NDDC Digitizes Procurement System To Check Contract Scams

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has digitized its procurement system to check the production and circulation of fake contract papers used by fraudsters to defraud prospective contractors and drag staff of the commission into unnecessary harassment by anti-graft agencies.
The Managing Director of NDDC, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, disclosed this at a Capacity Building Training on Public Procurement for NDDC Executive Management and Directors in Port Harcourt.
Dr. Ogbuku said the Commission was committed to complying with the tenets of the Public Procurement Act in project delivery and had to train its management staff on its provisions and expectation of the management staff in implementing it in the procurement process.
The Managing Director noted that many directors and service providers had got into trouble with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in the past due to fake or incorrect documentation.
Ogbuku stated that the NDDC introduced the E-procurement system to combat corruption and promote accountability, expressing optimism that the digitisation of the procurement process was the right step to limit human error and lengthy manual processes.
Ogbuku maintained that every Director should have a good understanding of the procurement process, saying that proposals from vendors should be scrutinised in line with the order of priority.
He insisted that procurement plans must align with the region’s needs assessment, stating that the Commission’s vision and direction vary each year in line with that assessment. He further stated that procurement demands must align with the procurement plan, which is based on the annual budget.
The NDDC Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Alabo Boma Iyaye, stressed the importance of capacity building for government officials in managing public funds.
The NDDC Director, Procurement, Dr Chuks Osuji, said the training was aimed at enhancing the knowledge, skills and competencies of procurement professionals, project managers, finance officers and other key stakeholders involved in the procurement process.