The Federal Government has commended Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for his consistent adherence to due process in the execution of Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) intervention projects, describing him as a pacesetter in transparency and accountability.
According to a statement by the press secretary of Kwara SUBEB, Atere Abiola on Wednesday, the North Central Zonal Director of UBEC, Elder Edward Abalaka, gave the commendation during the official bid opening for the 1st and 2nd quarters of the 2024 FGN/UBEC/SUBEB intervention projects, held in Ilorin, the state capital.
‘Governor AbdulRazaq has shown uncommon commitment to educational development and has become a pacesetter in compliance with UBEC procedures’, Abalaka said, urging contractors to ‘execute projects strictly according to specifications,’ warning that ‘poor execution and abandonment will not be tolerated’.
The event marked the opening of bids for at least 258 contractors who submitted tenders after advertisements were published in local and national newspapers.
The projects span the construction and remodeling of classrooms and VIP toilets, furniture production for teachers and pupils, drilling of solar-powered boreholes, and the procurement of educational equipment.
Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board, Prof Sheu Adaramaja, highlighted the administration’s proactive commitment to improving learning environments, noting that the bidding process would be transparent and in line with procurement laws.
‘We expect a competitive bidding process, and we assure you that our evaluation will be transparent, fair, and compliant with procurement regulations.
‘As we move forward, I encourage stakeholders to work together to ensure that these projects are delivered efficiently, effectively, and to specifications’, Adaramaja said.
Adaramaja also announced that the governor had recently paid the counterpart fund required to access the 3rd and 4th quarters of the 2024 UBEC interventions, paving the way for the next phase of projects.
These include the construction of 70 classrooms with 35 offices, 28 VIP toilet units, remodeling of 110 classrooms, fabrication of 4,652 units of pupils’ furniture and 391 units for teachers, as well as the drilling of 11 solar-powered boreholes.
Other planned procurements include a brand new 18-seater Toyota Hiace bus (2023 model) for the Directorate of Quality Assurance, 170 sets of plastic chairs and tables for Early Childhood Care Development and Education centres, and infrastructure under the Safe School Initiative across selected LGAs including Asa, Kaiama, Offa, Ilorin West, and Ilorin South.
Contractor representative Maroof Ahmed, who spoke on behalf of the bidders, described the process as transparent.
‘We are satisfied with how the process is being handled, and we assure the Board that we will deliver quality projects in line with the specifications,’ he said.
The bid opening was witnessed by dignitaries, including Yunusa Oniboki of the Kwara State House of Assembly (Afon Constituency), a representative of the UBEC Executive Secretary, Muhammed Mansur Maccido, and Alhaji Abdulwasiu Alaya, who represented the Acting Head of Service in the state.
