FG abolishes tendering for oil, gas shipment

FG abolishes tendering for oil, gas shipment
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The Federal Government has abolished tendering process for the engagement of pre-shipment inspection and monitoring agents for the oil and gas sector.
Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, who made the disclosure yesterday said the cancellation of the exercise was necessitated by a series of complaints as well as petitions alleging that the process had been marred by irregularities.
The decision was hinged on the President Muhammadu Buhari's directive in June 2015, that the Federal Ministry of Finance should commence the process of engaging pre-shipment inspection and monitoring agents.
Following the approval of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), a selective tendering process was initiated under which 65 companies were selected and invited to bid.
However, the statement explained that since the inception of the process, numerous complaints have been received by the Ministry suggesting that the method by which the 65 companies were selected was faulty and lacked transparency. The statement read in part: "The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, has ordered the immediate cancellation of the tendering process for the engagement of pre-shipment inspection and monitoring agents for oil and gas. The receipt of numerous complaints and a petition regarding alleged irregularities in the process necessitated the decision."
It added that, "a formal petition was received by the BPP, making specific allegations about the process. Under public procurement rules, the receipt of a formal petition requires a suspension of the tendering process to allow for an investigation.
However, in this instance, the Minister has taken the decision to cancel."
The statement also quoted the Minister to have said: "The sheer volume of complaints and the wide range of sources they emanated from had raised a sufficient level of concern around the process to warrant a full cancellation rather than a suspension. This administration stands for transparency and accountability and it is, therefore, important that all procurement and tendering exercises must be undertaken in accordance with best practices."
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The Sun

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