The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, on Wednesday, received members of the Bayelsa State Due Process Bureau who were in the state to understudy Edo’s e-procurement system, with the governor charging states on effective management of resources to improve the lives of the citizens.
Obaseki, while speaking to the delegates at the Government House in Benin City, noted that e-procurement remains key for states with scarce financial resources to deliver on their mandate, ensuring sustainable growth and development.
The governor said Edo State’s procurement process has moved from analog to digital system which introduced a new level of transparency that has continued to address all forms of manipulations and corruption in the procurement process.
He noted, “In view of the scarcity of resources, it is important to appropriately manage the resources available and put them to proper and greater use for the benefit of the people. It’s only an effective and transparent e-procurement process that can make it possible to achieve this.
“E-procurement helps in managing scarce financial resources effectively and it propels development and progress. E-procurement is key, especially for states that don’t have much financial resources. Effectively managing the little resources available helps the developmental efforts.”
Obaseki further stated, “About 12 years ago, we had the privilege of seeking budget support facilities from the World Bank and the emphasis was on the need for a stronger procurement unit. Nobody wants to give you money if they are not sure that you can spend it properly.
“We have one of the oldest e-procurement units in the country. We have moved from the analog era to the technology era in our procurement system in Edo State. We have a system where we procure properly. We have found that technology is the way to go. We now use technology to facilitate our procurement process in the state.
“Technology introduces a different level of transparency that will fight all forms of manipulations because it allows everyone to see the records at the same time, unlike manual process, thereby eliminating all forms of corrupt acts.
“The transparent procurement process has a lot of benefits for the state as it helps in so many ways. When procuring infrastructure and other services, it is important to have a robust system that becomes a culture. It is important because it’s in the best interest of the people, and the best approach to improving the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state.”
“IGR is difficult to collect and after collecting it, it becomes obligatory to explain to the people how you spent the money,” the governor added.
The leader of the delegation, Aaron Nicodemus Timiye, who is the Director-General of Bayelsa State Due Process Bureau hailed Edo for establishing a world-class procurement process that has become a template for other states.
He said, “We are here to study the public procurement process, specifically the e-procurement system. We are here to exchange notes and ideas on e-procurement, and possible ways of improving our e-procurement process as Edo State is far ahead of Bayelsa State in terms of e-procurement.”
