Some aggrieved contractors handling some of the contracts in Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Programmes in partnership with Imo State Universal Basic Education Board (ImoSUBEB) have raised an alarm, alleging that UBEC projects meant for local contractors in Imo State has been diverted to a popular foreign company owned by a high profile public office holder in Imo State
The contractors are insisting that UBEC projects are federal government projects, and wondered why a company they said is owned by a serving public office holder in the state should hijack them despite the fact that such public afficer has already taken over most of the projects in the state.
One of the contractors who spoke to Imo Trumpeta, but pleaded anonymity for fear of victimization, stated that since the advent of the present administration, the foreign company operating in the state, has taken over most of the UBEC projects in the state despite the fact that they were first awarded to the local contractors.
The source gave an example of the ETF 2010 projects which he said was bided for and awarded to the local contractors, with 85% of the contract execution money released to the present administration in March 2012. The source stated that verifiable information has it that the project has been taken over by this foreign company.
Continuing, the source stated that the 2010, 2011 and 2012 UBEC intervention fund for the state has not been accessed, while the other South Eastern states have accessed theirs. He expressed fear that the delay in accessing the fund might be an attempt to delay the projects so that at the end they will be awarded to the foreign company.
On the counterpart funds made available by the Ohakim led administration and put into the Central Bank for use for the 2012 projects, the source alleged that the present State government has pulled it out and lodged it in a commercial bank for unknown purposes, and wondered the reason for it.
The source lamented that the action of the state government is denying local contractors the chance to take part in educational projects in the state. He gave an example of the supply of school uniforms, books, bags and sandals to schools in the state by foreign firms, things which he said, the local contractors could have easily supplied if given the opportunity.
He stated that the projects done by the local contractors in the state have received awards from regulators, and thus pleaded with the state government to stop short changing them and give them the opportunity to contribute to the rescue mission.
It would be recalled that in 2011, the Imo State Universal Basic Education Board won an Excellency Award from the UBEC headquarters in Abuja for the quality of its projects done by the local contractors. The state was declared the best in the South East and won a gold plaque and a cash price of one hundred million naira.
