Report of the Bauchi State House of Assembly Committee on Education has uncovered sharp practices and contracts racketeering at the Bauchi State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, WikkiTimes can authoritatively report.
The committee in a report submitted to the Assembly during house plenary on Tuesday said sharp practices and contracts racketeering such as “buying and selling of contracts against procurement laws, non-execution/in-completion of some contracts more than a year after award as well as shoddy execution of some contracts” are becoming the order of the day at the Board.
The committee said contractors awarded to construct and repair classroom blocks were found wanting as “80% of the newly constructed/renovated structures across the State call for urgent attention in those areas.”
In a 13 page report submitted to the Assembly and exclusively obtained by WikkiTimes, the committee has uncovered 252 uncompleted and six unexecuted contracts awarded by SUBEB.
The committee had also uncovered sub-standards execution of hand pump boreholes at Gadda Primary School, Alkaleri LGA, Dinchi Primary School and JSS Fagam in Dambam LGA and Wahu Primary School, Zoro and Wuro Bokki Primary School in Darazo LGA.
The Assembly committee directed that the contractors should not be paid until they corrected all the defects associated with the contracts execution.
The Education Committee also recommended that all companies and contractors that executed substandard projects “to the detriment of the people of Bauchi State should be blacklisted and investigation should be made on the alleged negligence of SUBEB engineers and anybody found wanting should be punished to serve as deterrence to others.”
The committee after its presentation had recommended that the Assembly as a matter of urgency summons SUBEB Chairman, Dr. Abubakar Surrinbai Shiekh Dahiru Bauchi officials to appear before it on the 14th of July, 2020 to offer explanations on the alleged shoddy deals and contracts racketeering.
Other recommendations made by the Committee include; “SUBEB should be conducting quarterly inspection of all the newly constructed/renovated structures across the State with a view to protecting their standard and durability, the executive arm should be advised to construct fencing walls in schools that are located in urban areas in order to provide security required for effective teaching and learning and SUBEB should henceforth auction the zinc, woods, doors and windows removed from renovated classrooms to the people of the host communities.”
The committee also agreed that monitoring and evaluation and constant oversight “are the key to end the problems; thus the House Committee on education will swing to action.”
The report also recommended that all members of the Assembly should monitor all contracts being executed in their constituencies and be reporting to the House Committee on education.
