By Babatunde Ososanya
The Federal Government through the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) has urged the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board(NCDMB) to develop an anti-corruption policy and whistle blower framework.
The focus area for the NCDMB was contained in the BPSR summary report and Self-assessment Tool (SAT) released in Yenagoa recently where NCDMB was adjudged a Level 5 Platinum Level organization.
Presenting the report, the Director General, BPSR, Dr. Dasuki Arabi, hinted that NCDMB is the first agency under the Ministry of Petroleum Resources that submitted itself willingly to undergo the assessment since the Bureau was mandated to deploy the tool in all federal ministries, departments and agencies.
Represented by the Head, Strategy, Innovation and Research, BPSR, Mrs. Mercy Okon, the Director General confirmed that the assessment was free from any influences and recommended the Board work with the Bureau to deepen reforms.
According to the Federal Government Bureau, the rating translates as“Exceptional Performance with a performance level of 90.5%.”
‘‘On the Board’s ‘Key Areas of Weakness,’ the Bureau said among other things that “The Governing Board has not ensured the establishment of an anti-corruption policy with an entrenched whistle-blower mechanism for NCDMB,” and that “The organisation’s strategic plans did not incorporate generation of additional financial resources with mechanisms to ensure transparent management and reporting on performance such resources.”
The rating for NCDMB according to BPSR translates as “Exceptional Performance with a performance level of 90.5 per cent.”
In September 2022, the Board was adjudged the best among Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) in the Executive Order (EO1) performance ranking for Ease of Doing Business for January to June 2022.
After that ranking by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), NCDMB’s Executive Secretary, Engr. Simbi Kesiye Wabote, was conferred with the “Distinguished Capacity Development Award” by President Muhammadu Buhari in October.
BPSR noted that NCDMB is structured to achieve its vision, mission and strategic objectives, which have been effectively communicated to relevant stakeholders and well understood by staff.
Continuing in what it terms “validated assessment and in-depth analysis of processes and practices of the agency,” the Bureau reported that “NCDMB has adopted robust financial and accounting policies that comply with financial regulations and are clearly reviewed to ensure efficient and reliable financial reporting, such as e-payment for all transactions – supplies, contracts, salaries and entitlements of staff.”
To underscore its conviction that NCDMB would strive for higher levels of performance beyond its Level 5 Platinum ranking, the Bureau recommends that the Board “Develop formal code of conduct defining standards of behavior to which individual Governing Board members of NCDMB subscribe and adhere.’ Also, that “The procurement staff are encouraged to sign an affidavit regarding their commitment not to engage in practices involving conflict of interests to improve compliance with the provisions of PPA 2007 [Public Procurement Act, 2007.”
In his closing remarks on behalf of NCDMB Management, Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, Mr. Akintunde Adelana, thanked the BPSR, particularly its Director General for the painstaking assessment exercise and assured that the exceptional grade achieved by NCDMB would spur its staff to even do better. Noting that “Getting a Platinum Level award is no mean feat,” he promised that recommendations made by the BPSR would be carefully studied and implemented for even greater results.
