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  • 23 Kwara communities kick against planned land acquisition

    23 Kwara communities kick against planned land acquisition

    • ‘Govt yet to dialogue with us’

    The 23 communities in Akanbi Wards 1 and 2 in Ilorin South Local Government of Kwara State have protested the planned revocation and acquisition of their ancestral lands by the government for its proposed Smart City project.

    The communities said the government is yet to meet with them to enable them tender their recommendations.

    The communities thus urged Governor AbdulRaman AbdulRazaq to put the project on hold until they have tabled their demands and recommendations.

    Read Also: Kwara sacks council chairs

    Countering reports by the state Geographic Information Service (GIS) titled ‘Ilorin Smart City: Kwara engages communities ahead of ground breaking’, Chairman and Secretary of the communities Azeez Omoloa and Wasiu Saka, said ‘the report is a clear attempt to conceal the truth and permanently silence us’.

    “The villages are worried and dissatisfied with how the government is handling the planned revocation/acquisition of our central lands for the smart city project without considering our rights as indigenes of the areas.

    “It is an established fact that we have rejected the government’s plan to forcefully take over the only available lands that we use for agriculture and food processing to earn a living.

  • Kwara sacks council chairs

    Kwara sacks council chairs

    Kwara State Government has sacked the Transition Implementation Committee (TIC) chairmen of the 16 local government areas of the state.

    Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has running the councils with TIC chairs since 2019

    Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission (KWSIEC) has fixed September 21st this year for the council poll.

    In a statement, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs, and Community Development Mrs Modupe Iyabo Adekeye said that

    Read Also: Kwara Gov inspects 42.5km new Ilorin-Offa road

    “Directors of Personnel Management (DPM) are to take charge of the administration of the 16 local government areas of Kwara State until a new election is held in September.

    “Ths effectively dissolves the Transition Implementation Committees (TICs) earlier appointed to manage the councils pending new local government elections.

    “This development comes a few days after the Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission (KWSIEC) slated the next local council election for September 21, 2024.”

  • Kwara poisoned beef: Fed Govt warns against eating meat from dead animals

    Kwara poisoned beef: Fed Govt warns against eating meat from dead animals

    The Federal Government has alerted the public to the outbreak of poison in animals at Mandate Cattle Market in Kwara State.

    The Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Mr. Temitope Fashedemi, announced this in a statement yesterday in Abuja.

    Fashedemi said the poisonous outbreak was uncovered at Mandate Cattle Market, near the College of Arabic and Islamic Legal Studies Adewole in Ilorin, the state capital.

    Read Also:Varsities’ dons: how Kwara rural dwellers can adapt to climate change

    The permanent secretary explained that preliminary investigation revealed that the animals grazed on the forage fumigated with organophosphate chemical prior to the incident.

    “The Kwara State Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development explained that the incident resulted to mortality in herds of cattle at this market on April 20.”

  • Kwara HPV vaccination targets 311,000 girls

    Kwara HPV vaccination targets 311,000 girls

    The Kwara State government plans to vaccinate 311,000 girls between the ages of nine and 14 years against the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV).

    A Director in the state Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Michael Oguntoye, yesterday said the vaccination would begin on May 27 and last for five days.

    He spoke at a media engagement organised by John Snow Incorporated (JSI), with support from HPV Vaccine Acceleration Programme Partners Initiative (HAPPI) Consortium, and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

    Read Also: NADECO-USA calls for peace in Rivers

    According to Oguntoye, the five-day campaign, to be inaugurated by the governor’s wife, Dr Olufolake AbdulRazaq, would target both school and out-of-school girls.

    He added: “The HPV vaccine will be available across all primary health care facilities. The vaccine is safe, efficacious and it is not an attempt to reduce population or family planning strategy.”

  • Kwara opens new health insurance office

    Kwara opens new health insurance office

    Kwara State Health Insurance Agency (KW-HIA) on Tuesday inaugurated another regional office in Omu-Aran, Irepodun Local Government Area, to improve the access of Kwara southerners to affordable and quality healthcare services.

