Ensuring Transparency and fairness, sole aim of Bureau for Public Procurement- Bldr Dogo

Ensuring Transparency and fairness, sole aim of Bureau for Public Procurement- Bldr Dogo

Chief Amb Nanyah Andrew Daman, the Publisher of the NewsGate Magazine led a team of Publishers of the News Parrot Newspaper, Mr Daniel Kura, Jat HotNews Newspaper, Mr Justin Jattim and the Age Newspaper, Mr Jerry Andrew to the Rayfield office of the Director General of the Plateau State Bureau of Public Procurement. Bldr. Peter Y Dogo, the Director General of the Plateau State Bureau of Public Procurement spoke on functions of the agency and how he intends to create public awareness for SMEs to get patronage of Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

Dogo spoke on a number of issues. The interview is very rich and unputdownable. Enjoy the Excerpts:

News Parrot: For the purpose of our readers and the records, may we know you in details?

Bldr. Peter Y Dogo: My name is Builder Peter Dogo,the Director General, Plateau State Bureau of Public Procurement appointed by the Governor to kick start public procurement on the Plateau.

My appointment gave rise to public procurement on the Plateau because the law was passed by the State House of Assembly sometime in 2015 which was accented to by the Governor on February 2016 after which I was appointed in 2017. I had to go through law processes of revision and the current law in place was accented too by the Governor on the  17th September, 2018 which is the law in existence. 

Public procurement is easily defined as the acquisition of goods, works and services using public funds usually through a third party. If the government wants to acquire anything with public funds there must be a third party which can be either the suppliers, service providers or contractors. The law is made in such a way that a Bureau is established as a body that supervises over all activities of procurements in the Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government on the Plateau including the LGCs. We are made up of professionals that we have to now provide guidelines, procedures of carrying out public procurement which is precisely what we do. 

The guidelines and procedures required for expending government funds in the acquisition of goods and services then we ensure that there is compliance by the Ministries, departments and Agencies. Since we came on board we have had cordial relationships with the Executive Governor in the person of Rt Hon. Bar. Dr Simon Bako Lalong KSGG who has been so supportive, he knows the implications of not doing things according to the law because he has been a lawyer and he knows that to key in to best practices of public procurement.There are historic backgrounds surrounding it and those historical backgrounds show that before the advent of the civilian era in Plateau State, the activities are characterized by corruption, inefficiency which gave rise to Budget Monitoring and Price Intelligence Unit which was in place in 1999 and that unit  has Metamorphosis into this Unit and the Public Procurement Law in 2007 gave rise to BPP in the Federal Level.

On how to participate in public procurement so that they can win contracts as well, there are certain things that we taught them and certain things expected so it is their duty to go round and go across notice boards to be acquainted with to for solicitation.

We have also gone ahead  to carry out awareness to the Ministries, Departments and Agencies for the SME's and I think that is the stage we are in and we expect that by the end of the year there would be an increase. 

We are at the budgeting stage for the SME's training in Plateau State and we expect to start public procurement.So basically that is what we do as an agency of the government.

News Parrot: What are some of the challenges you have been facing to showcase some of the activities of the agency to the people of Plateau State?

Bldr. Peter Y Dogo: The first challenge of the BPP has to do with personnel, as we are struggling for improvement which is a key role to public procurement, which will determine the role in public procurement. 

Secondly, we have an issue of trying to buy in by the Ministries, Departments, Agencies and Government which we are trying to overcome but we told them it is not business as usual, as we have to go a step ahead.And in terms of funding, which is a fundamental issue,we have to thank the World Bank  who are coming in to help with the public procurement, trying to bring about the State Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainable(SIFTAS) program of the world bank which is for results.It is that you achieve a milestone as they will now give some funding just to help the State Government.We call the program SIFTAS and it sits across some ministries of the State Government, the budgeting and fiscal control, revenue generation, procurement processes, dates with the use of land and all these are components of the World Bank under the state fiscal transparency, accountability and sustainability program of the World Bank,so whatever we are doing is,we are supposed to take citizens along.At our own end, we are supposed to disclose what has been done, that is why we  must have portals to show what has been done and that is precisely what we are doing. 

We have had series of workshops and awareness to members of the ninth assembly and the general public. 

News Parrot:We understand that the Plateau State Government lost out on the previous SIFTAS because certain conditions were not met,so how far have you gone with the Internal Revenue Board and Budget Office so that Plateau State does not miss out the next one?

Bldr. Peter Y Dogo: In 2019 which was when the SIFTAS started, in 2018 we had the eligibility criteria which was the main thing that is supposed to be achieved and the main thing is that your budget is passed by the 31st Jan. 2018 but in 2019 they received for both years and I want to report here authoritatively that Plateau State has enough from the largesse in 2019 after the annual assessment.In 2020 all hands are on deck for the introduction of the new Disbursement Link Indicators that have been introduced.The lands and survey are on board and it is expected to check how to improve revenue including LG so they expect us to the carry the LGCs along. But certainly Plateau State is rated high,so they will come and access that of 2020.

News Parrot: Since your coming as the DG, can you enumerate some of the achievements you have made apart from those earlier on mentioned?

Bldr. Peter Y Dogo: The achievement is the level of awareness of public procurement just within the state making Plateau State one of the best, since we are up and doing in public procurement. Because of the cooperation from the accounting officers, at least,there is a change,but we will still get over them.

News Parrot: What is your call to the Plateau State Government as it relates to those challenges enumerated and how do you think they can be overcome ?

Bldr. Peter Y Dogo: My call to the Government is that we have set a law and we will follow the law. Their are those things we do so that the citizens will see through how the citizens are participating in the act,because nobody will blow our trumpet, so we expect the business environment should be carried along since whatever we do is for the people.

News Parrot: What is your call to the people of Plateau State?

Bldr. Y Dogo: My call is that they should be patient and to open their eyes.When it comes to public procurement the beauty is,we can all lay complaints because it is your funds being utilised. We have avenues to always find out what is right like the website of the Bureau and State Government websites, when in doubt our doors are open because we are here to serve the citizens.