The National Information
Technology Development Agency, (NITDA) and the Economic and Financial Crime
Commission, (EFCC) have agreed to join forces to curb corrupt practices in
Information Technology (IT) procurement, mostly in Ministries, Department and
Agencies of the Federal Government, reports ITRealms.
The Director-General of NITDA, Dr
Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, disclosed this during a courtesy visit to EFCC headquarter
in Abuja on Monday.
Pantami said that the alliance
has become imperative in the face of the wanton corruption being perpetrated by
MDAs especially in the procurement of IT products and services as most of the
projects pass through less scrutiny during budget defense at National Assembly
because of the expertise required to ascertain the needs and specifications of
these IT requirements.
“Many MDAs consider IT
projects as conduit pipes to siphon
public funds and I believe partnering with EFCC will bring sanity to the sector
and by then the commission will be empowering NITDA in strengthening its
regulatory function through which it will also be developing and promoting the local content in the IT
sector,” he said.
While suggesting the modus operandi
of the partnership, Dr Pantami informed that the two organisations could form a
working group which would also serve as a desk to deal with sharp practices in
the IT procurement, adding that, “EFCC may help in asking MDAs to produce
procurement clearance issued by NITDA during their investigations.
He said NITDA as IT regulatory
body in the country, the Agency is responsible for subjecting IT product to
value-for-money analysis, reduce projects duplication, justify the spending of
public funds on IT projects and to advise MDAs on the alternative options of IT
products and service with a view of reducing cost especially on sharing of
software among themselves.
The DG who believed that the
alliance would strengthen the existing relationship between the Agency and the
Commission said “supporting NITDA would go a long way in blocking loopholes in
IT procurements.”
He commended the EFCC’s Acting
chairman for his doggedness, fearlessness and outstanding performance which he
has recorded in acting capacity saying the feat
could take some people 20 years to achieve as substantive chairman of
the commission.
While assuring him of his prayers
and goodwill, Dr Pantami stated that Nigeria needs people like Mr Magu who are
fearless and do not think of the consequences of their action to move forward
as a nation
In his remarks, the Acting Chairman
of the Commission, Mr Ibrahim Magu who expressed his delight over the visit said that EFCC as Commission “would be complying with
NITDA’s request so as to bring some level of sanity to the procurement of IT products
and services among MDAs in Nigeria.
He described the partnership as
timely especially now that the Commission is on the process of “completely digitalizing
the operation of EFCC” adding that he now has place in NITDA to run to when he
gets confuse on IT projects under
investigations.
Describing corruption as a threat
to the unity of Nigeria, the EFCC boss maintained that the Commission cannot
fight corruption alone without the consensus of all Nigerians, he pleaded to Nigerians not to be discouraged on the recent corruption case
judgments delivered recently.
Mr Magu stated that the cause of
agitations from different quarters in the country today is because of
corruptions that has ravaged the nation. “Absolutely there is a political will
to fight corruption and this is not in doubt. This is the time to save this
country from the shackles of corruption," he added.
The two organisations agreed to
nominate three officials each to constitute the working group and the desk with
the term of reference of verifying the IT products and services to be procured
with public funds.
Uboshe Uboshe/GEE
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