By Danzumi Ishaku Jalingo.
The Taraba State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) has opened bidding for 2018 projects Worth N3 billion naira for the development of infrastructure in the state.
Dr Yakubu Agbaizo, Executive Chairman of the board made the disclosure on at the Bid Opening of 2018 Matching Grant to contractors in Jalingo.
Agbaizo said that the process was to ensure that contractors have the capacity to execute the jobs.
He assured that the bidding process would be transparent inline with both the state and the national procurement laws.
He also said that the process would meet the global standard for award of contracts.
He said that the board had earlier commissioned a new website and internate facility to make activities of the board accessible globally.
He urged contractors who would be awarded the jobs to execute quality jobs that could stand the test of time.
He also advised that consultants and Suppervisors to be efficient in their suppervision to achieve the goal for the contracts.
The chairman commended Gov Darius Ishaku of Taraba for being up to date in the payment of counterpart funding for the projects.
He also commended the governor for ensuring that basic education took a new turn in the state.
He said that the new infrastrucral projects would cut accross 16 local government areas in the state.
“This bidding process must be most transparent as all our businesses are carried out to meet global standard.
“We have just commissioned a new website and installed an internet facility to achieve the task of doing things in line with global best practices.
“I urge all the contractors that will emerge successful to execute those projects that can last for long.
“You should bear in mind that these projects are part of the infrastructure designed for our children with the main objective that every child must come to class.
“If these children are not taken to the class, they will make life unbearable to us tomorrow, so it’s a responsibility for all.
“I must thank the governor for meeting up with the counterpart funding.
“He willingly pays to ensure that we access our grants and that makes us up-to-date.
“We also commend him for ensuring that basic education takes a new turn in the state.
“On our part, we must ensure judicious utilisation of the funds to meet the goal of improving quality of education at the basic level,’ he said.
In his remarks, Mr Bala Nko, Procurement Officer of the board said that the state was among the 26 state that had domesticated the national procurement law.
Nko said that the state was carrying out the exercise for the third time appraised to be be in line with best global practices.
According to him, Section 23 of the Federal Procurement Act and Section 25 of the Taraba Procurement Law permits pre-qualification for the execution of any project above N300 million and supply of contract matterials above N100 million.
He said that the board had achieve tremendous feats in the area of procurement.
He assured all the contractors of transparent conduct of the bidding.
He announced that 139 contractors applied for the bidding.
Also, Alhaji Audu Bose, Chairman, Indigenous Contractors Union commended the bidding process, saying it was transparent.
Bose also thanked Gov. Ishaku for meeting up with the counterpart requirement for accessing the funds.
