Governor Sani Bello of Niger State

The Campaign for Democracy (CD) in Niger, has alleged that the Niger state government awarded contracts without due process as provided for in the Procurement Act.

The Chairman of CD, Alhaji Abdullahi Jabi disclosed this in a statement signed by him on Monday in Minna.

He said that the organisation had observed that the executive arm of government hardly conduct public bidding for contracts as contained in the procurement Act.

Abdullahi noted that non adherence to laid down procedures could lead to corruption.

“All arms of government should play their roles effectively towards service delivery to the people and development of the state,’’he said.

Jabi also accused the government for not giving a breakdown of its 2017 budget passed by the House of Assembly on April 6 and signed by the state governor on May 3.

“Niger is the only state that has not given a breakdown of its 2017 budget to the public as approved by the House and accented to by the governor,’’ he said.

He urged government to come up with the expenditure profile and the amount it received from the Paris fund refund to the state as done by other states.

“Niger state cannot be an exception. There should be no secrecy in the way government run its affairs particularly when the people that elected them are left in the dark,’’ he said.

Reacting, the Senior Special Assistant to the governor on Media, Mr Jide Orintunsin denied the allegation, saying that due process was dully followed in award of contracts.

“It is wrong for anyone to say contracts are awarded without following the due process.

“Things are done here according to the best international practices. We have followed due process to the latter,’’ he said.

Orintunsin said that government had been very prudent in the management of the state’s resources.

“Monies received are usually made available to the house of assembly before spending,’’ he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the CD is a coalition of pro-democracy, Civil Society and Human Rights Organisation.

(NAN)