The Plateau State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, has warned that it would not tolerate the execution of shoddy jobs and delay in the delivery of projects by any contractor in the state.
The executive chairman of the Board Hon. Sunday Amuna made the disclosure during the Bids opening ceremony for the award of contracts for the manufacture and supply of plastic classroom furniture for public schools through national competition bidding process for 3rd to 4th Quarters of 2021 and 1st Quarters of 2022 at the board headquarters.
According to him, the Governor of the State Barr. Caleb Mutfwang has assembled a team that is passionate about qualitative service delivery, stressing that they are not going to compromise standards as the team is determined to ensure that only the best gets to Plateau Child through the Board.
Our correspondent reports that five different companies bidded for lots 001 to 003 in the presence of critical stakeholders, the media, representatives of UBEC, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), security and anti graft agencies among others.
He explained that over the years, they have constructed and renovated structures but not equipped them, adding that the development did not make the learning environment conducive for the pupils.
Amuna further noted that this is the main reason they have embarked on this bids process: to ensure that they procure furniture for the pupils to learn in a conducive environment.
“If we have structures and the children only sit on the floor to receive instructions, they will not be able to comprehend what the teachers is dishing out.”
The chairman also argued, “Consequently, we will make sure that all the classrooms that was built and renovated are stocked with furniture, not any how furniture but high quality ones for the children”.
He also disclosed that they have put in place mechanism that will ensure that they get full value of any money spent on any services rendered saying that is why they informed the contractors that whatever they put on paper should be strictly adhered to.
“We have our own internal mechanism to ensure that the right quality furniture is supplied. We will not succumb to any shoddy jobs. The exercise is transparent, everything is done in the open. The contractors also know that the board will accept nothing short of high quality “.
He explained that he is quite satisfied with the entire exercise so far, because apart from the bidders, the media, civil society organisations and critical stakeholders witnessed the opening of the bids.
In the same vein, the representatives of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Adams Ismaila and the State Commissioner for High Education, Mr Pius Mantu, in their separate remarks, said the education sector is key to national development.
