By Amin Kef Sesay
This medium has been reliably informed that more than 1500 Procurement and Supply students of the Institute of Public Administration and Management (IPAM), the No1 tertiary institution in Sierra Leone, are all set to listen to the Chief Procurement Officer of the National Public Procurement Authority (NPPA) in the Republic of Sierra Leone Mr. Ibrahim Briama Swarray as he will be delivering a Lecture at the Miatta Conference Centre on the 20 February 2020.
The dynamic and result-oriented Chief Executive Officer of the National Public Procurement Authority (NPPA), who saved the current Government, under the leadership of President Julius Maada Bio, not less than seventy million dollars ( $70M) in just one year is expected to create an indelible impact as he has proven in the past to be very knowledgeable in procurement issues.
The NPPA, an institution which was regarded as dysfunctional and not an important institution for the past 14 years got a new lease of life in the last 18 months under the leadership of a home- grown Procurement Specialist from IPAM in the person of CEO, Ibrahim Brima Swarray who has been regarded as a gem worth listening to, to better inform the procurement mechanisms he spearheaded that facilitated this unprecedented accomplishment of saving this country huge sums of money that otherwise should have gone down the drain.
James Kollie Lecturer-in-Charge/National Coordinator (Extramural Dept) revealed that IPAM usually organizes seminars for the Business and Management School of the University of Sierra Leone, and as such he is always engaged in organizing short courses and seminars to practically impart knowledge to students.
He noted that the Institute, in collaboration with the National Public Procurement Authority and the Anti-Corruption Commission are organizing the first ever procurement seminar and various speakers have accepted to do presentations on topics related to the theme: “Implementing Electronic Procurement in Sierra Leone: Benefits to National Development”.
Mr. Kollie further disclosed that the said program is expected to bring together about one thousand five hundred (1500) students from the Freetown, Bo, Kenema, Kono and Makeni IPAM campuses.
Many students have expressed their delight to witness the first ever Procurement Seminar for Procurement Students in Sierra Leone.
Hawa Moriba, a Diploma in Procurement Studies (DIPS) Year 2 student expressed the following view, “the whole package that will be unfolded during this seminar makes it worth attending and I can’t afford to miss it out. My anxiety to attend the first Procurement Seminar is beyond description because I know what it’s means to have got prudent intellectuals as speakers. We are patiently awaiting for that very day to come”.
“As a would-be procurement professional this is the biggest platform for me to see procurement specialist discussing issues that have to do with the profession am yearning for,” Mohamed T Jakoh another DIPS Year 2 student expressed optimism.
Janet Alpha, a DIPS Student in Makeni said she is happy to witness the first ever procurement seminar because it is going to create a great impact in the area of her study by gaining from the people who are role models in society and also hoping to get an approval from the University for them to start a degree program in the Procurement Department through this seminar.
