BY KENNETH EHIGIATOR

The Bureau of Public Procurement, BPP, has reiterated that Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, have a crucial role to play in the implementation of the 2011 budget recently signed into law by President Goodluck Jonathan, saying only projects in excess of N1 billion would be awarded “no objection certificate.”

Director-General of the BPP, Engr Emeka Ezeh, who disclosed this weekend, also said only consultancy services in excess of N100million were due to be awarded the “Due Process” certificate.

Engr. Ezeh said since a greater part of the 2011 budget did not require BPP certificate before execution could begin, the era of delay in budget implementation was gone.

He said: “MDA responsibility is also enormous. People simply want situations where they can give  jobs to their own cronies, to their own church or mosque members, members of their community, and members of their old boys to justify the position they are holding and then depriving the ordinary person the opportunity to excel.

“What the Procurement Act is saying is that if you consider yourself competent, you should put the advert of procurement in the public domain and comply with all the rules.  You don’t have to know me or know anybody because we are Nigerians and should have equal access to opportunities.