The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) says severe penalty awaits anyone who default in the procurement process in project execution in the corporation.

NNPC Managing Director, Dr Maikanti Baru, also warned management and staff of the corporation against any action that contravened the provisions of the Public Procurement Act in the award of contracts.

He gave the warning on Wednesday in Abuja at a Supply Chain Management workshop for NNPC Procurement Managers.

Baru cautioned staff against contract splitting and accumulation, which he described as a deliberate act by procurement managers to subvert due process in the procurement process.

He noted that the corporation was committed to transparency in every aspect of its operations, adding that all procurement and contract awards in the corporation under his watch so far had been carried out in conformity with the Public Procurement Act.

The NNPC boss directed the Supply Chain Management Division to step up its level of monitoring of the various tender boards within the corporation for full compliance.

He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for the early approval of the NNPC budget, assuring that as the chief revenue earner for the nation, NNPC was committed to the economic policies of the Federal Government.

“The whole essence of the next level is to ensure that things are done correctly and speedily for the benefit of the people”, the NNPC boss said in a statement. (NAN)