Nigerian National Council on Public Procurement: Addressing the Unresolved Legal Issues
Abstract
The National Council on Public Procurement (“NCPP” or “Council”) is one of Nigeria’s two federal procurement regulatory authorities established by the Public Procurement Act 2007 (“PPA” or “Act”). More than seven years after the statutory establishment of the NCPP, the body is yet to be constituted; consequently, there is no proper performance of its statutory functions. This has continued to generate debate in several quarters. Various reasons, mostly based on misconceptions about the status and functions of the body, have been advanced by the Federal Government for not constituting the NCPP.This paper shall examine NCPP’s status and functions, critique identified misconceptions about the body, analyse the implications of not constituting the regulatory body, and assess the benefits of constituting it. The theme of this paper is topical considering the critical statutory role that the NCPP is intended to play in Nigeria’s procurement system; and the fact that the related issues addressed by the paper are still largely unresolved.References
Nigerian Senate Order Paper No 139 (29-2-2012) 333-334;
Procurement Monitor “BPP operating illegally -Reps Give Jonathan 21 days ultimatum” (30-11-2011) Procurement Monitor Blog <http://www.procurementmonitor.org/blog/2011/11/30/bpp-operating-illegally-reps-%E2%80%A2give-jonathan-21-days-ultimatum/> (accessed 10-06-2015);
K Udeh & M Ahmadu “Regulatory Framework for Public Procurement in Nigeria” in G Quinot & S Arrowsmith (eds) Public Procurement Regulation in Africa (2013) 141;
S Williams-Elegbe “The Reform and Regulation of Public Procurement in Nigeria” (2012) 41(2) PCLJ 339;
J Osuntogun “Procurement Law in Nigeria: Challenge for Attainment of its Objectives” 4 (2012) PPLR 139;
Dailyindependent “Quantity surveying body calls for public procurement council” (14-7-2014) Dailyindependent <http://dailyindependentnig.com/2014/07/quantity-surveying-body-calls-public-procurement-council/> (accessed 16-4-2015);
Newsdiaryonline “Constitute National Council on Public Procurement Now! New Procurement Anti-Corruption Group tells FG” (26-2-2011) Newsdiaryonline <http://newsdiaryonline.com/council_now.htm> (accessed 16-4-2015);
Cupero Nigeria Limited v Federal Ministry of Water Resources FHC Abuja 12-6-2012 suit no FHC/Abj/CS/867/11;
A Akalugo “How Nigerian Leaders Failed to Implement the Public Procurement Act 2007: A Case of Non-Constitution of the National Council on Public Procurement (1)” (11-07-2011) NewsDiary <http://newsdiaryonline.com/ncpp.htm> (accessed 06-06-2015);
AfDB, OECD & UNDP African Economic Outlook: Nigeria 2014 (2014);
The Economist “Nigeria: Africa’s new Number One” (12-4-2014) The Economist <http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21600685-nigerias-suddenly-supersized-economy-indeed-wonder-so-are-its-still-huge> (accessed 16-4-2015);
BBC “Nigeria becomes Africa's biggest economy” (6-4-2014) News <http://www.bbc.com/news/business-26913497> (accessed 16-4-2015);
World Bank Nigeria Country Procurement Assessment Report (CPAR) vol I (2000);
Finance (Control and Management) Act 1958 Cap F26 LFN 2004;
Public Procurement Act 2007;
OECD-DAC/World Bank Methodology for Assessment of National Procurement Systems (“MAPS”) (2006);
World Bank “Social Accountability: What Does it Mean for the World Bank?” in World Bank Social Accountability Sourcebook (2005);
X Zhang “Supplier Review as a Mechanism for Securing Compliance with Government Public Procurement Rules: a Critical Perspective” (2007) 16 PPLR 325;
CBN v System Application Products Nigeria Limited (2005) 3 NWLR (Pt. 911) 152;
G Quinot “A Comparative Perspective on Supplier Remedies in African Public Procurement Systems” in G Quinot & S Arrowsmith (eds) Public Procurement Regulation in Africa (2013) 308;
R C Marshall, M J Muerer & J-F Richard “The Private Attorney General Meets Public Contract Law: Procurement Oversight by Protest” (1991) 20 Hofstra L. Rev 1;
S Arrowsmith “Enforcing the EC Public Procurement Rules: the Remedies System in England and Wales” (1992) 2 PPLR 92;
Harvela Investments Ltd v Royal Trust of Canada [1986] AC 207;
The UNCITRAL Model Law on Procurement of Goods, Construction and Services 1994;
U Essia & A Yearoo “Strengthening Civil Society Organizations/Government Partnership in Nigeria” 4 (9) (2009) International NGO Journal 368;
A Ikelegbe “State, Civil Society and Sustainable Development in Nigeria” 7 (2013) CPED Monograph Series 1;
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999;
Interpretation Act CAP I23 LFN 2004.
