BREAKING: Govt must safeguard future contracts, says Jedy-Agba

The Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, Mrs. Beatrice Jedy-Agba, has stated that following the lessons learned from the P&ID contract debacle, the government must implement measures to protect itself in future agreements.

She emphasised the importance of such precautions, noting that other countries entering into partnerships with Nigeria often come well-prepared for potential contract failures.

Jedy-Agba stated this on Tuesday, in Abuja, at the unveiling of the Federal Complex Contracts Process and Administration, which she said is poised to enhance operational efficiency and reduce financial risk.

The Solicitor General bemoaned the developmental challenges and lack of clarity arising from the contracts that the government entered into despite having the Public Procurement Act and the Fiscal Responsibility Act among others.

She also expressed dissatisfaction at ways and manners laws are being undermined, while she explained how Memorandum of Understanding are governed by law.

Urging the ministry’s staff not to take their jobs with levity she said, “You can not just do what you like. We expect that you have the capacity, which should reflect in the quality of agreement you are bringing.”

She stressed that legal advisers must do their best to avert failed contracts and it’s mitigating effects.

She added, “Collaboration is key to ensure effective implementation of projects we deliver on behalf of the government.”

A deputy director of the Ministry of Justice, Mr Augustine Kalu, explained that the FCAS is geared towards guiding the ministry and various departments on how to navigate contracts and get results.

He said one of its fundamental objectives is to ensure that projects not needed are not embarked upon.

Speaking on implementation, Kalu said about 40 MDAs have been unbundled and the government is interested in seeing the success of the process, assuring that it will not jettison it but carry it to a logical conclusion.

“We will look at the feasibility studies, Public Private Partnership arrangement, funding arrangement, due diligence to our country so that projects are not abandoned”, Kalu said.

The Chief Consultant to the ministry on FCAS, Dr Mark Igiehon, expressed the government’s commitment to taking proactive measures through the Ministry of Justice to prevent a recurrence of issues similar to those experienced with the P&ID contract.

He stated that under the new plan, the government aims to engage in projects and contracts more strategically, utilising specialists to not only minimise the risk of project failure but also ensure contracts are properly processed and recorded professionally.

“Government is now ready to take action on such high level, high valued and high-risk projects so that in the future, we will have fewer contract failures and would not have to pay a huge sum of money on failed contracts”, he said.