The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has expressed its profound admiration for the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) over its decisive role in shielding the national treasury from a $6.2 million debt trap.
The National Coordinator of HURIWA, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, in a statement, described the recent dismissal of the claim by European Dynamics UK Ltd as a historic triumph for transparency and public accountability.
Onwubiko noted that the Bureau, under the visionary leadership of Director-General Dr Adebowale Adedokun, demonstrated rare contractual courage by refusing to buckle under the pressure of a foreign entity that has reportedly defeated several other African nations in similar legal battles.
HURIWA specifically lauded the technical expertise of the Bureau for conducting a rigorous User Acceptance Test that exposed the functional deficiencies of the e-procurement project, thereby ensuring that Nigeria did not pay for value it never received.
While placing the spotlight on the Bureau’s technical vigilance, Onwubiko emphasised that this victory would have been impossible without the robust and strategic legal support provided by the Federal Ministry of Justice.
The association commended the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), for his integrity in authorizing a full-scale legal defense rather than opting for a questionable out-of-court settlement that would have drained billions from the federation account.
According to HURIWA, the seamless synergy between the Bureau’s technical audit and the Ministry’s legal brilliance has created a formidable shield against predatory international contractors.
The rights group concluded that this landmark success serves as a powerful reminder of what is achievable when government institutions collaborate with a shared sense of patriotism, effectively transforming Nigeria from a perceived easy target into a global example of procurement integrity.
HURIWA recalled that the office of the Federal Attorney General and minister of Justice narrated in a media statement that the dispute centred on a national electronic government procurement (eGP) project handled by the BPP.
The contractual dispute led the foreign firm, European Dynamics UK Ltd, to initiate the arbitral proceedings before the International Centre for Arbitration and Mediation, which sat in Abuja.
European Dynamics UK Ltd made claims totalling about $6.2 million against Nigeria.
The proceedings ended with the ruling delivered by Funmi Roberts, the sole administrator of the tribunal, dismissing all claims filed by the company against Nigeria.
According to the AGF office’s statement, the ruling relieved Nigeria of potential financial exposure estimated at over $6.2 million (about N9.3 billion) in claimed payments and damages.The statement said the ruling is final and not subject to appeal.
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