Procurement Acts: BPP reportedly implicated in NIPOST Certification Scandal
The staff of the Nigerian Postal Service, NIPOST, are reportedly preparing for a clash with management over what some staff characterize as tribal attitude and blind interest under Dr Adebayo Adewusi’s leadership.
The staff also chastised the Bureau of Public Procurement, BPP, for awarding a certificate to a member of the organization’s staff who, they claimed, did not have a background in procurement, adding that he was not required to attend such a course or obtain a certificate to that effect under the procurement act.
Read Also: APC Leadership: Bello urges party stalwarts to sheath swords
“They (Management) have flouted the procurement acts by awarding procurement certification to staff without procurement background in the 2021 procurement conversion examination.” A source in the organization told newsmen.
In a petition to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the staff members insist that a 54-year-old Mr Samuel Oluwasegun Sangotayo, who was on the BPP list number 118 with Examination number BPP/PCC/NOV/2021/142, was co-opted into the procurement department of NIPOST with fraudulent intent because he has no background in procurement before the NIPOST Management moved against the procurement acts and rules of the civil service.
The petition reads in part: “From all indications, NIPOST has co-opted the BPP into its fold of agencies that abuse and flagrantly disregard extant rules, guidelines/procedures. This is manifested in the impunity by NIPOST management in planting a 54 years old substantive Deputy Director( Legal) on GL 16, by the name Mr Samuel Oluwasegun Sagontayo, in the procurement department, and allowing him to attend the Procurement conversation course in 2021.
“This is against the procurement act. To Staff amazement, the BPP went ahead to issue a Certificate to this unworthy candidate despite the petition. Mr Samuel Oluwassegun is number 118 on the BPP Certification lists. This is contrary to a circular from the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, dated 14th June 2017 with reference No. 59780/S.1/1.1/117 states that Officers from other cadres in civil service are prohibited from procurement functions where career procurement Officers are available.
“Specifically, the BPP mandatory conversation training guidelines for 2021 as obtained from its website clearly indicated that; 2(b) Current cadre and grade level (Nominees should not be above GL 15 or equivalent). Why was Mr S. O. Sagontayo, who has been on GL.16 since January 2018, allowed to take part in the November 2021 conversion exercise? Have the rules changed? 3(e) Nominees who are more than 50years of age or have less than 5years in service are not qualified to apply. Here the rule was violated because Mr S.O Sagontayo is 54 years of age.”
Since the arrival of Dr Ismail Adewusi, who took over the leadership of NIPOST in December 2019, according to NIPOST workers, the organization has gone from bad to worse.
“Under him, (Dr Ismail Adewusi) management have been operating with total disregard to the laid down rules and procedures obtainable in civil service. The provision of a circular from the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, dated 14th June 2017 with reference No. 59780/S.1/1.1/117 states that Officers from other cadres in civil service are prohibited from procurement functions where career procurement Officers are available.
“On the contrary, a case in hand is the drafting of a non-career officer, a deputy director from the legal department to succeed the retired Director, while there are two (2) senior certified procurement officers with total disregard to the above-cited circular,” the source said.
Attempts to contact Mr Frank Alao, Director of Corporate Communication, were unsuccessful due to his phone being unreachable.
