Pilgrims Commission assures bidders of level playing field

Mr John-Kennedy Opara, the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC), on Thursday assured bidders for the ground handling and transportation for the 2016 pilgrimage of level playing field.

Opara gave the assurance during the opening of bids for ground handlers and air carriers for 2016 Pilgrimage at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

John Kennedy Opara

He assured that the process would remain transparent and showcase integrity as well as adhere strictly to international best practice and in line with the Public Procurement Act of 2007.

According to him, the commission is set to provide all the necessary tools and environment conducive to ensure fairness, equity and justice.

“Transparency is what we practice because if we are transparent there will be less trouble; I want to assure all of us that there is no preferential treatment for any bidder.

“We should not only think of today but tomorrow in whatever we do because we have to start building the future we want today.

“I always say that success is not a destination but a journey and on this journey, we must ensure a level playing ground for all.

“We have opened the bids, the technical committee is going to go into evaluating them after which the financial opening will follow.’’

Opara said the bid opening was part of the commission’s efforts to create avenue for stakeholders to interact with Nigerians and to strengthen the understanding of Nigeria’s culture.

He added that it was the commission’s determination to leave an enduring legacy of excellent services to Nigerian pilgrims through transparent process for selecting ground handlers and air carriers.

The executive secretary urged the bidders to ensure that proper procedures and processes were followed for the welfare of the pilgrims.

“We may have battled fiercely to ensure sanity, but it is only because we love our country deeply and we care so strongly about its future’’, Opara said.

Archbishop Nicholas Okoh, the Primate, Church of Nigeria, (Anglican Communion), who is the Chairman of the commission, charged the ground handlers and the air carriers to stick to the details of their agreement with the commission.

Okoh said the commission would not work in isolation but in synergy with the government and urged them not to deviate from the agreement.

He added that the fairness of the process would guarantee equal opportunity as most of them had been of service in pilgrimage in the past.

The NCPC chairman further urged those who would emerge successful to build on their past successes in service delivery, to make the 2016 pilgrimage exceptional.

“If you were successful in the past, 2016 pilgrimage should be exceptional’’, Okoh said

He expressed optimism that those who emerged winners of the bid would have the competence to handle the transportation and ground handling for the pilgrimage.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that nine companies bade for the ground handling operation and two airlines as carriers.