Oyo SUBEB threatens legal action against defaulting contractors

The Executive Chairman of Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr. Nureni Adeniran, has said that the state government may terminate all contracts that were awarded but  not executed or completed by the contractors three years after they were awarded.

Adeniran, stated this while fielding questions on a live programme at an Ibadan-based radio station.

He said that the Board has resolved to sue defaulting contractors handling long overdue SUBEB/UBEC projects, who have either abandoned such projects or have not executed projects commensurable with the funds they have received.

The SUBEB boss revealed that some contractors have failed to justify the contracts awarded to them by the immwdiate  past administration in the state, while some of them have abandoned the projects.

He said his tenure as the Executive Chairman of SUBEB has afforded him the opportunity to uncover how contractors have ripped off the state government with shoddy jobs after collecting the huge sums for contracts.

He further revealed that the Board would, as a matter of duty recruit security guards to secure public primary schools soon, adding that this would help to prevent intrusion, invasion and vandalisation of public primary schools property in the state.

While pointing out that the UBEC/SUBEB 2019 Intervention Project would allow the rebuilding of some public primary schools fences, Adeniran added that the Board has a good synergy with all the relevant security agencies that would assist in securing the property of the public schools.

The chairman also hinted that four model schools whose contracts were  awarded this year have been completed, while the fifth is near completion.

He reiterated the commitment of stakeholders in  Oyo State’  to revamp the education sector, including fixing the incessant problem of inadequate infrastructure.

“The Education family, which includes the Honourable Commissioner for Education, the Teaching Service Commission, the Oyo SUBEB Chairman and other relevant stakeholders in the state education sector are developing a holistic and comprehensive approach to resolve the problem of inadequate infrastructures in public schools in the state.

“On the issue of gratuity, what the government of Governor Seyi Makinde has paid in just over one year is more than what the past administration paid in eight years.

“Similarly, the Board is ready to assist the Ministry of Education in monitoring the common entrance examinations for primary six pupils which is to be conducted by the ministry, while the common entrance examination  had to be postponed because of the ongoing WAEC examinations in schools that are already centres for the examinations,” he said.

He disclosed that the management of the Board have been divided into five teams to cover the five zones for effective monitoring and management of the common entrance examinations in the state.

“The Board will still recruit more teachers so as to fill the deficit in number of available teachers in the state,” he noted.