The Director General Lagos State Office of Public Procurement, Fatai Idowu Onofowote, has apologised to Lagosians for not giving detailed explanations in the initial document on public procurement it initially released.
The state government had come under heavy criticism after documents from the public procurement office showed outrageous amount earmarked for specific tasks and projects in the state.
Recall that the governorship candidate of the Action Democratic Congress (ADC), Funsho Doherty, in a post via his X account on Saturday, queried some contract awards as approved by the state’s procurement agency. His comment had exposed the contracts to further scrutiny from Nigerians who believed that the amount earmarked for those tasks was outrageous.
However, in a statement released on Tuesday, the public procurement office said the information it reeled out was misrepresented and misunderstood.
“Our attention has been drawn to recent concerns regarding certain information posted on the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency’s website. Acknowledging the misunderstanding arising from the lack of clarity, we recognise the unintended misinterpretations of this information. The agency is committed to ensuring transparency, accuracy and accountability in all the government transactions, as mandated by the Lagos State Public Procurement Law. We regret that specific details, particularly concerning the descriptions of government dealings, may have inadvertently led to confusion, impacting both governmental entities and corporate partners providing services to the state. This arose largely from the lack of detailed descriptions in the project information, which has inadvertently led to confusion in the public space,” statement by Onofowote read.
“We empathise with public concerns and extend our sincere apologies for any distress caused. It is never our intent to cast doubt or cause misunderstandings that might tarnish the reputation of respected individuals and organisations involved in these transactions. To address these concerns thoroughly , the agency has taken immediate steps, Line-by-by-line explanations of the contracts in question are attached herewith, aiming to provide absolute clarity and dispel any lingering misconceptions. The Agency will continue to improve its internal processes and communication methods as our commitment as a government is to offer clearer and more accessible information to the public. It is pivotal to stress that the Agency’s autonomy exists to ensure fairness and transparency, not to cause confusion or discredit any involved parties,” it added.
