N2.9bn question paper contract: Printers’ Institute wants contractors names published
The Chartered Institute of Professional Printers of Nigeria (CIPPON), established by the Act of parliament number 24 of 2007, has called for transparency in the award of the N2.9bn contract for the printing of question papers recently approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
In a statement signed recently by the institute’s President and Chairman in Council, Mr. Olugbemi Malomo, CIPPON expressed appreciation to the Federal Executive Council for approving the contract, saying the approval came at better time, especially now that a lot of capacity in the printing industry are laying fallow due to the effect of Covid 19, couple with the fact that over One Trillion Naira is taken out of the printing and graphics communication industry every year to develop capacity of other countries, through the execution of government jobs in those countries.
The institute however called on the Bureau of Public Procurement to make the names of the Eight (8) companies that won the contract known to the public, so as to ascertain if the contractors are registered members of the Institute, as stipulated in the printers Act 24 of 2007, section 23 (b), which mandated the council to ensure that no firm or partnership shall practice as printers in Nigeria unless it is registered by the council.
The Institute clarified in the statement that making the name of the contractors known to the public is in tandem with the spirit of transparency and good governance which the present government of President Muhammadu Buhari is known for.
The statement reads in parts: “The Chartered Institute of Professional Printers of Nigeria (CIPPON),Act 24 of 2007 is charged with the duty of regulating, controlling Managing and Administration of Printers in Nigeria. We want to express our appreciation to the Federal Executive Council for the approval of the sum of N2.9 billion for the printing of question papers among other.
“We also use this opportunity to acknowledge and thank the government for responding to cry by including the printing and allied industry in the post Covid-19 palliative committee. This we see as a good starting point and a sign of better things to come.
“Especially because the recently awarded contract is also in tandem with our 32 pages post Covid- 19 priority for the printing industry request that “Nigerian printing jobs remain in Nigeria. (in line with Executive order No 5) and that Printing jobs for institute registered printers only (in line with the provision of printers Act 24 of 2007). Copies of the document have been sent to all Ministry, Departments and Agencies (MDAs,) that are involved in government printing procurement; we also believe that our listening government is working hard to correct the mistakes of the past, which in our opinion is another good step in the right direction.
“Our believe is If our Two top priorities are adhered to, the printing industry would have enough jobs to do, which in turn is capable of reducing unemployment and insecurity. We want to urge the government to INTENTIONALLY use her enormous resources to develop local capacity like was done by the founding father of this Nation.
“One glaring example was the Festival Of Arts And Culture (FESTAC) hosted in 1977, where government used her resources to birth the city known as FESTAC Town today. Imagine if the government decided to “Rent” houses for the festival participant we will not have the city known as FESTAC which has solved housing problems for very many families today. Taking Nigerian printing jobs outside Nigeria in whatever guise is like “Renting houses from “foreigners” when the roofs of our houses are leaking.
“In other to ensure that the awarded contract will be executed in Nigeria, also in the spirit of transparency and good governance which the present government of His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari is known for, we have made a request to the Bureau of Public Procurement asking for the names of the Eight (8) companies that the contract was awarded to in order to ascertain if they are registered members of the Chartered Institute of Professional Printers of Nigeria as stipulated in the printers Act 24 of 2007, section 23 (b) “ The council ensures that no firm or partnership shall practice as printers in Nigeria unless it is registered by the council ”. Once again we thank the government and hope that the provision of the Printers Act will be adhered to in all printing procurement bids now and in the future”, the statement said.
