The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), the Nigerian chapter of Transparency International, has expressed concerns over potential irregularities in the procurement process for selecting a Transaction Adviser to revitalize the Ajaokuta Steel Complex Limited (ASCL) and the National Iron Ore Mining Company (NIOMCO) in Itakpe.
CISLAC’s Executive Director, Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani), in a personally signed statement, said in two separate letters addressed to the Honourable Minister of Steel Development and the Director General of the Bureau of Public Procurement, CISLAC urged the government to ensure transparency and adherence to legal standards in the ongoing procurement process.
According to CISLAC, the strategic economic significance of ASCL and NIOMCO necessitates a rigorous and transparent process in selecting a qualified adviser.
The organization emphasized that the process should uphold public trust by strictly adhering to due process to ensure the selection of the most competent adviser.
However, CISLAC pointed out that the Request for Proposal (RFP) failed to specify the weight assigned to quality and cost factors, as required by Section 51(1) of the Public Procurement Act, 2007, thus undermining fairness in the selection process.
Furthermore, CISLAC noted that the technical scores of bidders were not disclosed before opening financial proposals, which violates Section 51(4) of the Act.
The absence of explicit evaluation criteria in the RFP also contravenes Section 46 (1)(e), potentially allowing arbitrary scoring.
CISLAC also highlighted that Sections 23-24 of the Act mandate the transparent publication of bid opportunities and contracts awarded, a standard that has not been met in this case.
The organization raised concerns over the omission of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) from the procurement process, which violates the ICRC Act, 2005, and statutory requirements for public-private partnerships.
This exclusion raises legal and transparency issues, especially for a project of such national significance.
CISLAC emphasized the importance of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in monitoring procurement processes to foster public confidence, in line with both global standards and the National Anti-Corruption Strategy.
CISLAC’s Executive Director, Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani), stressed that transparency and accountability are essential for a fair and equitable process.
He noted that Section 57 of the Act mandates transparency in disclosing conflicts of interest, a requirement essential for impartiality in the selection process.
The letter also raised concerns over potential breaches of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, ministerial oversight obligations, and public ethics standards.
With federal investments in ASCL and NIOMCO exceeding $7 billion over 40 years without yielding results, CISLAC warned that Nigeria cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of the past.
The organization urged the Honourable Minister and the Director General of the Bureau of Public Procurement to intervene and ensure an open, fair, and transparent process that appoints a Transaction Adviser who is best qualified to achieve the project’s goals and restore public trust.