UBEC, SUBEB roll out 217 intervention projects in Oyo

The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and the Oyo State Universal Basic Education Basic Education Board (OYO SUBEB) are set to commence implementation of 217 projects in Oyo State.

Executive Chairman of  OyoSUBEB, Dr Nureni Aderemi Adeniran, said this at an official meeting with successful bidders for the 2019 UBEC/SUBEB Intervention projects, held on the board’s premises in Ibadan, the state capital.

Dr Adeniran disclosed that the state government and UBEC were rolling out construction of 58 classroom blocks; 10-perimeter fences, renovation of 62 classroom blocks and 40 lots of supply of furniture, 44 boreholes and procurement of three lots of sport equipment/facilities.

At the meeting, Dr Adeniran read the riot act to contractors and urged them to abide by the laid down standard for project execution.

He noted that due to COVID-19 pandemic and some technical issues, the board shifted the date for its bid opening exercise twice, which was eventually held on October 8, 2020.

Adeniran thanked the Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, for the prompt payment of counterpart funds from the state government, which he said gave the state an edge to quickly draw the 2019 funds from UBEC.

“It is worthy of note that today’s gathering would not have come up without the pro-activeness of the state government, through prompt release of counterpart funds amounting to the sum of one billion, five hundred and nineteen million, eight hundred and eighty-four thousand, seventy-eight naira, eighty six kobo (N1, 519, 884, 078. 86), to complement the matching grant of equal amount released by the Federal Government through UBEC for the implementation of the 2019 FGN-UBEC/SUBEB Intervention Projects,” Adeniran said.

Dr Adeniran informed the gathering that the 2018 FGN-UBEC/SUBEB Intervention Projects awarded in January 2020 had reached an advanced stage.

“About 98 per cent of the projects have been delivered to the benefitting schools and these projects have added greater value to the academic activities in the schools,” Adeniran added.

He therefore urged the contractors not to renege on the high standard set by the state government, as according to him, the present administration has zero tolerance for non-performance.

The chairman said the state government had set a time frame for the categories of projects in the state, admonishing them to be upright and efficient in the execution of the projects.

“Construction of Model Schools must be delivered in 24 weeks; construction of block of classrooms must be delivered in 16 weeks; while construction of Early Childhood Care, Development and Education (ECCDE) pilot centres and block of three and four classrooms must be ready in 12 weeks.

“Also, time frame for the construction of perimeter fence is four weeks; renovation of block of classrooms is eighth weeks; sinking of borehole is two weeks; procurement of furniture is six weeks while procurement of sport equipment/facilities is two weeks.

Dr Adeniran therefore said the state government expected that the contractors would adhere strictly to the time frame for each of the category of projects, adding  that the time frame was not negotiable.

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