ASUBEB Opens Financial Bid for UBEC-SUBEB 2022 – 2024 Intervention Projects

By Praise Chinecherem

Anambra State Universal Basic Education Board (ASUBEB), Awka has officially opened the financial bid at the Utility Hall of the headquarters Awka in continuation of the process of awarding contracts to eligible contractors handling the 2022, 2023 and 2024 UBEC/SUBEB Matching Grants Intervention Projects in basic schools in the state.

Executive Chairman, ASUBEB, Awka, Dr. Vera Nwadinobi said the financial bid opening was the second most important process in awarding contracts to eligible contractors following the technical evaluation of the bids submitted by over a thousand companies.

She noted that the exercise was in compliance with the requirements for contracts solicitations stipulated by the Public Procurement Act and law 2007.

“Technical bids are to be opened first and only those firms which fulfilled the technical terms and conditions were eligible for participation in the financial bid opening while financial bids of firms which did not qualify in the technical bids would be returned un-opened”, she explained.

Appreciating the Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo for his magnanimity in defraying the backlog of counterpart funds for the interventions in the basic schools, the ASUBEB boss congratulated the contractors who qualified for the second phase for successfully proposing solutions to the needs of the Junior Secondary and Primary Schools in the State.

She emphasized that nobody has won the contract yet, noting that it is only after the evaluation of the cost analysis of their proposals that the best bidders would emerge.

“The best offer is referred to as the most responsive evaluated bid, which indicated compliance without material deviation from the requirements of the solicitation and the terms and conditions of the proposed contract,” she added.

Nwadinobi assured of prudence in selecting the best offers and warned that any contractor who is properly mobilized to site and later abandons the project for no justifiable reason will face the full wrath of the law for funds recovery and thereafter be blacklisted by the Board.

Earlier, Head of Procurement Unit, Echezona Chinedu congratulated the contractors who have gotten to the second stage, charging those who would eventually win the bids to ensure they work according to specifications by using standard materials to deliver quality jobs.

Executive Secretary of UBEC, Aisha Garba represented by State Coordinator, UBEC, Kingsley Nlewedim commended the ASUBEB Chairman, Dr. Nwadinobi for the due process being followed in the bidding exercise and urged the contractors to remain responsive and responsible in the execution of the projects.

On his part, Board Secretary, ASUBEB, Loveline Mgbemena thanked the Governor for keeping his promise of providing a conducive learning environment for learners in Anambra State and reminded the contractors that no shoddy jobs would be accepted.

Reacting, some of the contractors, including the MD, SEK Educational Research System Ltd, Mr. Sammie Agbo, and the MD, Best Alfa Global Services Ltd, Hon. Elochukwu Okonkwo expressed confidence with the process, promising to deliver promptly according to specifications if their companies were shortlisted.

The event featured opening and announcing of each of the financial bids that met the requirements of the technical terms and conditions.

Present at the occasion to monitor the exercise included representatives of the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, Board Members of ASUBEB and Civil Society Organisations.

Others were the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, the State Bureau of Public Procurement Commission, the Attorney General and Accountant General of Anambra State, the contractors and the media.