Commentators question due process in Rivers state

Social critics have accused the Rivers State Government of overlooking and neglecting due process procedures in the state.
The state Government recently launched 2 Automated Road Analyser Vans, ARNVANS, meant to ease the monitoring of road projects in the state.
Amaechi, who unveiled the ARAN vehicles at the Government House in Port Harcourt, said the
device would ensure that projects were executed according to specifications.
The Governor said the vehicles would be driven on newly constructed roads to determine their quality, adding that the measure would check fraudulent activities by some contractors who failed to adhere to project specifications.
However, a Finance analyst, Biobele Arimie said the two automated road analysers by the Rivers State Bureau of Public Procurement is a reckless act and totally out of the purview of the Franklyn Ileru-led due process bureau in Rivers state.
He told the media in Port Harcourt that the Rivers State Public Procurement Bureau has confirmed that it lacked competence and understanding of its functions.
According to him, “We should know that the law establishing the bureau only mandates the bureau to take charge of systems, processes and procedures.
“They are not a project management group. The bureau is supposed to ensure that people comply with rules, regulations and procedures. Having said this, what the bureau has done now is to spend millions of Rivers State money to acquire a van that is supposedly meant to be used by the Ministry of Works.
“It is the responsibility of the Ministry of works to construct roads and to ensure the monitoring of the road, to supervise the construction of the road and issue certificates for the compliance of standards.
“Now the bureau has left her responsibility of ensuring that due processes are complied with”, he alleged.
“We are yet to even do procurement audit which we are supposed to do twice every year. They have abandoned their statutory responsibility.
“Section 3(0) setting up the Rivers State Public Procurement Law clearly says the bureau shall perform public procurement audit and submit such report to the State Assembly bi-annually.
“Six years after, they have not done that. They are going to buy vehicle.
“What the law says they should do, they have refused to do”, he added.
Arimie, who is also the Head of Certified Procurement Professionals in Rivers and Bayelsa states also challenged the Franklyn Ileru-led bureau of public procurement to explain to the people why it has not published information of procurement activity as demanded by its laws.




















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