ENetSuD LAUDS KWARA’S ADOPTION OF E-PROCUREMENT SYSTEM

The Elites Network for Sustainable Development (ENetSuD), an anti-corruption Civil Society Organization that promotes good governance, transparency and accountability, has lauded the Kwara State Government (KWSG) for adopting the e-procurement system in the State.

ENetSuD noted that, if well implemented, the e-procurement platform will minimize the age-long systemic corruption in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of Kwara State.

While reacting to the adoption of e-procurement system and training of procurement officers in MDAs by the State Procurement Agency, the Coordinator of ENetSuD, Dr Alagbonsi Abdullateef, admitted that, even though the steps are slow and with deficient communication mechanism, the administration is taking some steps to address the age-long systemic corruption in MDAs and the steps are making an incremental progress.

He noted that Social Audit of government projects was the first anti-corruption mechanism deployed by the present administration, which has undoubtedly exposed systemic corruption and inefficiency of procurement process in Kwara state.

Dr Alagbonsi said with the adoption of e-procurement system, the administration has added another anti-corruption mechanism to the governance of the state.

“Notwithstanding all these efforts, lack of citizens’ access to information will not help the government’s anti-corruption fight” He added.

ENetSuD noted that most of the past and present corruptions that are noticed in government projects’ execution emanated from faulty procurement process, and raised a strong hope that the newly-deployed e-procurement platform will address a significant part of the procurement problems if sincerely implemented.

The anti-corruption body added that various forms of miscalculation and inflation of contract sum are (in)deliberate human manipulations that have always led to questionable contract sum, making it difficult for the government to save cost and meet the rising needs of the citizenry.

ENetSuD, therefore, advises the KWSG to set up an all-encompassing procurement monitoring committee (including competent CSOs, media and other non-state actors) that will track how the e-procurement process is being complied with and improve contracting processes for a better service delivery in Kwara state.

Signed,
Saeed Tijjani,
Chairman, Media and Publicity Committee,
Elites Network for Sustainable Development (ENetSuD),
20th May, 2021