Human rights lawyer, Femi Falan (SAN) has declared all the contracts awarded by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in the last six years illegal.

Falana, who spoke at the 24th Anti-corruption Situation Room (ACSR) organised by Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) in Abuja Wednesday, said the contracts were in violation of the Public Procurement Act, 2007.

The legal practitioner noted that the Procurement Act stipulates that every contract shall go through 11-member Public Procurement Council, which comprises five members from government and six from professional bodies.

“This council is yet to be inaugurated. All the contract awards announced at the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting are illegal because none of them passed through the Public Procurement Council,” Falana stated.

He accused professional associations in the country of aiding and abetting corruption committed by public office holders.

He noted that anti-graft agencies in Nigeria are largely kind towards professional associations, especially as it relates to corrupt practices of their clients.

He however advocated for professional associations to publish the names of their members who are complicit to corrupt practices of their clients as part of measures to ensure that the fight against corruption achieves expected result.

Falana urged 107 registered professional bodies in the country to wake up to their responsibilities.