    Located inside the General Hospital Omu-Aran, the office is 4th in the series, after siting in Offa, Edu, and Kaiama local governments of the state. 

    At the commissioning ceremony on Tuesday, the Kwara First Lady, Amb Mrs Olufolake AbdulRazaq, said the newly opened regional office of the agency will relieve the affected people of the pain from traveling down to Ilorin to get enrolled under the scheme.

    “The opening of the Kwara South Senatorial District Hub of the Kwara Health Insurance Agency at the General Hospital, Omu-Aran will enhance the healthcare delivery system in the Senatorial District as our people will no longer have to travel a long distance to access cheap, effective and efficient healthcare services,” she said. 

    AbdulRazaq, who spoke through Mrs Esther Olufolake Oyinloye, wife of the TIC Chairman, Irepodun local government, enjoined the people of Omu-Aran and its environs to avail themselves the opportunity of free healthcare to enrich their health status. 

    She applauded the government for its pro-masses policies and programmes, including how it is taking bold steps to increase the beneficiaries of the health insurance programme.

    In attendance were the Chairman, Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), Hon. Jide Ashonibare; his counterparts for Irepodun, Jide Oyinloye; for Ekiti, Kehinde Bayode; for Isin, Tunde Fadipe; and Victor Yusuf of Oke-Ero; State Commissioner for Health Dr. Amina Ahmed El-Imam represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Hajia Nike Hafsat Ibrahim; Executive Secretary of Kwara State Health Insurance Agency, Dr. Olubunmi Jetawo-Winter; State Coordinator for National Health Insurance Agency (NHIA), Hajia Idayat Bello; royal fathers, including the Olupo of Ajase-ipo and Chairman, Irepodun Traditional Council, Oba Ismail Yahaya Alebiosu; Olomu of Omu-Aran Oba AbdulRaheem Adeoti; and Dr. Jimoh Ajisafe, the CEO Ajisafe Hospital in Omu-Aran; among other dignitaries.

    Dr El-Imam, in her goodwill message, said the event signifies another crucial moment in the journey towards ensuring accessible and quality healthcare delivery for all Kwarans. 

    She said the KWHIA is bridging the gap in healthcare access, improving outcomes, and ensuring financial protection for the people, praising the Agency for expanding health insurance coverage across the three senatorial districts.

    Executive Secretary of the Agency, Dr. Olubunmi Jetawo-Winter, for her part, described social health insurance as the only financing vehicle available to subsidize health services for all segments of the population regardless of their socio-economic status.

    “Today, we are here and excited to officially open the 4th office in the state in the historic town of Omu Aran in Irepodun LGA. This office will serve residents of Irepodun, Isin, Oke Ero, and Ekiti LGAs of the state,” she said, adding that Baruten LG will also get the insurance office soon.

    “These regional offices will provide the same services to the people in these catchment areas, just as we would provide from our office in Ilorin. At these regional offices, potential beneficiaries can register for health insurance, enroll, make inquiries, address complaints and concerns, and offer many more services”.

    State Coordinator, National Health Insurance Authority, Hajia Idayat Bello, appreciated the Governor’s investments in the health sector and pledged continued support to the administration to ensure that no one is left behind in the drive for universal health coverage.

    Oba Alebiosu, in his remarks, said the scheme showed the Governor’s passion for the welfare of rural dwellers and the less privileged, describing it as a life-saving project.

    The First Class monarch commended Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for the health intervention and urged beneficiaries to enroll in the programme to improve their health conditions.

    Read Also: Kwara opens new health insurance office

    “On behalf of traditional institutions in this region, I want to thank His Excellency for bringing this laudable programme down to the rural areas. This will save the lives of so many people who may have to travel to the state capital. So, it is really worthy of commendation”, he said, requesting the health insurance agency to do more on public sensitisation to achieve massive enrollment.

