By PAUL ADAJI, Abuja –
The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), has denied recent allegations circulating in sections of the media, on social platforms, and within certain civil society circles regarding its leadership and operations.
The BPP, in a statement issued in Abuja on Saturday, declared that the allegations, which include claims of corruption, monetisation of Certificates of No Objection amongst others, were “entirely false, malicious, and intended to mislead the public while undermining the integrity of the Bureau.”
In the statement, signed by its Head of Press and Public Relations, Zira Zakka Nagga, the Bureau unequivocally maintained that neither the Director-General, Dr. Adebowale Adedokun, his Chief of Staff, Mr. Olanrewaju Obasa nor any top member of the management had engaged in such act of corruption, financial misconduct, or abuse of office.
According to the statement, “the BPP operates strictly under the guidelines of the Public Procurement Act, 2007 with transparent, multi-layered, and digitally monitored systems that make such allegations not only baseless but practically impossible without detection.
“We recognise that the reforms introduced in recent months, particularly the tightening of procurement reviews, stricter enforcement of due process, the blocking of leakages, benchmarking of inflated Contractors’ prices which collective have safeguarded government funds, have disrupted entrenched interests, led to the exit of disgruntled personnel unable to adapt to these new reforms.
“It is therefore not unexpected that beneficiaries of the previously compromised system may resort to blackmail, petitions, and sponsored media narratives in an attempt to smear the leadership of the Bureau.”
It maintained that despite “these distractions,” the management of the BPP remained fully committed to its mandate of safeguarding public resources and promoting accountability in public procurement.
It also noted that the Bureau had, in the past year, undertaken several key reforms, including the introduction of affirmative procurement, establishment of Price Intelligence Unit, Procurement Surveillance and Procurement Audit Unit, Monitoring and Evaluation unit, “all of which have contributed significantly to its recent achievements.”
“In addition, the Bureau has led the implementation of the Nigeria First Policy, strengthened the participation of small and medium-scale enterprises in public procurement, and advanced the classification and categorisation of contractors, which is scheduled to become fully operational by January 2026. This will ensure that contractors undertake projects strictly in line with their verified technical and financial capacities to Nigerians and the international community, our position is clear: we welcome any investigation by the relevant Authorities.,” the statement said
The rest of the statement said:
“We stand ready to cooperate fully and will provide all required documents, financial records, and institutional logs to support a thorough, evidence-based inquiry.
We have absolutely nothing to hide. All official accounts and transactions within the BPP are audited, transparent, and traceable.
“We urge the public to disregard sensationalised or misleading reports and allow relevant institutions of the state to perform their duties without interference.
“We also call on the media to act responsibly by verifying information before publication. Reckless reporting not only distorts facts but also undermines public trust and unjustly damages reputations.
“In closing, the Bureau remains committed to transparency, professionalism, and service to the nation, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President. We call on Nigerians to remain calm and allow due process to run its course. No amount of blackmail or misinformation will deter us from strengthening the procurement system and upholding the integrity of public financial management.”
