By Njide Ezeonyejiaku
The Anambra State Universal Basic Education Board, ASUBEB Awka has successfully accessed the Federal Government’s Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC grants for three years after paying the State’s counterpart cash contribution for the scheme.
Speaking at the tender bid opening of UBEC 2019, 2020 and 2021 intervention fund project held at the Utility Hall, ASUBEB Headquarters, Awka, the Executive Chairman of ASUBEB, Dr Vera Nkiru Nwadinobi extolled Governor Charles Soludo for making it possible for Ndi Anambra to access the intervention fund project which was not been possible in recent years because the State could not pay its share of the contributory funding.
Dr. Nwadinobi explained that Mr. Governor was aware of the invaluable impact the fund could have on the infrastructural needs of public schools in the State, and deemed it wise to pay in order to bring in the needed turn around of the state schools, especially those in the basic levels.
According to the ASUBEB boss, the Tender Bid Opening in ASUBEB was in line with the Public Procurement Act of the Federal and State governments which borders on competition, transparency, and accountability in the award of contracts.
She noted that as required by the Law, ASUBEB advertised the tender in two national newspapers, one local newspaper and on the Board’s website in the last six weeks so as to give everyone interested the opportunity to compete for the outlined jobs in the action plan of each year.
Continuing, Dr. Nwadinobi assured that the bid opening will be followed by evaluation to determine the most responsive ones based on both the technical and financial biddings before the contracts would be awarded for each project.
“Mr. Governor has instructed that we follow to the letter the narrow path of the procurement process to ensure that only those who are competent and who have demonstrated exceptional capabilities will win the contracts”, Dr. Nwadinobi said.
She concluded that relevant anti corruption agencies, the representatives of the State bureau of public procurement, representatives of the Attorney General Office, and the Accountant General of the State were all invited to observe the process to ensure that the required due process was followed.
Earlier in an opening remark, the Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, Dr. Uchenna Ezeani observed that the bid opening was the beginning of the bidders entrance into the schools where the UBEC intervention services projects had accumulated over the years.
Dr. Ezeani who is also the Head of the Procurement Unit, ASUBEB stated that Mr. Governor expects that whoever emerged from the bids must do a good job for the good of Anambra children in the public Basic schools.
Contributing, the Board Secretary, Lady Ebele Mgbemena extolled Mr. Governor for his interest to offset the arears of the State counterpart funding for three years and made it clear that successful bidders should execute quality projects in the Early Child Care Development, ECCD; the lower basic and upper basic schools as well as the Junior Secondary Schools to change the face of the pubic basic schools yearning for rehabilitation.
Present at the event were the Director, Social Mobilisation Department, Mrs Amaka Ikedimma; the Director, Academic Services, Mrs Ngozi Enendu; the Director, Quality Assurance, Lady Stella Ezepue; the Director, Teacher Development Professional, Mrs Bridget Offia, and the Chief Auditor of the Board, Mrs Mary Muojekwu, among other Board members, UBEB Coordinator; ICPC Representatives among other dignitaries.
