91 Contractors Jostle For UBE Jobs In Rivers 

A total of  ninety one contractors have participated in the opening of bidding for jobs at the Rivers State Universal Basic Board, RSUBEB,Port Harcourt over the weekend.
The various  jobs bidded for by the contractors were listed in the 2018 FGN/UBE intervention funds for the state.
Speaking at the opening of the bidding ceremony held at the board’s corporate headquarters the state chairman of RSUBEB, Rev Fyneface  Aker said  that the bidding process was a pre  requisite  condition in the procurement law, adding that occasion was to comply with the law.
Rev Aker said the law provides that the bidding be made open to select qualified  contractors who will execute government jobs, noting that the presence of the contractors at the ceremony had lightened  up the process  and affirmed the board’s  transparent stance.
He promised a fair and transparent bidding process to select qualified contractors who would deliver on the various jobs specifications ,adding that the board would not tolerate any incidence of sub standard  execution or abandonment of projects.
“We will not tolerate unprofessionalism and abandonment of contracts by the contractors; we will not hesitate to sanction any erring contractors.”
The state UBE helmsman pleaded with contractors who may not be successful at the end of the bidding exercise to be patient with the board and try next time, adding that the number of contractors were more than the number of jobs  available.
Aker used the opportunity to appeal to benefiting communities across the state to  see the projects as government gifts   to them and cooperate with the contractors to enable them deliver on the stipulated time frame and warned the communities on frivolous demands from the contractors which he said, may hamper the execution of the projects.
“We don’t have provision for marching grounds for any community .They should  see the contracts as state government gifts to them  and protect the jobs” he stated.
Also speaking, a representative from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Abuja, Mr Monday Sunday commended RSUBEB for complying with the procurement law as directed by the commission ,adding that the commission was satisfied with the entire processes adopted in the opening of bidding.
“Rivers state people are wonderful .What we are seeing here today is excellent even without supervision from the commission; it is an indications that they will go far. Procurement is one   area most states have not complied with but Rivers has cued in” he stated.
Giving the break down, the  RSUBEB director in charge of research ,planning and statistics Evang Emma Ogbugo said a total of 123 contractors registered with the board for the   jobs, 95 bought the bid application forms, while 91 returned their bids application forms, adding that the jobs sought for cut across supply, renovations and reconstruction of schools in the state.
Some contractors  who spoke to newsmen at the event, Mrs Lauretta Abu and Mr Emmanuel Chioma expressed satisfaction with the process and described the process as transparent and fair.