The Rivers State Bureau on Public Procurement has commenced training of Local Government Council Chairmen and all those invovled in Procurement on the need to make all their procurements in accordance with the procurement law.
The AG Director General of the Bureau, Mr Igonibo Emmanuel Thompson informed that the training which was targeted at avoiding waste in each sector of the economy was meant for the 23 local Government Areas of the state.
He also said that the essence was to make them comply with the procurement law especially with the frequent changes that occur red at the Local Government Councils, Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAS).
The AG Director General noted that most of the procurement problems at Local Government are associated with inability to sufficiently describe items in the budget which makes it difficult for continuity especially when the visioner is no longer on seat and promised to sustain the process.
He advised the participants to comply with the procurement law stressing that there is a monitoring team to ensure compliance by all the local government council chairmen.
Speaking shortly after the workshop, one of the participants, Hon. Hope Ikiriko called for autonomy of the third tier of the Government which he noted would help them engage local content and local skills in Procurement.
The Ahoada West Council boss opined that the procurement law be made flexible enough to suit the peculiarities of each Local Government and advised the bureau to thinker out how to get feedback from the LGAs.
He lauded the law, describing it as one of the things that would guide council chairmen on their actions while avoiding misappropriation of funds.
