Group sues Tinubu, seeks sack of BPP DG over ‘illegal appointment’

A group known as the Network for the Actualisation of Social Growth and Viable Development (NAGAD) has sued President Bola Tinubu.

The group is demanding the removal of Mamman Ahmadu as director-general of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).

Apart from the president, the attorney-general of the federation (AGF), BPP and Ahmadu were also joined as respondents in the suit filed before the Abuja federal high court.

According to the plaintiffs, Ahmadu’s appointment did not follow due process and the Public Procurement Act 2007.

“The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is mandated by the Public Procurement Act, 2007 to constitute a body known as ‘national council on public procurement’, which acts as a watchdog, oversee and supervises the 3rd respondent’s (BPP) activities for the sake of transparency and accountability,” NAGAD said.

“The said national council of public procurement is also empowered by law to recommend any potential candidates for the office of director-general of the 3rd respondent’s commission to the 1st respondent (president) for appointment after a competitive selection.

“Since the 3rd respondent was established in 2007, the national council on public procurement has never been constituted, in contravention to the law and therefore making the 3rd respondent to act on its whims and caprices, taking decisions at its own volition, without supervision and in accordance with the establishment Act.”

NAGAD further stated that the BPP has been issuing “certificates of no objection to procuring entities without recourse to the national council’s regulations in line with its mandate”.

The group stated that the non-constitution of the national council “will breed corruption in the system at the detriment of the society”.

They referred the court to letters addressed to the BPP as well as its DG over the alleged infractions while asking the DG to resign “honourably”.

“Since the service of the said letters on the respondents, they have refused, failed and neglected to accede to our requests,” NAGAD said.

Consequently, they are praying the court to nullify all certificates of objections issued by the BPP from 2007 till date.

They are also seeking an order “mandating the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to constitute the national council on public procurement for the purpose of the appointment of the director-general of the Bureau of Public Procurement”.

“An order of this honourable court prohibiting the Bureau of Public Procurement from further issuing certificates of no-objection to any government agency, parastatals or person until the national council on public procurement is constituted,” it said. 

“An order of this honourable court directing the immediate sack of the director general of the bureau of public procurement for being appointed in contravention to section 7(1) of the procurement Act, 2007.”