portal has been down for months, we have reverted to manual operations, and open contracting means making all government activities open,” he said.

Dogo also decried the unwillingness of most Ministries, Departments and Agencies in the state to cooperate with the bureau by availing details of ongoing projects under them, for proper capturing.

Earlier in his address, Mr Onyekachi Chuwkwu, the consultant to the accountability lab, said the meeting was supported by Open Contracting Partnership (OCP) and funded by the United Nations Development Agency (UNDP, to promote open contracting and ensure accountability in the procurement processes of the state.

Chukwu identified a lack of political will, poor citizen engagement, low data, low incentives for personnel, and lack of autonomy, among others, as factors hampering the effective operation of the bureau in the state.

He, however, said that the meeting is particularly aimed at finding a lasting solution to the challenges of strengthening the procurement processes in the state.