News

MoD wasting billions with ‘broken’ procurement system, MPs warn

MoD wasting billions with ‘broken’ procurement system, MPs warn

The Ministry of Defence’s MoD system of procurement is “broken” and is repeatedly wasting billions in taxpayers’ money, according to a scathing assessment by a watchdog committee of MPs.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said that the oversight in the department was so poor that it was unable to spell out what additional capability the country will get from an extra £16.5bn which was allocated by Boris Johnson last year.

Of the current 20 largest projects, 13 were running behind, by a cumulative total of 21 years – including the £4bn-plus Ajax armoured vehicle, delayed due to excessive noise and vibration. There is “no timescale” when it will be ready for service.

No firm figure was put on the amount of money lost, but the MPs said there had been “wastage of taxpayers’ money running into the billions” and that the MoD at times “lacks the skilled personnel” to manage its suppliers. “The department’s system for delivering major equipment capabilities is broken,” the committee added.

Dame Meg Hillier, the Labour chair of the committee, said: “This committee is determined that this state of affairs cannot, and will not, continue” – and demanded that the Treasury conduct an emergency review of MoD project management.

The senior MP said that PAC members feared that “last year’s lauded and substantial uplift” of £16.5bn over four years would “simply be used to plug financial holes across its programmes” because the MoD could not give assurances to the contrary.

The prime minister announced the extra capital spending nearly a year ago, promising it would lead to “a once-in-a-generation modernisation of our armed forces” – including the introduction of laser weapons.

But at the time the MoD also faced a £13bn shortfall in its equipment budget, stemming from historic overspending, which had forced it to reduce the numbers of new Challenger 3 tanks, P-8 submarine hunting maritime patrol aircraft and Type 26 frigates.

A total of £4bn had already been spent on the heavily delayed Ajax out of “whole life costs of £5.5bn,” the committee noted, yet only 14 vehicles – 2% of the total requirement – had been delivered by contractor General Dynamics for testing.

One year ago, the MoD thought Ajax would initially enter service in the summer of 2021 – but this date was not met and the issues over vibration and noise are so serious that 310 service personnel were undergoing tests to see if their hearing had been permanently damaged.

The noise and vibration problems dated back to December 2018 but the MPs voiced concern that the MoD was still in the dark about the cause. “Despite the length of time the department has known about this issue, there is still no definitive information on the source of the noise and vibration,” the PAC said.

Eight programmes were rated either “amber/red or red” by senior officials responsible for delivering them on a traffic light scheme used across government for rating the progress of major procurement projects.

Of broader concern, the PAC said, was the MoD’s apparent inability to learn from its mistakes despite 13 formal reviews of defence procurement over 35 years.

“We were therefore shocked to learn that the department had only established a central register of learning from experience (LFE) in December 2020,” the MPs added. “Experience shows that there is a need for reflection and openness earlier in the process to avoid further catastrophes like Ajax.”

The MoD frequently cited the complexity of the programmes to explain why they had fallen behind, but sceptical MPs said this was not the case. Such arguments aimed to “excuse the fact” that the MoD and its suppliers “failed to produce more realistic costings and schedules”, the committee concluded.

An MoD spokesperson said: “This report reflects the complex challenges of delivering defence capability for our armed forces, but also the commitment and professionalism required to keep our people and the UK’s interests safe, by purchasing world-class equipment such as Lightning II stealth fighter jets, and the Queen Elizabeth aircraft carriers.”

News

Presidential Spokesman Ajuri Ngelale Proceeds On Indefinite Leave Of Absence

The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, has proceeded on an indefinite leave of absence.

Ngelale said the decision was taken after significant consultations with his family over the past days as a vexatious medical situation had worsened.

He made this known in a statement issued on Saturday to the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.

“On Friday, I submitted a memo to the Chief of Staff to the President informing my office that I am proceeding on an indefinite leave of absence to frontally deal with medical matters presently affecting my immediate, nuclear family,” he said.

“While I fully appreciate that the ship of state waits for no man, this agonizing decision — entailing a pause of my functions as the Special Adviser to the President on Media & Publicity and Official Spokesperson of the President; Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Action, and Chairman, Presidential Steering Committee on Project Evergreen — was taken after significant consultations with my family over the past several days as a vexatious medical situation has worsened at home.

“I look forward to returning to full-time national service when time, healing, and fate permit. I respectfully ask for some privacy for my family and I during this time.”

The leave of absence implies that he would temporarily suspend his duties as spokesperson to President Bola Tinubu

News

No tenure extension for IGP Egbetokun – Police

The Nigeria Police Force High Command has clarified the rumoured tenure extension for Inspector General of Police, Dr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, stating that there was no extension granted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Instead, the law governing the tenure of the IGP’s office was properly applied.

This clarification was made in a statement released on Friday in Abuja by the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Assistant Commissioner of Police, Olumuyiwa Adejobi.

The statement reads, “the attention of the Nigeria Police Force has been drawn to various misleading reports and misinterpretations concerning the tenure of the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM, and wishes to categorically state that what His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, approved for the IGP is not an extension of tenure, but rather the proper application of the law governing the tenure of the office of the IGP.

“Contrary to the misinformation being circulated on social media and in the news, an appointment letter in circulation was issued to the IGP shortly after his appointment was confirmed by the Police Council.

This letter, dated 3rd November 2023, clearly stated that the President had approved a four-year tenure for the IGP in accordance with the provisions of Section 215(a) and Section 28(c) of the Third Schedule of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).

” It is important to emphasize that the IGP does not need to lobby for any tenure extension as his appointment letter explicitly grants him a four-year tenure from the date of his appointment

“The ongoing circulation of false information is clearly the handiwork of pessimists and mischief makers who are determined to spread baseless narratives against the office and the personality of the IGP for obvious reasons and pecuniary gains.

” Furthermore, the IGP has since been issued with another letter in accordance with the provisions of the Police Act, 2020 (as amended), which supersedes the earlier correspondence.

This clarification is necessary to put an end to the speculations and falsehoods being spread.

” We urge the public to disregard the unfounded reports and to trust that the tenure of the IGP is in full compliance with the laws governing the Nigeria Police Force.

In clear terms, IGP’s tenure of office is not subject to unnecessary debate and should not be a source of perennial distraction to policing system in Nigeria. The law is sacrosanct.”

News

EFCC grabs 44 for internet fraud in Kwara

Forty-four (44) suspected internet fraudsters were arrested at different locations in Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State on Friday by the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Spokesperson for EFCC, Dele Oyewale said in a statement on Friday that the suspects were arrested by the operatives of the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the EFCC.

“They were arrested on Friday September 6, 2024 at Sango, Kulende, Taxaco and Harmony Estate, all in Ilorin, following credible intelligence over their alleged involvement internet- related offences,” the EFCC spokesperson said.

He listed items recovered from the suspects to include six different brands of exotic cars, laptops, smart phones and charms.

The suspects would be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.

The Ilorin Directorate of the anti-graft agency had also arrested 56 suspected internet fraudsters two days ago.