Tinubu directs review of inherited road projects to ensure probity

President Bola Tinubu has directed that all projects that require additional funding, especially major projects of the Ministry of Works, be reviewed to ensure probity, proficiency and diligence in execution.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said this while briefing State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, on Wednesday.

He said the council decided to step down projects under the ministry of works inherited by the Tinubu administration, which required cost adjustments and variation.

He said the president directed that the memos presented to the Council by the Minister of Works, David Umahi, be looked at once again so that there would be further deliberation at the next council meeting.

Mr Idris explained that the idea was to re-examine, especially those parts that required augmentation or review.

He said the works minister was directed to work with the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning and the Minister of Finance to look at those projects again and bring them strictly in line with budgetary provisions.

According to the minister, where there is a necessity for additional funding, this will be brought back to the council meeting next time for further deliberation.

Procurement Act Review

Mr Idris said the council also discussed the National Council on Procurement, which had not been effective in the last 17 years.

Consequently, he said the President had submitted a bill to the National Assembly, which had scaled through the first reading at the House of Representatives.

“The whole idea is to ensure that we have a robust National Council on Procurement that will look at all aspects of procurement, and to bring every project into the fiscal financial discipline that the president is always talking about,” the minister said.

Also speaking, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, explained that President Tinubu, in line with the desire to enhance more fiscal discipline and further demonstrate to Nigerians his commitment to serving them better, raised the issue of the reconciliation between the Appropriation Act, Public Procurement law and the Fiscal Responsibility Act.

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“The FEC has set up a committee under the chairmanship of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice to review the Public Procurement Act.

“The president directed that all ministries, department and agencies, should review their intended procurement as provided for in the appropriation.

“Where there are gaps between appropriated sums and sums required to execute projects, that can be brought to the attention of both the Ministry of Budget and National Planning and Federal Ministry of Finance.

“Such that the memo that the cabinet secretariat will provide to the FEC, will have clarity of where funding is expected to come from and recommendation so as to guide effectively the Federal Executive Council decision,” Mr Bagudu said.