SPEECH DELIVERED BY HIS EXCELLENCY, THE EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR OF KADUNA STATE, ARC. MOHAMMED NAMADI SAMBO, FNIA, AT THE WORKSHOP ORGANIZED BY THE PROCUREMENT REFORMS COMPONENT OF THE KADUNA STATE GOVERNANCE AND CAPACITY BUILDING PROJECT TO PRESENT THE DRAFT PROCUREMENT BILL TO PERMANENT SECRETARIES IN THE KADUNA STATE CIVIL SERVICE AT THE  BANQUET HALL, GENERAL HASSAN USMAN KATSINA HOUSE ON THURSDAY, 3^RD JULY, 2008

PROTOCOL:

     I am delighted to be with you today and to address you on this occasion which has been organized to present to you the draft procurement bill being developed by the Bureau for Budget implementation, monitoring and Price Intelligence (Due Process Office), under the umbrella of the Procurement Reforms component of the Kaduna State Governance and Capacity building Project.

     This is an important event not just because the reform of the procurement system is one of the main priorities of this administration in our effort to transform governance in the State, but because of the central role Permanent Secretaries will be expected to play in the new system that the Government is trying to put in place.

     I therefore, call on you to show keen interest in the presentation that will be made to you, think seriously about the implications of the proposals in the bill and make concrete recommendations that will enable us establish a procurement system that is functional, transparent and fair to all stakeholders.

     Public procurement involves giving out public resources in exchange for goods and services that will benefit the people.  It is therefore, very important that the process be transparent, accountable and gives value for money in the use of public resources.

     It was for this reason that on our assumption of office we first considered for reform the procurement process in the State.  This initiative led to the establishment of the Bureau for Budget Implementation, Monitoring and Price intelligence otherwise known as the Due Process Office.  This office has already made commendable progress and its activities are already having sanitizing effects on contract Administration in the State.

     I had the opportunity of meeting with officials of the World Bank and the DFID and readily invited them to have a look at what we were doing and see for themselves first hand, our drive towards efficient and effective Governance and how they could support us to carry our reforms even higher.  I would like to place it on record that I am quite happy with their responses.

     High ranking officials from the Country office of the Bank in Abuja soon visited the State to assess what we were doing and to suggest improvements that would enable our system conform with the best international practice.  It is in line with this that we now have the draft bill that will be presented to you this morning.

     I would like to re-state that this bill is very important to the present administration in Kaduna State.  We are running a democracy and an open government and will have to give our people value for money to justify the confidence they have reposed on us.  Nothing short of the best would be good enough for them.

    In discussing this bill therefore, I urge you to put the interest of the people of the State uppermost in your minds.  You represent the cream of the Civil Service and with your wealth of knowledge and experience, I have no doubt that you will come out with recommendations that will best serve the interest of our people.

     I would like to once more commend the Bureau for Budget Implementation, Monitoring and Price Intelligence, the World Bank, DFID and the Consultant working on the bill for the progress recorded so far.  I look forward to receiving the draft with the recommendations that will emanate from this Forum.

     Ladies and Gentlemen, I wish you happy deliberations.

     Thank you and God bless.

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