    He also appreciated AbdulRazaq for graciously approving the construction of many road projects in the Southern and other parts of the state under the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), saying that further speaks to how the  government is committed to growing critical infrastructure.

    TIC Chairman for Irepodun LG, Hon. Jide Oyinloye, said Kwara South is very lucky to have a listening Governor, who he noted, has been friendly to the southerners, and encouraged the people to make good use of the hub. 

    Bashirat Usman, a nursing mother and existing beneficiary of the scheme at the General Hospital Omu-Aran, testified that she got proper antenatal care and is still getting free treatment, thanking the government for giving her that opportunity.

  • Kwara, Akwa Ibom, four others most backward in pension payment

    Kwara, Akwa Ibom, four others most backward in pension payment

    Six states – Kwara, Plateau, Borno, Cross River, Akwa Ibom and Yobe – appear the most backward in pension obligations and payments toward their public servants.

    The states are yet to implement the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) since its introduction 20 years ago, leaving pension administration of the state in disarray.

    The overall best and most pension compliant, however, are states that have not only gone through the categories listed by PenCom in the report but have valid Group Life/Sinking Fund for their workers and retirees. They are Lagos, Kaduna,Osun, Edo, and Ondo as well as the  Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    While some states have taken various steps to implement the scheme and others enforce it, the six most non-complaint states  have remained at the Bill stage for years.

    This was shown in a report by the National Pension Commission (PenCom) on “Status of Implementation on Pension Arrangements in States and the FCT as at December 31, 2023”.

    In all, 25 states have implemented and enforced the CPS Law. They include Lagos, Kaduna, Ondo, Benue, Ogun, Kogi, Imo, Nasarawa, Bauchi, Ekiti, and Osun.

    Others are Edo, Anambra, Rivers, Delta, Kebbi, Niger, Abia, Sokoto, Enugu, Bayelsa, Taraba, Ebonyi, and Oyo as well as the FCT.

    Read Also: Lagos building more jetties to boost water transportation, says commissioner

    However, states with Contributory Defined Benefits Scheme (CDBS) Law are Jigawa, Gombe, Kano, Zamfara, Adamawa, and Katsina,

    States with Pension Bureau/Board include Lagos, Kaduna, Ondo, Kebbi, Niger, Jigawa, FCT, Ekiti, Delta, Rivers, Bayelsa, Osun, Edo, Benue, Ogun, and Kogi.

    States remitting employer and employee Pension Contributions under the CPS/CDBS are Lagos, Kaduna, Ondo, Benue, Ekiti, Delta, Jigawa (CDB), Osun, Edo, and Anambra. Also included in this list is the FCT.

    States remitting only employee pension contributions under the CPS are Kebbi and Rivers while states paying pension under CPS/CDBS are Lagos, Kaduna, Delta, FCT, Ekiti, Osun, Edo, and Jigawa which is operating the CDBS.

    Besides, states that have conducted Actuarial Valuation are Lagos, Kaduna, Delta, FCT, Ekiti, Rivers, Osun, Edo, and Benue.

    Similarly, states with Retirement Benefits Bond Redemption Fund Account (RBBRFA) are Lagos, Kaduna, Delta, Niger, Ekiti, Anambra (LG), Osun, Edo, and Rivers as well as the FCT while states funding accrued rights are Lagos, Kaduna, Anambra (LG), Osun, Edo, Rivers, and Delta as well as the FCT.

    The report read: “There were no changes in the status of the implementation of the CPS and other pension arrangements by states within the Fourth Quarter, 2023. The number of states, including the Federal Capital Territory, with laws on the CPS remained 25 and six states are at the Bill stage.

    “Six states have adopted the CDBS. Two out of the six like Jigawa and Kano are implementing the Scheme. Kano was yet to transfer pension assets for custody, while the four others, Gombe, Katsina, Zamfara and Adamawa were yet to commence implementation of the CDBS.’’

