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PPA issues final warning to procurement entities over non-compliance
The Public Procurement Authority (PPA) has issued a final warning to procurement entities that have failed to comply with provisions of the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663), as amended.
In a public notice signed by the Chief Executive of the PPA, Frank Mante, the Authority said some procurement entities have not fulfilled their legal obligation to publish procurement plans and contract awards on the Ghana Electronic Procurement System (GHANEPS).
According to the PPA, Section 21 of the Act requires procurement entities to publish their procurement plans on the GHANEPS platform and update them every quarter.
Section 31 also makes it mandatory for entities to promptly publish details of contract awards on the platform.
However, the Authority said its review of the GHANEPS system revealed that several entities have failed to comply with these requirements.
The PPA described the notice as a final caution to all defaulting entities and warned that further action would be taken against those that continue to breach the law.
It stated that the names of non-compliant procurement entities will be published after the caution period, and the Authority will apply the appropriate sanctions as provided under the law.
As part of the sanctions, the PPA said its Board will not consider applications for single-source procurement or restricted tendering from entities that fail to comply with the publication requirements.
The Authority further reminded heads of procurement entities that they bear direct responsibility for ensuring compliance with the law under Section 18 of the Public Procurement Act.
It therefore urged all procurement entities to take immediate steps to publish their procurement plans and contract awards on the GHANEPS platform and ensure full compliance with the Act.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The Ghana High Commission in Abuja, Nigeria, is appealing to the public to help trace the relatives or next of kin of Apia Solomon, a Ghanaian national believed to be from Osu, Accra.
According to a public announcement by the High Commission, Mr. Solomon, born on March 6, 1960, in Accra, died on July 5, 2021, from cardiopulmonary failure.
He worked as a temporary civilian staff member at the National Defence College in Nigeria. His remains are currently being kept at the Nigerian Air Force Hospital morgue in Abuja, pending burial arrangements.
The High Commission says efforts to locate his relatives have so far been unsuccessful and is urging anyone with information about his family, friends or next of kin to come forward.
Anyone with relevant information is encouraged to contact the Ghana High Commission in Abuja.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Security consultant Richard Kumadoe has blamed what he describes as flawed recruitment and incomplete background checks for some of the problems facing the Bureau of National Intelligence (BNI).
He has called on the leadership of the BNI to review the backgrounds of officers recruited during specific periods, particularly those who entered the agency under recent recruitment processes.
Speaking on the issue on TV3 yesterday, Mr Kumadoe alleged that some individuals were recruited into the intelligence agency without proper background checks and completed vetting.
“Certain categories of persons were dumped into the BNI, whose backgrounds were not checked, and whose vettings were not completed,” he stated.
He said some of the officers linked to the concerns appeared to have been recruited within the same period, making it necessary for the agency to examine the recruitment records and backgrounds of those who joined during that time.
Mr Kumadoe argued that the problems could be addressed by ensuring that recruitment procedures were properly followed and that all applicants underwent the required checks before being employed.
According to him, when the selection process is flawed, it can lead to problems within the institution.
He blamed the politicisation of security institutions, arguing that appointing people without the necessary intelligence experience and allowing political interests to influence recruitment could undermine their operations.
“When you have a selection procedure that was flawed because you politicised the place, brought in people to come and head the place when they have no business being there, they don’t know anything about being a BNI officer, they are not intelligence officers, and you flood the place with politicians and political artists, then you circumvent the standard procedure and you are going to have some of these problems,” he said.
Mr Kumadoe, however, defended the current leadership of the BNI, arguing that efforts to address longstanding problems within security institutions could bring such issues to light.
He said the leadership should be assessed in the context of the steps it is taking to improve the agency’s operations and uphold professional standards.
Drawing on his own experience in the intelligence field, he said the opportunity to serve under experienced officers had helped him develop the skills and integrity needed to contribute to national security.
By: Jacob Aggrey
