Kogi threatens contractors over SUBEB projects

THE Kogi state government on Tuesday threatened to blacklist contractors handling projects in primary schools in the state that engage in the shoddy and substandard job.

The Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board, (SUBEB), Suleiman Abdullahi,/stated this at the Bid opening ceremony of UBEC/SUBEC 2015/2016 intervention projects held at SUBEB headquarters, Lokoja, the state capital.

He said the new procurement law that is in operation in the state empowered government to blacklist and also institute legal action against any contractor found wanting.

He said the board was ready to adhere strictly to the conditions laid out for the award and execution of the projects.

Abdullahi said the success story to access the fund was made possible through the timely payment of the counterpart fund by the state government for 2015, 2016 and 2017; urging successful contractors to reciprocate the gesture by executing a good job.

“Contracts shall be awarded only to competent and qualified contractors without fear or favour. Contractors with bad records of performance in previous projects with the Board will not be considered regardless of the bid quotation as the board is not bound to accept the lowest tender.”

“The Board places optimum value on best practices and timely completion of jobs. We shall not condone shoddy jobs and abandoned projects.”

“Contractors requesting for mobilization shall present Advanced Payment Guarantee (APG) from reputable commercial banks and subsequent payment shall be on the satisfactory performance of jobs based on the supervisor/monitoring officer’s report. However, appropriate sanctions shall be meted to contractors who do not follow our specifications or fail to complete the projects as scheduled.”

He added that contractors being bad records of performance in previous projects would not be considered regardless of the bid quotation.

The board promised to give equal treatment to all tenderers.