Looming disgrace… Editors set to expose Energy Minister!
Be not dismayed over revelations that the Public Relations Officer of Ministry of Energy and Power disappeared at the office of the Independent Media Commission (IMC) minutes before the commencement of a complaint hearing. (Photo: Prof. Ogunlade Davidson, Energy Minister)
Tuesday 8th was lined up for a complaint hearing between the Minister of Energy and Power and 3 editors of reputable newspaper institutions – the Exclusive, For Di People and unbending Sierra Express Media.
The deliberation was however postponed owing to the appearance and disappearance of Francis D.D Ganda, whom we are told, had asked for an adjournment of hearing.
Ganda is the Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Energy and Power and has been instrumental in the exchange of correspondences in relation to the complaint against all three media institutions.
Just after Ganda’s disappearance, a Commissioner at the IMC, Mr. Christo Johnson, approached the defaulting editors to inform them that the proposed hearing was cancelled to a later date.
That such was done due to a request from a representative of the complainant.
It is a fact that the Minister of Energy and Power on 10th February 2011 received a letter from National Public Procurement Authority (NPPA) informing him uncalled mishaps in the procurement of electric generators; process is seemingly not transparent and credible.
“Consequently and in exercise of its function in section 15 of the Public Procurement Act, the authority (NPPA) hereby wishes to request for the following documents for review and fair assessment of the evaluation process and deliberations of the procurement committee on the said project in order to bring this matter to a transparent and credible closure.”
By the above quote, it is, but glaring that the Office of National Procurement was in doubt as to how the process to procure electric generators was done, and therefore called for a process that is transparent and credible.
That in another letter dated 21st February 2011, it is stated that NPPA observed a number of inconsistencies between the report of the evaluation committee and the one prepared by the Honourable Minister in respect of the procurement of said electric generators.
Facts, as in letter written to the Minister by NPPA, referred to the process as unorthodox and flawed.
This, to the NPPA apparently violates procurement rules.
It is upon the above that NPPA officials were left without option, but to instruct Minister Ogunlade to discard evaluation already made and reconstitute a 5 man evaluation team comprising 3 engineers one of each specialized in commercial and financial discipline.
No wonder the Public Relation Officer of Energy Ministry avoids making his first appearance at the conference room of the IMC past Tuesday to battle with 3 senior newspaper editors on complaint of ‘misinformation’ and ‘reckless reporting.’
It could be recalled that officials of government have had their names in the archives of the anti corruption owing to violations of procurement laws.
In the 2008 anti corruption laws, it is stated that any violation of procurement rules is practically the same as corruption and should be dealt with by the anti corruption commission.
According to public opinion, flaws, as observed by NPPA officials, during periods of procurement evaluation for the purchase of electric generators for Lungi, Kono, Makeni, Magburaka, Port Loko/Lunsar and Kambia/ Rokupr, falls under corruption and warrants anti corruption’s intervention.
It has reached desks of Sierra Express Media that the Ministry has recently set up a 5 man evaluation team to redo the flawed procurement process as was ordered by NPPA.
Read letters in our next edition.
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