  • Kwara cabinet okays new road construction

    Kwara cabinet okays new road construction

    The Kwara Executive Council has approved several road construction projects in different parts of the State to shore up Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s extensive urban renewal campaign. 

    At its meeting on Wednesday evening, the council approved a contract for the construction of the Phase I of the road to the Owu Fall, the highest waterfall in West Africa measuring 120m above water level and cascading 330 feet down an escarpment, a major boost for tourism in not just the state but in Nigeria and West Africa subregion.

    The contract, covering 11 kilometres in this phase, was awarded to Messrs FIK Contracting and Engineering Ltd at N3,998,838,427.50 for a completion period of 18 months.

    Placed alongside the government’s investment in tourism and conferencing facilities, the project offers a glimpse into how Kwara plans to become a major hub for recreation, tourism, and entertainment.

    The cabinet also approved rehabilitation works on the 20km-long Arandun Township Roundabout-Esie-Oro Township Road to Obtuse Tec Engineering and Construction Ltd at N3,821,594,765.63 for a completion period of 10 months, further opening up the Kwara hinterlands for socioeconomic growth.

    The council also approved the award of extensive works on the Ajase Ipo-Oke Iya road in Irepodun, spanning 12 kilometres, to Messrs Construction Products Nigeria Ltd at N2,256,879,187.50 for a period of eight months.

    The council had also approved construction of Osin-Laduba Road, which connects Ilorin West to Asa local government area in the central senatorial district.

    The cabinet also approved the construction of Oke Ogun community-Awolowo road in Ilorin South local government area, further easing travel time within the capital city.

    The council also approved the construction of Aboto Oja-Alata Road in Asa, rehabilitation of Omu-Aran Oko Road in Irepodun, and completion of the Idera-Alabe section of the long-spanning Ile District road that had begun from Owode Ofaro, opening up the areas for improved commercial activities and boosting security in the Ifelodun axis of the state.

    Chaired by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the council approved the projects following presentations by the Commissioner for Works and Transport Engr. AbdulQuawiy Olododo who also laid bare the procurement process that the Ministry had adhered to.

    Rehabilitation works are meanwhile underway on the Ahmadu Bello Way, which connects the entire city centre to different government ministries, major economic facilities, state police command, state headquarters of the department of state security, Government House, and many other important institutions in the state.

    Olododo told the council that timely rehabilitation of the road is important to catch up with its approaching good-by date as alligator cracks and minor potholes are beginning to emerge in parts of the artery road.

    The council also authorised some rehabilitation and upgrade works on the Ilorin International Conference Centre (IICC) Roundabout-Sulu Gambari-Post Office Road, revving up the urban renewal efforts of the administration.

    The council had earlier awarded consultancy work for feasibility studies and development of technical blueprint for the implementation of the 18,000 hectare-Ilorin Smart City to Messrs Arctual Concepts Limited at the cost of N1.4bn.

    The smart city, a district modelled after some modern cities in the world, is an offshoot of the Ilorin City Master Plan which the administration designed as an upgrade to the first Ilorin Master Plan drawn up in the 1970s.

    Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development Dr. Segun Ogunsola told the council that the consultancy work entails development of the Ilorin Smart City Project Information Memorandum; environmental impact assessment; conceptual architectural and urban planning drawings; detailed land use master plan; among many others.

    Read Also: Kwara Gov Abdulrazaq visits school with 35 UTME star performers

    “In view of the size of the proposed new district, the quantum of resources that would be required and the high-level technicalities that the idea entails, it is necessary to appoint a consultant to midwife the idea and provide professional advisory services and consultancy for smooth, cost effective and seamless implementation of the project,” he said.

    Dr. Ogunsola said the Ilorin Smart City will be situated north of the University of Ilorin and south of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, providing a new frontier for sustainable expansion of the capital city and taking away excessive pressure from the capital town.

