The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has held the bid opening for the 2023 planned disposal of assets forfeited to the Federal Government.
Twenty-five auctioneers participated in the bid opening at the Abuja headquarters of the ICPC.
Spokesperson of the anti-graft agency, Mrs. Azuka Ogugua, quoted the ICPC Chairman, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, as promising in his opening remarks that the exercise would be transparent.
Owasanoye, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), commended the auctioneers for their cooperation and assured them that the commission would not renege on its pledge to ensure a fair and transparent process.
The ICPC boss, who was represented by Dr. Louis Mandama, a board member, noted that the bid opening was the first for 2023 and promised that the second exercise would hold in the second half of the year.
He stated that the mode of allocation of assets in the current stage would be different as there would be no batching of assets.
Owasanoye gave assurance that the auctioneers would be allowed to go and take a look at the assets while working with the technical team in order to evaluate them.
The ICPC boss went further to say that complaints received from the five bidders after the broadcast of results on the commission’s website had been addressed.
After sorting the submitted bids, the marked and observed revealed the number of property bided for and its cost which were certified by the auctioneers.
The representatives of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Alhaji Bello Nasir and the representative of the Civil Society Organisations (CSO), Mr. Paul Odokara, expressed satisfaction with the exercise.
They commended the transparent nature of the exercise hoping that its outcome would certainly meet the criteria set for the bidding.
The observers also advised other agencies to take a cue from ICPC, and charged the auctioneers on the need to adhere to instructions for easy identification of their bids to avoid any disqualification.
