Browsing by Author "Ifekija I. Solomon"
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Item A THEORETICAL EXAMINATION OF CAUSES OF HIGH COSTS OF GOVERNMENT CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS IN NIGERIA(Department of Political Science and Public Administration, Ebonyi State University, 2016) Ifekija I. Solomon; Abubakar, AbdulrahmanBased on uncontestable evidences, the costs of executing construction contracts in Nigeria are extremely high. It has been widely acknowledged that Nigeria pays times-two more than any other country in the World particularly her immediate African neighbours for implementing government construction projects in a bid to provide social and economic infrastructures for the citizens. This phenomenon has had enormous devastating consequences for the country's economy over the years. Amidst this situation, the generally held view is that "corruption" in the public procurement process is the most singular factor responsible for this undesired development. This paper is opposed to this conventional assumption. It argues that, while corruption is one of the contributory factors, it is not the only majorfactor underscoring the high costs of public contracts in Nigeria. In the view of the paper, other factors such as; inflation and currency devaluation; project design, quality target and time; project environment, scarcity and shortage of materials, poor cost forecast and management, bureaucracy and budgetary delay, etc., are among the major causes of the high costs of implementing government construction projects in the country. However, by way of proffering solution to the problem, the paper recommends some measures as strategies for addressing the situation so as to save the country further waste of scarce financial resources that has drained the economy over a long period. The paper is theoretical and qualitative in approach. Data for the paper were derived from secondary sources, and the data were analyzed using the descriptive analytical method of qualitative writing. These methods were found most suitable and appropriate for the study as they enhanced the achievement of the paper's main objective.Item EFFICIENT PUBLIC PROCUREMENT PRACTICE AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: WHAT NIGERIA SHOULD DO(Department of Political Science, Ibrahim Babangida University, Lapai Nigeria, 2015) Ifekija I. Solomon; Aliu, Fatima O.; Abubakar, AbdulrahmanThe role of effective and efficient public procurement system and practice as an inevitable tool for achieving overall growth and development in any political system isbacked by huge empirical evidences in developed countries of the World. Indeed, unlike Nigeria and most other developing countries of Africa, where the subject of public procurement is yet to receive adequate attention by policy makers, academic researchers, professional bodies, civil societies as well as the general public, countries that have evolved robust public procurement system enjoy enviable development progress in all facets of life- socio culturally, economically, politically, infrastructural wise, among others. Although many developing countries including Nigeria have severally undertaken reforms to reposition their public procurement systems inorder to attain the desired development heights, most ofthem have not recorded meaningful progress due to corruption and high level deficiencies and inadequacies intheir public procurement policies and practices. To be precise, Nigeria isyet to recognize public procurement as an administrative activity that requires serious attention and contributions by every segment or section of the population, hence, the country's appalling development state. This paper, therefore, primarily emphasizes the imperatives of a virile public procurement system and practice as an instrument for achieving rapid national development in any country. In view of this, it suggests what Nigeria should do in order to reposition and strengthen her public procurement practice for maximum performance and rapid attainment of her national growth and developmentItem Public Procurement policy as a tool for Alleviating Socio-Economic Disparities: Lesson for Nigeria(Department of Political Science, Ibrahim Gbadamosi Babangida University, Lapai, Nigeria., 2017) Ifekija I. Solomon; Aliu, Fatima O.; Abubakar, AbdulrahmanThe public procurement systems and practices in most countries, specially developing nations, majorly focus on solving infrastructures problems and acquiring services and goods or items necessary for developmental purposes and the day-day running of state affairs. Against this conventional notion, however, this paper demonstrates the applicability of public procurement to addressing other important societal concerns. Specifically, the paper explores the usefulness of public procurement as a veritable tool for alleviating socioeconomic disparities among groups and categories of people in the society. It concludes by arguing that, following the examples of other countries, Nigeria could maximize her public procurement power to accomplish similar goals through a review and amendment of the country's 1999 Constitutional and the Public Procurement Act of 2007, to bring to bear the socioeconomic realities of the country in her public procurement practice and system. The paper is basically a theoretical and qualitative research. Data for the study were derived mainly from secondary sources; and the descriptive method of qualitative analysis was employed to analyze the data.