    “It shall have all the facilities and social amenities required to make a modern city function, including educational facilities, healthcare services centres, commercial services facilities, potable water, power supply infrastructure and good road network,” he said.

    “Ample provisions would be made for the construction of different scales of housing development, golf course, polo club, and other recreational as well as sporting facilities.”

  • Kwara a shining example in 3m tech talents’ campaign, says FG

    Kwara a shining example in 3m tech talents’ campaign, says FG

    Minister for Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, on Thursday praised the commitment and drive of Kwara Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq in making the dream of grooming three Million Technology Talents (3MTT) across Nigeria a reality in the State.

    Represented by the Community Manager for the Initiative, Ibrahim Zulkifuli, the Minister was speaking in Ilorin at the graduation ceremony for the 3MTT Cohort (1) and Launch of Kwara Digital Economy platform. 

    The Minister described the support of the State -Government as “amazingly huge” and commended AbdulRazaq’s partnership in building and transforming effective learners from the project.

    The 3MTT training programme is an initiative of the Federal Ministry which the Kwara State first keyed into. After a statewide sensitization and registration, Kwara got more than forty thousand entries early January, thereby enjoying massive commendation from the federal government.

    “We have all seen the digital transformation in the state and what the Honourable Minister envisioned is to ensure capacity building for everybody but we could see how it is transforming from Kwara through the support of His Excellency, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq,” he said.

    “The support is very huge and we could not even see it coming. Thank you very much for your support and guidance, Your Excellency.

    “Firstly, the Governor deployed the right head for the job, in the person of Special Assistant to the Governor on Digital Innovation and Technology, Hon Ishola Kayode. He is doing an amazing job in the area of sanitation and going to underserved communities in Kwara State. That actually makes Kwara the best when it comes to 3MTT support so far. And then, the Governor is giving resources support like laptops and among support. I must say that no other state is doing that.”

    Tijani also said the Ministry has a mission of getting the right skill and building something that is going to transform the state.

    “We are going to have a lot of digital transformation when it comes to business innovation. That is why we had a stakeholders’ engagement last month. We have the synergy and collaborative efforts to ensure that everything is going on smoothly and we are going to deploy a business star hub from this initiative,” he added.

    The event was graced by AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who was represented by the Senior Advisor Alhaji Sa’adu Salau; other cabinet members and government officials in the state; technocrats in the sector; and many entrepreneurs and tech experts, including the 3MTT Training graduates.

    The programme with the theme: “Harnessing the Unlimited Potentials of the Digital Economy,” also featured panel discussions.

    AbdulRazaq said the ceremony signposts the reality and prosperity of the commitment of the administration to transform Kwara state to a digital economy.

    “We all know that this state was regarded as a civil servants state. You know the series of multibillion naira investments we have put in place in the last five years to make sure that we transform from analogue to digital economy. This is because the preponderance of the younger generation, the youth, constitutes a major programme of this government,” the Governor said this on the sideline of the event.

    AbdulRazaq congratulated the participants and appreciated the Minister for giving the state the right support to thrive on the digitalization drive.

    “The investment essentially opens Kwara State to a lot of foreign investors in the digital economy and transforms the state from what it used to be to a digitally prepared economy in the global community. We thank Mr. President, and we thank the Honourable Minister for his leadership and support in this regard”, the Governor added, asking the graduates to make the best use of the programme.

    Commissioner for Business, Innovation and Technology, Damilola Yusuf Adelodun, who keynoted the event alongside another techie Engr. Taofeek Abdulkareem, said the gathering attests to how Governor AbdulRazaq is fostering a culture of innovation and supporting tech programmes that she noted are instrumental to creating opportunities for the upcoming tech professionals.

    She said the administration has created the Ilorin Innovation Hub to nurture and support tech talents, startups and innovations in the state.

    “We also have programmes such as the E-hackathon, partnership with IHS and other internal bodies which are currently ongoing, and others coming up in the areas of connectivity, data transfer, e-government, e-health, and much more”, she said.

