The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has cautioned against what it described as a coordinated smear campaign targeting the leadership of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), warning that such actions are aimed at derailing ongoing reforms in Nigeria’s procurement system.
In a statement signed by its Executive Director, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA said it had reviewed a document circulating as a “petition” by a little-known group identifying itself as the Conference of Civil Society for Transparency and Accountability (COCTA), which claims to support earlier allegations made by one Musa Aliyu, Esq.
According to HURIWA, available intelligence and preliminary assessments indicate that the document is not driven by any genuine concern for transparency or accountability. Rather, it represents a poorly coordinated attempt by vested interests to distract and destabilise the Bureau under its current leadership.
The Association disclosed that credible information points to attempts by identifiable individuals within and around the BPP to pressure officials to issue Certificates of No Objection without complying with statutory requirements under the Public Procurement Act. These attempts, HURIWA learned, were firmly resisted by the Bureau’s leadership in line with the law.
HURIWA observed that the failure to compromise due process appears to have triggered a resort to petitions, media pressure, and sponsored narratives. Of concern is the allegation that those behind the campaign are working with disgruntled former staff and external collaborators who were unsuccessful in previous bids for the Bureau’s top position and remain aggrieved by the transparent and merit-based process that produced the current Director-General.
“The objective of this campaign is not reform but revenge; not accountability but institutional capture,” Comrade Onwubiko stated, describing the tactics as familiar strategies designed to manufacture controversy, force suspensions, and create institutional vacuums for undue influence.
HURIWA further noted that the circulating petition lacks verifiable evidence, documentary proof, transactional trails, or independent corroboration, relying instead on sensational claims calculated to provoke suspicion and public outrage.
The Association cautioned the media, the public, and law-enforcement agencies against being misled by what it described as a sponsored distraction aimed at undermining procurement reforms.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the leadership of the BPP under Mr. Adebowale Adedokun has demonstrated that it has nothing to hide and nothing to fear from lawful scrutiny,” HURIWA said. “However, no public institution should be subjected to blackmail, media trials, or petitions sponsored by disgruntled insiders masquerading as civil society.”
HURIWA urged the BPP Director-General not to be distracted by frivolous allegations but to remain focused on enforcing transparency, accountability, and strict compliance with the Public Procurement Act.
The Association also welcomed reports that a comprehensive dossier is being compiled on individuals allegedly involved in attempts to improperly influence procurement processes and those participating in the smear campaign, noting that such information should be forwarded to relevant security agencies for impartial investigation.
“No amount of intimidation or coordinated noise should be allowed to derail reforms that are vital to Nigeria’s governance framework,” Comrade Onwubiko concluded.
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