As part of efforts to reduce cost of governance and establish public procurement processes, the Ondo State Government has sent some of its officials to the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency to understudy the latter’s strategies and modalities on procurement.
In her remark while receiving the four-man Technical Committee from Ondo State, the State Head of Service, Mrs Olabowale Ademola commended the team for the initiative, saying that the visit is an offshoot of the collaboration among the Heads of Service in the South West, as no one can claim monopoly of knowledge.
The HOS, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Public Service Office, Adesina Odeyemi, wished the delegation fruitful endeavour, imploring them to put into proper use what they learn in order to further develop Ondo State.
Earlier, the General Manager of the Agency, Engr. Akin Onimole, reiterated the commitment of the State Government towards achieving accountability, probity and value for money in its procurement system.
He enlightened the delegation on the structures already put in place for the procedures and methods of procurement implementation in the state and the achievements recorded so far by the Agency using the guidelines.
Responding, the leader of the delegation, Bamidele Daisi thanked the State Government for according them the privilege to understudy the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency in order to establish same in Ondo State, stressing that Ondo needs to leverage on the Lagos experience on public procurement so that they can get it right from the beginning.
The delegation had earlier met with the Management Team of the Public Procurement Agency to obtain first-hand information on the set up of the Agency as well as share experiences that will assist the Ondo State Government to replicate the structures already put in place by Lagos State.
The Ondo State Technical Committee, who were in Lagos State for two days, also visited the Procurement Units in the Ministries of Education and Works and Infrastructure in order to have an on the spot assessment of procurement practices and implementation procedures in Lagos State.