E Onyekpere “Revisiting the National Council on Public Procurement” (29-07-2013) Punch Newspaper (online) <http://www.punchng.com/opinion/revisiting-the-national-council-on-public-procurement/> (accessed 04-06-2015);
Citizen Confidential “Deepening Violations of the Public Procurement Act” (Media Statement by the National Procurement Watch Platform) (27-02- 2012) Citizen Confidential <http://citizenconfidential.com/deepening-violations-of-the-public-procurement-act/> (accessed 20-12- 2014);
Thisdaylive “Concern over Executive Recklessness.” (04-03- 2012) Thisdaylive <http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/concern-over-executive-recklessness/110584/> (December 20, 2014);
M B Attah “Abati’s Blunder: FEC, Procurement Council and Contract Approval” (27-02- 2012) Newsdiaryonline <http://newsdiaryonline.com/abatis-blunderfec-procurement-council-and-contract-approval-by-mohammed-bougei-attah/> (accessed 28-05-2015);
Nigerian Public Procurement Act 2007;
Kenyan Public Procurement and Disposal Act 2005;
S Suleiman “Jonathan as President and Contractor-in-Chief” (17-06-2013) Nigerianstalk <http://nigerianstalk.org/2013/06/17/jonathan-as-president-and-contractor-in-chief/> (accessed 21-05-2015);
Channels Television “It is illegal for FEC to be awarding contracts… Senate” (1-3-2012) Channels <http://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/01/it-is-illegal-for-fec-to-be-awarding-contracts%E2%80%A6senate/> (accessed 1-5-2015);
Nigeriannewsservice “Yar’adua’s FEC has become a tender’s board –Rep Tuggar” nigeriannewsservice (06-09-2009) <http://www.nigeriannewsservice.com/yaraduas-fec-has-become-a-tenders-board-rep-tuggar/> (accessed 04-06-2015);
D Ivory “No-bid U.S. government contracts jump 9 percent, despite push for competition” (17-03-2013) The Washington Post <http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/no-bid-us-government-contracts-jump-9-percent-despite-push-for-competition/2013/03/17/9f6708fc-8da0-11e2-b63f-f53fb9f2fcb4_story.html> (accessed 06-06-2015);
F Perley “Obama’s mounting hypocrisy” (13-05-2010) The Washington Times <http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/may/13/obamas-mounting-hypocrisy/> (accessed 06-06-2015);
T Capaccio “Obama administration approves No-Bid Halliburton Contract... I guess the evil Cheney wasn't so evil after all?” (06-07-2010) Liveleak <http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=2e1_1273440915> (accessed 06-06-2015).
See B A Garner Black’s Law Dictionary 9th ed (2009);
Attorney-General v Brown (1920) 1 KB 773;
Jammal Steel Structures Ltd v A.C.B Ltd [1973] NSCC 619;
Attorney-General of Cross River State v Esin [1991] 6 NWLR (Pt. 197) 365;
Agricultural, Horticultural and Forestry Industry Training Board v. Aylesbury Mushroom Ltd [1972] 1 All ER 280;
Bates v. Lord Hailsham [1972] I.W.L.R. 1373;
Popoola v Adeyemo [1992] 3 NSCC 46
Dan Sale v Board of Customs and Excise 1966 NNLR 15;
Ogbuanyinya v Okudo No 1 (1990) 4 NWLR (Part 46) 551 570;
Akujinwa v Nwaonuma (1998) 13 NWLR (Pt.583) 632;
H W R Wade & C F Forsyth Administrative Law (19994) 333;
S A De Smith Judicial Review of Administrative Action (1995);
Federal Minister of Internal Affairs v Shugaba Abdulrahaman Darma(CA) [1982] 1 FNLR 200;
Otu Edet v Chief of Air Staff and Attorney-General of the Federation [1994] 2 NWLR (Pt 324) 41;
CSJ “Public Procurement” CSJ < http://csj-ng.org/programmes/public-finance/public-procurement/> (accessed 04-06-2015);
Elendu v Ekwoaba (1995) 3 NWLR (Pt.386) 704;
Adesanya v President of Nigeria (1981) 5 SC. 112 – 191, (1981) 2 NCLR 358.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
