By Joy Ndoma
The Cross River State Universal Basic Education Board has conducted a transparent bid opening for the 2025 UBEC/SUBEB intervention projects, reinforcing its commitment to due process and accountability while warning contractors against project abandonment.
The exercise, held at the Board’s Conference Hall, recent, in Calabar, focused on pre-qualification tenders under the 2025 Universal Basic Education Commission intervention fund. Officials emphasized strict adherence to procurement guidelines, transparency, and quality delivery.
Executive Chairman of CR-SUBEB, Chief Magistrate Fidelia Okpo Ene (Rtd), issued a firm directive excluding contractors who abandoned 2024 projects from participating in the current process, revealing that several defaulting contractors have already been blacklisted for poor performance.
“This is not business as usual. Any contractor who abandoned previous projects will not be considered, regardless of their bidding position. The Board has lost confidence in them,” she stated.
She commended the administration of Governor Bassey Edet Otu for consistently providing counterpart funding, which has enabled the state to access UBEC intervention funds, describing it as a clear demonstration of commitment to education under the “People First” agenda.
The bid opening, coordinated by the Board’s Procurement Officer, Mr. Moduck Bassey Evong, was conducted in the presence of key stakeholders, including representatives of the Due Process and Price Intelligence Bureau, SUBEB directors, civil society organizations, and contractors.
Representing the Director-General of the Bureau, Mr. Joseph Ateliye reiterated the agency’s mandate to ensure strict compliance with procurement regulations, noting that only processes aligned with established rules would be supported.
Also speaking, the UBEC State Coordinator, Dr. Omuta, described the governor as education-friendly and emphasized that beyond funding, the commission remains committed to monitoring projects to ensure quality delivery.
The Director of Planning, Research and Statistics highlighted the importance of the intervention funds in addressing infrastructure gaps in schools, including classroom construction, rehabilitation, and laboratory development, urging successful bidders to adhere strictly to specifications and timelines.
Civil society observers commended the transparency of the process. Mr. Francis Esuk of the Justice Development and Peace Caritas (JDPC) Foundation described the exercise as fair and compliant with the Public Procurement Act (2007), while Mrs. Glory Patrick of the Budget Transparency and Accountability Initiative (BTAN) called for sustained openness in contract awards.
Speaking on behalf of contractors, Mr. Peter Okon expressed satisfaction with the process, describing it as transparent and free of irregularities, while pledging timely and quality execution of projects if awarded.
