The Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management of Nigeria (CIPSMN) has raised alarm over what it described as the “illegal collaboration” between the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) and a deregistered body known as the Procurement Professional Association of Nigeria (PPAN).
By Chimezie Godfrey
The Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management of Nigeria (CIPSMN) has raised alarm over what it described as the “illegal collaboration” between the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) and a deregistered body known as the Procurement Professional Association of Nigeria (PPAN).
In a statement signed by its President, Alhaji Sikiru Oladapo Balogun, and made available to Newsdiaryonline on Thursday, the Institute said it received “with deep concern and disbelief” the news of a workshop being organized under the PPAN name in Abuja on Saturday, October 18.
According to the CIPSMN, the event is being advertised as a “Special Meeting/Workshop” jointly organized with the BPP, and the Director-General of the Bureau, Dr. Adebowale Adedokun, is billed as the keynote speaker.
“The event poster, which boldly carries the official logo of the BPP and the photograph of its Director-General, lends an unfortunate air of legitimacy to an otherwise illegal association,” the statement read in part.
CIPSMN noted that PPAN was deregistered by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) over a decade ago. “The CAC, in its official letter dated March 11, 2013, and referenced COM/NSC/01/2013/VOL.1/109, clearly stated that PPAN’s registration was in violation of Section 30(1)(a) of the Companies and Allied Matters Act,” the Institute recalled.
It further alleged that the current move bears the signature of the BPP DG. “This development clearly indicates that Dr. Adedokun is the chief architect of this illegality, as similar actions have been observed in previous dealings with other unrecognized associations,” Balogun alleged.
The Institute reaffirmed that CIPSMN remains the only statutory body recognized by law to regulate, train, and certify procurement professionals in Nigeria. It urged all genuine practitioners to be wary of “unscrupulous elements seeking to commercialize professional ethics.”
“The public should not be misled,” the Institute warned, calling on relevant authorities to investigate the purported collaboration to safeguard institutional integrity in Nigeria’s procurement system.
CIPSMN concluded by reaffirming its resolve to uphold professional standards and ensure the sanctity of public procurement in the country.