The Chairman, Nigeria House of Representatives’ Committee on Public Procurement, Rep. Unyime Idem, has been conferred an Honorary Fellowship Award by the Society for West African Internal Audit Practitioners.
The Society for West African Internal Audit Practitioners is set up to institutionalize internal auditing as a foremost tool to detect and prevent corruption and corrupt practices, improve business processes and performance and mitigate as far as possible all forms of financial and non-financial risks both in the private and public sectors.
The international award, presented by the first female ANAN Ambassador, Dr. Fatima Muhammadu Buhari, who is the first daughter of the immediate past President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, is based on Rep. Idem’s ability to meet the following criteria;
1. Innovation brought into the country’s procurement system such as the proposed e-procurement system, which will guarantee accountability and transparency in the polity.
2. Consistent training of Procurement practitioners in the country and staff of Public Procurement Committee of the House of Representatives.
3. Strong advocacy on issues regarding public procurement in the country.
4. Efforts that will culminate in the establishment and inauguration of the National Procurement Council.
5. Championing the moves to amend the Public Procurement Act 2007 to reflect current realities and international best practices.
6. Effective representation.
The Society for West African Internal Audit Practitioners, led by its President, Amb. Patrick Nzechukwu, also used the opportunity to appeal to the Ukanafun /Oruk Anam Federal Representative to push for the amendment of the Act establishing the association, to allow it function effectively.
Responding after receiving the award, Rep. Idem thanked the association for identifying him for such an international honour and promised continuous collaboration with the professional body, stressing that the committee will not relent in its mandate to oversight and sanitize the country’s procurement system.
“I am happy to associate with your association because I support anything that concerns transparency and accountability. That’s part of my committee’s mandate. We’re making concerted efforts right now to plug leakages of funds in the country through the audit processes that we carry out on daily basis, so initiating this platform to help train Nigerians and also introduce mechanisms to organizations on how these processes should be handled, is something I’m happy to identify with.”
“Please don’t relent in your effort to fight corruption. Pursue your objectives with vigour, so you can achieve your goals.”
The Public Procurement Committee chairman also assured the international body that he will liaise with his colleagues to ensure that the 10th National Assembly amends the Act setting them up, to help them function effectively.
