WE'VE BEEN STRUGGLING WITH CORRUPTION – PERM SEC
Permanent Secretary of the interior ministry, Mrs. Dere Awosika has alleged that the ministry, over the years has contended with absolute corruption, lack of transparency, delay in the ways things are done in the initiation for citizenship and quota administration.
Awosika, who made the allegation on Tuesday, in Abuja, during the official opening of bidders' tenders and evaluation for proposed office building rehabilitation, said it was time to go the right way and do the right things.
According to her, 'The development to tender for projects approved in the 2010 Appropriation Act. We have gone through in making sure that the approved projects are exactly what was advertised. We are trying to comply with the law.
'What is important in the life of the ministry or the country is that we should do things transparently with equity and justice. There should be fair play. That is why we have everybody here today to open the bid. At the end of the day only those who emerge will be given the job, that is the law.
'Whoever has submitted his or her tender here will be looked at today and we have all our people here. We want to put into practice what is in the law.
'For a long time, the ministry of interior has struggled with absolute corruption, lack of transparency, delay in the way that things are done in the initiation for citizenship and quota administration. And we believe that with my directors and I and the entire ministry believes that we need to go the right way.
'We need to automate so that people can apply on-line. You do not need to see our face; we do not need to see you. We want a process that is transparent to take its cause. Human beings are subjective depending on their lining on the decision that they make.'
With about 13 contractors bidding for the job, the permanent secretary said after proper assessment of the tenders, the result of the evaluation will be made public soon where a winner would emerge.
Director of Finance and Accounts, Abudullahi Usman Mahmood in his remark, said the ministry's allocation for the second quarter had been reduced by 60%, making it impossible for it to accommodate all the projects.
'Instead of getting about N123 million for this project, we got only N49.1 million. Because of this, we have to handle our projects according to our needs. Other projects will be rolled over into the next year,' he disclosed.
National President, National Council of Women Societies, Hajiya Ramotu Bala Usman, National President, Federation of Female Lawyers (FIDA), Mr. Ezenwa Okoroafor, representative of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC), directors in the ministry and contractors bidding for the job were amongst other people at the venue to witness the opening of the tender.