No fewer than 453 local contractors on Thursday participated in the opening of bidding for the construction/renovation of some public schools and other facilities recently advertised by the Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board (OYOSUBEB).
Dr Nureni Adeniran, Executive Chairman, OYOSUBEB, made this known at the bidding conducted in the presence of the contractors and government officials at the premises of the board in Ibadan.
Adeniran said that the bidding followed Gov. Seyi Makinde’s directive about the government contracts adhering to public procurement process for transparency and accountability.
He said that the biddings were for the 2020/2021 FGN-UBEC-SUBEB’s infrastructure renewal and educational development projects.
According to him, a total of 223 projects are being bidded for under the FGN-UBEC-SUBEB’S intervention project.
The executive chairman lauded the current administration’s efforts in the education sector.
He said in spite of the state government’s spending on various colossal developmental projects in the aspects of health, road construction, agriculture, social welfare and a host of others, which have been yielding positive results, the board has been able to roll out four years Intervention Projects in three years of assumption of office.
“His Excellency’s resilience in resuscitating the ailing standard of education in the state is highly commendable.
“This can be unequivocally stated as an unparalleled achievement that needs to be applauded,” Adeniran added.
He said that the annual intervention fund runs to billions of naira, which was jointly and equally contributed by the State and Federal Governments for the development of Basic Education in the state.
Adeniran hinted that the state had accessed all the accrued funds till date, saying, “it should be accentuated that our state is doing brilliantly well in terms of developmental projects”.
The chairman appreciated the state Director-General, Bureau of Public Procurement and her team, for their ethical proficiency in ensuring and sustaining the best practices of Public Procurement Act.
He also lauded the efforts of the Executive Secretary, Universal Basic Education Commission in facilitating free and qualitative basic education in a conducive learning environment for every Nigerian child, irrespective of their location in the entire country.
In her remarks at the bid opening, Dr (Mrs) Aisha Abdul, representative of the Universal Basic Education Commission, attested to the state government’s commitment and passion to the basic education sector.
Abdul commended the efforts of the Board in ensuring transparency, fairness and accountability, which she said has not been compromised.
She appealed to the successful contractors to follow the contract modalities and regulations guiding the projects.
The Projects bidded for included: Construction of a block of four classrooms: 15; Construction of a block of three classrooms: 46; Construction of ECCDE Pilot Centres: five; Construction of Perimeter Fence: seven; Renovation of blocks of classrooms: 53; Sinking of borehole: 39; Sinking of deep well: two; Procurement of Furniture which has been broken into 56 lots (total of 8533 desks & benches, as well as 502 pairs of teachers’ tables and chairs).
The event was also witnessed by representatives of the Federal Ministry of Education; Bureau of Public Procurement; Oyo State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology; Nigeria Institute of Quantity Surveyors; Nigeria Society of Engineers.
Others present were officials of the Nigerian Institute of Architects; Nigeria Institute of Estate Surveyors and Valuers; and Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning.
