Rivers BoPP, Independent -DG

The Rivers State Bureau of Public Procurement, has debunked insinuations that the state Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi interfers in the operations of the agency.

The Director General of the agency, Mr Franklyn Nlerum said this in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt.

Nlerum said that the agency has operated as an autonomous entity since its inception, stressing that those who are alleging executive interference are doing it out of malice.

According to him, “the governor on several occasions have been pressured by procuring entities to interfere or ignore due process, but till date he has refused to interfere with our work.”

The Director General also declared that the governor has the political will to embark on necessary reforms in public procurement.

He said that the agency, under the auspices of the United Nations Development Programme will be organizing a three-day procurement reform conference in Port Harcourt.

According to him, the conference which holds from the 18th to 20th of October 2011 will be attended by representatives from twelve states of the federation.

The  states are, Adamawa, Akwa-Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Benue, Imo, Kaduna, Niger, Ondo, Sokoto, Delta and Rivers states.