The Rivers State Univer

sal Basic Education Board (RSUBEB), has urged contractors handling the construction and fencing of the model schools to ensure that the projects are completed early enough.

This, the board said when done, would enable them begin 2011 jobs without delay.

The board chairman, Sir Oruitemeka Ali, stated this in an opening remark during the 2010 opening of bids for contractors in Port Harcourt, Wednesday.

According to him, “if you finish early, you would be able to access your funds for the next job. “Now we are in 2011, the exercise we are doing now is for 2010”.

He regretted the sad experience the board had with contractors in the past, and argued why a serous contractor should not do the job within the specified time especially when the funds are available.

He, however, noted that the UBE thing is a little different from other jobs because according to him, all machineries are usually put in place before they call for bids.

The board chairman noted that in its symbolic way, the UBE’s style of bid opening was an open-air type showing that anybody who cares could witness, not just those who submitted bids.

In his words: “We want to ensure openness in our society from now. Let there be openness in all round so that anybody who gets knows he has gotten it fairly”.

The UBE boss disclosed that out of about 150 bids that were tendered, only 50 lots would be made available stressing that 100 would not get.

Speaking to The Tide in an exclusive interview, the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, (PRS) RSUBEB, Mr. Anthony Nweyilobu, noted that the openness exhibited by the board is an indication that due process and accountability are followed in award of contracts for UBE model schools.

Mr. Nweyilobu said: “Nobody can go out and feel dissatisfied that he or she was unjustly disqualified”.

He explained that there is the need for the newly – built UBE model schools to be fenced so as to ensure the security of the equipment.

He, however, maintained that the security of the pupils and teachers in those schools is important hence the initiative by the government.

Expressing his views to our correspondent, a businessman and stakeholder in education, Chief Andrew Nwosi, commended RSUBEB for being transparent.

Mr. Nwosi maintained that economically, there are no challenges assuring that once the contract is awarded, the job would speak for itself, within the specified period given by the board.

He advised other contractors to engage experts in the field since construction and fencing of the model schools demand technical expertise, as well as other organisations to emulate RSUBEB’s symbolic way.

Eunice Choko-Kayode