IMPACT OF THE 2007 PROCUREMENT ACT ON ACCOUNTABILITY OF OFFICERS IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR OF NIGERIA
Background of the Study
This study intends to shed more light on the impact of public procurement act on the accountability of procurement officers in public sector in Kaduna state ministry of education and how it contribute positively towards the conservation of resources in a services organization.
However, the researcher feel it would be of great importance to conduct a detailed study on the procurement process or system used by the services organization and the impact of federal government procurement act on the accountability of procurement officers in the public sector.
Base on wide spread corruption, conducting government business degenerated so much by the year 2000. This was due to the fact that no serious attention was paid to public service rule.
Financial regulations ethics and norms because of selfish reasons. The federal government noted the urgent need to transparency in government procedure so as to be able to move the system forward. Hence, the federal government in 2000 commissioned the world bank to collaborate with some private sector specialist to study financial systems and general procurement related activities in the country. The essence of this request to the world bank is to assist Nigerian government with a process of enthroning efficiency, accountability, integrity and transparency in government procurement and financial management system.
It was based on this that the country procurement assessment report was produced through a participatory review approach from key stakeholders including representative from private and the federal, state and local government with assistance from international and national consultants.
Statement of the Problems
A diagnostic study conducted in 2001 in to the state of federal government public procurement revealed that Nigeria may have lost trillions of naira over the last two decades because of flagrant abuse of procedures for the award of public contracts, inflation of contracts costs, lack of transparency, lack of competence based competition and merit as the fundamental criteria for the award of public contracts. The finding of the study made it imperative that the country urgently reform its procurements system, if the country is to reduce the large scale corruption and waste that had reduced the efficiency of the Nigeria public sector
Most organization lost a lot of money annually through all kind of manipulation of the procedure for the award of contracts and supply of materials.
Ministries and government agencies has been facing difficulties in the award of contract due to lack of due process in the agencies.
Federal government preferment act on the accountability of procurement officers in public sector is a vital tool in any fine-tuning organization either service or profit oriented organization. But it has been observed that its importance and role which can lead to efficiency had not yet been appreciated in most Nigeria ministries today.
