Education
77 Contractors Jostle For UBE Jobs In Rivers
A total of 77 companies have taken part in the process to select contractors that will execute the 2019 Federal Government Universal Basic Education intervention project in Rivers State organized by the management of the State Universal Basic Education Board (RSUBEB) .
Speaking while declaring the bid process open at RSUBEB office in Port Harcourt, over the weekend, the Executive Chairman of the board, Ven Fyneface Ndubuisi Akah said the ceremony had become an annual ritual.
Akah said the benefits of the programme to the development of basic education in the state would be enormous when the projects are executed and infrastructure provided.
According to him, the state was benefiting from the FGUBEB 2019 Projects due to the commitment of the state government to the development of basic education in the state and lauded Governor Wike for his efforts in this direction.
He disclosed that about 52 civil works, comprising 22 new school buildings as well as 6 storey classroom blocks among others were expected to be constructed during the project execution.
The RSUBEB boss warned prospective contractors that the board would not tolerate substandard jobs, saying that the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Abuja, had put up a sustainable monitoring mechanism to check low quality jobs.
He commended past contractors who executed the 2017, 2018 jobs for good work done, noting that it was their excellent job delivery that placed the state on top among other states across the country even as he appealed to contractors who will not be successful not to be deterred but to try next time as they may be lucky.
Also speaking, the state representative of Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Mr Isaac I Chenwo, commended the organizers of the programme and described the event as transparent and credible.
Chenwo lauded the commitment of the RSUBEB leadership for the various feats achieved in the advancement of basic education in the state, saying that the chairman and his team were making concerted efforts to getting basic education system right in the state.
He charged the would be contractors to ensure that they delivered quality jobs and not to see the opportunity as an avenue to become rich, adding that there would be intensive monitoring for compliance in accordance with laid down rules.
The RSUBEB Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Evangelist Emmanuel Ogbugo, while giving the breakdown on the overview of the 2019 FGN/UBEC projects said a total of 85 bids lots were sold in six weeks but, only 77 companies returned their bids.
He disclosed that the prospective jobs would cover the areas of construction of 52 new schools, water/sanitations, primary and junior secondary schools renovations, among others.
Our correspondent reports that representatives of ICPC, EFCC and civil society organisations witnessed the ceremony organised in accordance with the procurement act.