    The Commissioner therefore advised the trainees to continue to embrace challenges and think outside the box to solve them, saying she has confidence in their potential to make significant impacts in the tech industry.

    Read Also: Kwara CJ excited as AbdulRazaq presents 12 new SUVs to Judges

    CEO Plat Technologies, Engr Taofeek Abdulkareem, said the graduates have acquired a solid foundation through that 3MTT training but enjoined them to take a step further by cultivating a digital mindset.

    Digital mindset is about thinking differently, thinking creatively, and thinking critically in the face of complexity and ambiguity, he said.

    “Remember that the journey of digital transformation is a marathon, not a sprint, and your willingness to adapt, evolve, and persevere will determine your success in the digital age”, he said.

    Special Assistant to the Governor on Digital Innovation, Ishola Kayode said Kwara is one of the few states across the federation that have chosen to harness the potential of the 3 Million talents programme, an action he said typifies a purposeful leadership of the Governor.

    He said the administration supported the 3MTT training with laptops for participants, provision of access to internet across the training centres, as well as distribution of gadgets as reward for outstanding participants.

  • Food security: Kwara gets 3,600 hectares of land from AfDB to grow maize, rice, other

    Food security: Kwara gets 3,600 hectares of land from AfDB to grow maize, rice, other

    Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq announced that the African Development Bank (AfDB) has designated 3,600 hectares of land to the Kwara state government under the National Agricultural Growth Scheme (NAGS) for cultivating maize, rice, and cassava.

    The governor said this during a meeting in Ilorin, the state capital, with stakeholders and the State Working Committee on food security.

    The meeting is part of the move to deliberate on the strategy to improve food production, strengthen the capacity of farmers, and development of the agricultural sector of the state.

    Mallam AbdulRazaq, while addressing the committee, said the essence of the State Working Committee on food security is to bolster agricultural productivity as well as food security in the state.

    Represented by his deputy, Kayode Alabi, the governor said that the responsibilities of the committee were to formulate policies, capacity building, research and innovation, collaborate and partnership, and also, monitor and evaluate farmers.

    He encouraged the committee to embrace all the responsibilities wholeheartedly to transform the challenges into opportunities for a prosperous and food-secured state.

    Earlier, commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mrs. Oloruntoyosi Thomas explained that NAGS is to build the resilience of the small-scaleholder farmers through increasing access to inputs, food, and nutrition security.

    “The food security working committee has been designed for proper execution of the objectives of NAGS-AP. NAGS-AP is a project of the African Development Bank, and it has put together a good model and identified stakeholders such as input partners, the state government, agro-dealers, and farmers.

    “All these partners have been engaged in one way or the other. Therefore, our main role is to select real farmers for the programme that will properly sensitize the farmers on the model in place”, the commissioner disclosed.

    According to her, Kwara state is considered for maize, rice, and cassava.

    Read Also: Kwara opens bids for FGN/UBEC/SUBEB intervention projects

    “The state has been given 3600 hectares. As a committee, our role is to monitor and ensure that things are done according to the guidelines provided by the African Development Bank (AfDB)”, she added.

    Mrs. Thomas added that the selection of the real farmers would ensure that farmers give back to the government what they were supposed to give out upon harvest.

    In his remark, a representative of the traditional council, who doubles as the Etsu of Tsaragi Alhaji Abdullahi Aliyu, expressed delight for the programme, adding that traditional rulers, who predominantly, are farmers would lead by example.

    He assured that traditional rulers would support the state government’s efforts in reducing unemployment among the youths by ensuring the success of the programme in the state.

  • Kwara opens bids for FGN/UBEC/SUBEB intervention projects

    Kwara opens bids for FGN/UBEC/SUBEB intervention projects

    Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) on Monday opened bids for execution of the 2021 FG/UBEC/SUBEB school intervention project.

