…Ismail Abubakar charges staff on implementation of procurement process
By Mohammed Mohammed
The Ministry of Sports and Youth Development on Wednesday, stated that as part of preparations for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) has developed a robust programme called GAPS (GATHER, ADJUST, PREPARE AND SUSTAIN) for Birmingham 2022 to ensure a successful outing.
The Ministry reiterates that GAPS is for emerging athletes and coaches from the Commonwealth, aimed at supporting the development of inclusive sport pathways, removing barriers to participation for people with disability and for women and girls to become actively involved in sports.
Development of coaches is fundamental, so is tackling many of the barriers and constraints that prevent participation, it added.
Meanwhile, the Permanent Secretary, in the Ministry, Alhaji Ismaila Abubakar, has charged the staff of the Ministry to ensure full implementation of the procurement process in line with the Act.
The goal of GAPS is to offer emerging athletes and coaches from Commonwealth access to additional skills, knowledge and resources. This is driven by advancing education and supporting the development of inclusive sports pathways that promote positive social change in sport and communities.
In the light of the above, CGF and Commonwealth Games Association (CGA) have collaborated to give some qualified Para Sports athletes and coaches from 13 Commonwealth countries additional skills, knowledge and resources for preparations towards Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, of which Nigeria is a beneficiary.
The beneficiaries of programme from Nigeria are from the following Sports Federations:
Para Table Tennis – 5 Athletes and 1 Coach, Para Powerlifting – 4 Athletes and 4 Coaches, Para Athletics – 2 Athletes and 2 Coaches
These Athletes and Coaches will be sponsored financially to participate in the programme that had already started since November/December 2021 and will last till July 2022 before the commencement of the Commonwealth Games.
The beneficiaries (athletes and officials) are as follows: Christiana Ikpeoyi Ifechukwu – Athlete, Maimuna Habib – Athlete, Ogunkunle Isau Olatunji – Athlete, Koleosho Ahmed – Athlete
Olufemi Alabi – Athlete, Gift Mark Oyinyechi – Athlete, Esther Ogechika Nworgu – Athlete, Emwiobaiwi Uhunoma – Athlete, Kure Thomas – Athlete, Nwachukwu Goodness Chiemerie – Athlete, Chibuike Kennedy Ezeji – Athlete, Odebode Sunday – Coach, Pius Asaba Idowu – Coach
The others are: Ibrahim Oyewele – Coach, Ihuarulam Jude Chinedu – CoachOyebola Oluwakemi – Coach, Anaeto Patrick Uche – Coach and Divine Toseju Jemirigbe – Coach.
As part of the sponsorship, CGF will provide all the necessary logistical materials such as flight tickets, visas, accommodation, feeding and allowances to participate in the events scheduled to take place in South Africa, Dubai and Birmingham.
The Director of Communications and Public Relations in the Ministry, Mr. Mohammed Manga, quoted the Permanent Secretary in a statement as giving also on Thursday in his office in Abuja, when he declared open a one-day procurement workshop organised by the procurement department in the Ministry.
He said civil servants have the responsibility of ensuring the full implementation and execution of government policies, programmes and projects according to extant rules and regulations.
According to him, “the primary objective of setting up public procurement act by the federal government was to among other things, drive the conduct of government business in a transparent and accountable manner and to further reduce cost as well as deliver works, goods and services for the betterment of the citizenry.
Ismaila, who commended the department for organising the workshop, called on other relevant departments in the ministry to come up with positive initiatives that will help in building capacity of staff for efficient service delivery to nigerians.
He assured that the Minister, Mr. Sunday Dare, is determined and desirous of lifting the ministry to a befitting status, in line with the policy thrust of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Administration
To achieve this, he said: “Staff must ensure they work as a team for the effective realisation of these objectives”.
earlier in his opening remarks, the Director, Procurement Department, Mr. Segun Oke, stated that since his assumption of office 18 months ago, he noticed the inadequacy of procurement staff as well as low capacity of non-procurement staff in the understanding of laws and regulations governing procurement process as provided in the public procurement act (2007) and financial regulations.
According to him, with the support of the top management of the ministry, as well as other relevant departments, the department was able to educate and change the orientation of some of these non-procurement staff through dialogue and personal interaction.
Oke, who stated further that the primary objective of public procurement is to deliver works, goods and services necessary to accomplish government missions in a timely, economically and efficient manner explained that, “to achieve these goals, all the ministry’s staff that are involved in the procurement process need to be trained to be able to effectively carry out their responsibilities according to the extant rules.”
