Niger will not tolerate corruption, warns Governor Bago

Niger will not tolerate corruption or unethical practises in the state’s local government administration, said Mr Yakubu Garba on Tuesday in Minna.

He spoke on behalf of Gov. Umaru Bago as he opened a three-day workshop for the state’s 25 procurement and store officers from local government councils.

Garba urged the chairs of the state’s 25 local government councils to ensure that procurement officers followed existing local government administration laws.

“They must follow procurement laws and ensure due process in all procurement processes, because we will have zero tolerance for corruption or any form of sharp practise.”

“It will no longer be business as usual; we will no longer do things the same way we did before; we must do things in accordance with the law,” Garba said.

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Mr Nuhu Ngaski, Permanent Secretary at the Local Government Service Commission, had previously stated that the workshop aimed to improve participants’ knowledge and skills in procurement planning and store management.

The Commission’s chairman, Alhaji Mohammed Dabban, explained in his remarks that the creation of procurement units and the appointment of officers to oversee their operations were intended to ensure transparency, accountability, and adherence to procurement laws.

Alhaji Abubakar Aliyu, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, advised council chairmen in a goodwill message to accompany their procurement officers in procurements for transparency and accountability.

The Niger State Local Government Service Commission organised the workshop.

The theme of the conference is “Efficient procurement, optimal planning, and effective store management – Enhancing service delivery through capacity-building for local government procurement, planning, and store officers.“