The Head, Abia State Due Process and Public Procurement Bureau and Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Due Process, Dr Oluebube Chukwu, says the Bureau is effectively taking shape after over twelve years of being dormant because of Governor Alex Otti’s penchant for doing things right and love for transparency.
Speaking with Newsmen, Dr Oluebube Chukwu, noted that since 2012 when the Abia State Procurement Law was passed for the creation of a Due Process and Public Procurement Bureau, it had not worked up until the present Governor Otti mounted the saddle of leadership.
He pointed out that for the first time, the office would be receiving maximum support to execute its mandate through deploying the necessary support.
While explaining that the Public Procurement Bureau is a regulatory body, saddled with the duty of ensuring that the right steps are followed in public procurement and government expenditures.
Recalling that the organization has been inept for the past years, with little or no impact on the State’s economic development, Dr Chukwu noted with delight that from a one room office space, the Bureau has moved to a full building, with a staff strength of three(3) personnel to twenty eight(28) officers, adding that soon the Bureau would be having 84 laison officers across the 84 Ministries,Departments and Agencies in the state,for a seamless operation.
The Due process Boss made it clear that the Governor being a seasoned banker and administrator, reactivated the Due Process and Public Procurement Bureau to serve as a watch dog to his administration, pointing out that so far, the organization has been gaining traction.
“We have been in the office for over a year now, the kind of changes recorded under the past one year, cannot be compared to what we met on ground as over 12 years achievements”.
He commended the Governor for his foresight in empowering and renewing the Bureau to effectively ensure his mandate and intrinsic quest in doing the right thing was achieved.
“The Governor is a stickler for excellence,he wants the right things done at every given time. Having the knowledge of the kind of leader we have, it only goes to sign post that the Abia State Public Procurement Bureau is busy,
and engaged, serving its function as a regulatory body, to ensure everybody in the pipeline of leadership at the state level, is following the laid down procedure and Law.
“We have been ensuring no lapses in the discharge of our duties, making sure the right processes are followed across the various MDAs in the state”,he said.
Chukwu also made public that the Bureau would be setting up a database for contractors in the state,depending on their threshold to ensure that no contractor delivers outside the scope of engagement.
According to him, the Bureau will soon undergo transformation to guarantee better services to all stakeholders.
