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The finding of a report on procurement and budgetary activities of some Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) has shown that they were not forthcoming of transparency on Freedom of Information (FoI) law, despite the executive order 001 on ease of doing business.
The report executed by the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Transparency International (TI) and Global Affairs Canada shows that none of the MDAs contacted for specific information on procurement activities complied with the legally prescribed seven days.
Executive Director of CISLAC Auwal Musa Rafsanjani said yesterday in Abuja at the public presentation that the report is part of the Integrity, Mobilization, Participation, Accountability, Anti-Corruption, and Transparency (IMPACT Nigeria) Project aimed at supporting the entrenchment of transparency in public procurement processes as envisaged by the Public Procurement Act (PPA), 2007 and increase the level of capital projects in annual budget in Nigeria.
The report compiled by CISLAC Procurement Monitoring Officers Nasiru A. Momoh (Power, Works and Housing), Isese Sor (Education) and Solomon Adoga (Health) is also aimed at increasing compliance with the FoI Act 2011 and covered October and December 2017.
According to the report only the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) scored 100 percent, Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) scored 53.8 percent, while the Federal Housing Authority, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) and TETFUND among others scored zero.
Rafsanjani however said the report was not to blame anyone but to deepen accountability and transparency through obedience to enabling laws.
“It also seeks to empower citizens to participate in public finance monitoring to enhance social service delivery. This is in line with one of Nigeria’s commitments under the Open Governance Partnership (OGP) to Open Data and Open Contracting as ways of fighting corruption,” he said.
The report among others recommended that all the MDAs should show commitment and devise measures for strict compliance to the FOI Act 2011 as it relates to the timing for supplying information requested.
“All MDAs should embrace proactive disclosure of information by adopting technology and developing FOI portals and linking to the e-procurement portal being developed by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), All MDAs should build the knowledge level of their staff in relation to the FoI Act and Open Governance,” it said.
