Lagos charges MDAs to align procurement plans with budgetary provisions
The Lagos State Government has charged Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to align their procurement plans with the 2023 budget provisions.
The Lagos State Head of Service, Mr Hakeem Muri-Okunola, gave the advice on Wednesday in Magodo during the opening ceremony of the 2023 Annual Public Procurement Clinic, organised by the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency (PPA).
Muri-Okunola, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Office of the Head of Service, Mrs Olasunkanmi Oyegbola, said that officers of the MDAs should ensure that their procurement plans were properly developed and implemented.
According to him, properly developed and implemented procurement plans will ensure that the objectives envisioned in the approved budget are fully achieved.
He said that the soundness of the procurement plan goes a long way in determining the success or failure of any budget, since the procurement plan served as the foundation on which the implementation of the budget rest.
According to him, the Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration is very passionate about delivering quality goods and services to every nook and cranny of the state.
“Therefore, all hands must be on deck to ensure that procurement plans of MDAs are properly developed to bring the vision of the state government, as contained in the year 2023 approved budget, to reality.
“To this end, Accounting Officers in all MDAs have important roles to play, as they must all embrace the need to faithfully implement the procurement plans of their MDAs.
“They must carry out the role assigned to them under the Lagos State Public Procurement Law to ensure that the public procurement system continues to work for the benefit of all,” he said.
The Head of Service commended the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency Governing Board and Management, urging them to keep up the good work they were doing in Lagos State.
He said that the agency had redefined the procurement processes and the conduct of government businesses in the state.
Muri-Okunola said that the agency had strengthened accountability and transparency and further enhanced value for public expenditure in government.
“We, therefore, cannot afford to relent on the gains that have been recorded in public procurement management in the state within the few years of the existence of the agency, even as we continue to strive to improve the knowledge, skills and competences of our procurement officers,” he said.
In his welcome address, the Director General, PPA, Mr Fatai Onafowote, said that during the three-day clinic, procurement plans of all MDAs of the state would be subjected to scrutiny and review by a panel of procurement specialists appointed by the agency.
Onafowote said that MDAs whose procurement plans were found deficient would be required to effect corrections where necessary, while those that were found to be in order would be approved by the agency for implementation.
He said that the reason why the clinic was tagged “Procurement Planning Clinic for Budget of Continuity,” was due to the focus of the approved 2023 budget of the state.
“In view of the importance of having a good procurement plan for the successful implementation of the budget, the agency has decided that, henceforth any MDA that fails to submit its procurement plan for the scrutiny and approval of the agency will not have its requests for approval instruments processed by the agency.
“I, therefore, wish to seize this opportunity to appeal to all Accounting Officers to ensure that the procurement plans of their MDAS pass through the scrutiny of the agency and uploaded on the agency’s website,” Onafowote said.