    The bid opening for the year 2021 school project comes following a successful completion of the 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 categories. 

    Performing the bid opening in Ilorin, Kwara Deputy Governor, Mr Kayode Alabi, said the present administration gives special attention to payment of counterpart funds, thereby making Kwara eligible to access FG/UBEC funds to improve infrastructure in public basic schools. 

    “Today is another milestone in the history of the state, as the state government opens bids for fresh projects in our basic schools. This is part of the fruits of regularly paying counterpart funds. The government will leave no stone unturned to continue to attract opportunities that will lead to growth especially in revamping basic education in the state,” Alabi said on the sideline of the event. 

    He said the administration will continue to prioritize the development of critical infrastructure across all sectors of the economy, including making educational  institutions more habitable for quality teaching and learning. 

    Alabi charged bidders, who may be lucky to get the contracts, to work according to the specifications and ensure that quality jobs are delivered.

    At least a total of 275 bids were received for the Five (5) lots that were advertised for the 2021 school intervention projects, including the construction of Block of Two classrooms with Office in 23 locations; construction of VIP Toilet in 6 locations; remodeling of classrooms in 20 locations; fabrication of Teachers/Pupils Furniture 250/2984 Units; and drilling & installation of motorized solar borehole in 6 locations.

    The ceremony was graced by government officials, both from the state and federal establishments, including the Chairman, Kwara House Assembly’s Committee on Education, Hon Baba Boriya; Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Hajia Sa’adatu Madibbo Kawu; Chairman for SUBEB, Prof Shehu Raheem Adaramaja; representative of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr Suleiman Sheu; representative of Head of Service, Alhaji Muhammad Ibrahim; representative of Commissioner for 

    Business Innovation and Technology, Hon Damilola Yusuf Adelodun, Alhaji Abdulrafiu Adeniran; while the Commissioner for Finance, Dr Awah Nuhu was represented by Hajia Fatimoh Bolajoko Muhammad.

    Others include State Co-ordinator for UBEC Mrs Victoria Sofolahan; representatives of Ag Zonal Director EFCC, Ilorin zonal Command, Ujilibo Stanley; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Communications, Alhaji Yahaya Muhammed; Permanent Secretary Ministry of Works and Transports, Alhaji Abdullahi Mao; General Manager, Kwara State Public Procurement Agency, QS Abdulraheem Baqi; state Chairman of NUT, Comrade Yusuf Wahab; management staff, Kwara SUBEB; and the contractors who came in their large numbers. 

    Adaramaja, for his part, described the exercise as highly competitive because of the size of bidders and the numbers of the projects to be awarded. 

    He thanked Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for his continual efforts at ensuring the payment of counterpart funds and the utilization of all available opportunities to improve the standard of infrastructure and education in the state.

    “Today’s exercise is as competitive as ever as it used to be because of the sizes and numbers of the projects to be awarded. A total of 275 bids were received for the Five (5) lots advertised in 2021 FGN/UBEC/SUBEB intervention projects. This is huge, and will go a long way to further changing the faces of basic schools in the state,” he said.

    Read Also: Kwara shuts abattoir over alleged sale of poisonous meat

    The SUBEB boss disclosed that Governor AbdulRasaq has equally approved 2022 and 2023 counterpart funds, adding that the projects for the two years would soon be advertised.

    “Let me quickly remind you again that, the projects which are mapped up for bidding are in different Lots i.e. Lot (1 to 5): Lot 1, Construction of Block of Two Classrooms with Office in 23 locations; Lot 2, Construction of VIP Toilet in 6 locations; Lot 3, Remodeling of Classrooms in 20 locations; Lot 4, Fabrication of Teachers/Pupils Furniture 250/2984 Units, Lot5, Drilling & Installation of Motorized Solar Borehole in 6 locations,” he added.

    Speaking on behalf of the contractors, Alhaji Magaji Akaje commended the government for being transparent in the bid process, and promised not to let the government down if they get the contracts.