Abuja — The Director-General of Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Mr Emeka Ezeh, has said that lack of compliance with the Procurement Act has become a challenge to the agency. Ezeh said this in Abuja on yesterday at a one-day stakeholders' workshop with Professional Associations on the Public Procurement Act 2007.

Represented by Mr Ayo Aderibigbe, BPP Deputy Director of Training, Ezeh said that the workshop would brainstorm on the procurement Act 2007 as well as make the BPP meet international standards.

According to him, the BPP Act of 2007 specifies that people should advertise their goods in the national dailies, procurement journal and the agency's website. Ezeh, however, said that people had narrowed their advertisements to notice boards without following the principles regulating it. "The principles of public procurement are effective, valuable and normal. We are doing something that will benefit the officers and the general public. The BPP officers cannot do it alone," he said.

Ezeh said the agency would collaborate with the state governments in the procurement principles, adding that the facilities to carry out the functions are going to be put in place very soon. "Administration people are not ready to relinquish the functions of the (BPP) officers; all of us are standing up to these challenges. NAN