By Joe Adedeji, Ilorin.
As a departure from the old order, Kwara State Government has introduced open bidding for contractors handling it’s projects for transparency sake.
Also, the government has opted to patronize local contractors and no longer dealing with construction firms based outside the State.
Not less than 115 local contractors participated in an open bid held for the renovation of public schools recently advertised by the government.
Sources said the Governor, Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq gave the directive. He was said to have insisted that transparency must be ensured in government businesses particularly in the procurement processes.
Mariam Garba, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development while speaking at the occassion said the first phase of Government intervention would involve eight first generation schools.
The school’s, she said would undergo comprehensive renovations while another 23 beneficiary schools were also selected for the renovation to ameliorate the poor infrastructural facilities in the schools.
She noted that her Ministry would embark on the renovation of 31 public school projects which would be executed under 34 lots at the sum of N2,004,205,641.01.
“The infrastructure decay/deficit inherited is so enormous and cannot be immediately remedied due to the huge cost required.
“The present administration has therefore demonstrated courage in deciding to institute modalities for the gradual renovation of dilapidated structures and provision of essential facilities that would make public schools conducive for teaching and learning,” Garba added.
“I want to reassure all bidders that this ministry is committed to ensuring that the whole process will be transparent, open, free and fair in line with applicable processes established at Kwara State, ”
The Secretary, Indigenous Contractors in Kwara State, Maroof Ahmed in his remarks commended the state government for adopting a transparent process in its operations.
“The process is transparent. We all saw the opening of the bid – the technical and financial bids were opened in our presence and as far as we are concerned it is transparent.
“We have the assurance from the Permanent Secretary that everybody will be equally treated.’’
The Vice Chairman, Nigeria Society of Engineers, Kwara State, Temitope Odetoye who represented the society at the bid, asserted that the process was, fair, open and transparent.
