Senate Moves To stop FEC from Approving Contracts

The Senate on Wednesday, January 13 2016 moved to stop the Federal Executive Concil (FEC) from approving contracts.

This was disclosed while the senators deliberated on a motion titled: Urgent need to empanel the National Council on Public Procurement of Nigeria.

Ali Ndume, one of the sponsors of the motion and Senate leader strongly spoke against the council said the senate needs to encourage what is right.

"The FEC is not supposed to be an awarding body. This governmnt will welcoome the idea that the senate is encouraging it to do the right thing and seddle with the responsibility to do what the Federal Esecutive Council is doing.

"We have to change the ways things are done so it can be done properly.
Adamu Aliero representing Kebbi central senatorial district who was also in support of what Ndume said the council should instead of awarding contracts, formulate policies that are meant to set direction and focus.Ndume said.

The senate also urged the federal government to urgently and officially set up the National Council of Public Procurement to give life and meaning to the Public Procurement Act.
This is in order to achieve the laudable objectives for which the act came along.

Bukola Saraki, the Senate President who expressed his satisfaction in the motion said the council should be set up immediately.

He also called on the committee to look at the appropriate places for review.

Meanwhile, a bill for an act to amend the agriculturral Credit Guarantee Scheme Fund Act scaled second reading.

The bill seeks to promote commercial agriculture in Nigeria and ensure credit support for production, storage, processing of target commodities, markets ans enterprise development to provide concessionary funding for Agriculture and for other related matters.