The Ekiti State Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) has begun the process of awarding Ikole-Ikoyi-Igbemo road and Ijero-Epe-Araromi-Iropora road totalling 31.12km as the Project, on Monday, opened bids submitted by six construction companies.
Speaking in Ado Ekiti at the bid opening exercise, the State Project Coordinator, Hon Sunday Adunmo said the proposed construction of the two roads are in tandem with the agriculture and rural development agenda of the administration of Governor Biodun Oyebanji in the State.
Adunmo who noted that the two roads connect three local government areas of the State said the proposed construction works would not only provide motorable road networks but also help farmers in the affected routes in transporting their farm produce to markets and solving food shortage which has beset the nation.
The Project Coordinator lamented the losses which farmers in the State had experienced before the commencement of RAAMP in the State and assured that the project would improve the livelihood of farmers while also helping the State become the food basket of the southwestern Nigeria.
While assuring the bidders of fairness, Adunmo said the evaluation of the bids would be done without favoritism as the project is only interested in contractors who have capacity to deliver quality jobs.
In their remarks, the representative of the State Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) Engr Samuel Ogundare and Mr. Eyitayo Fabunmi, the Executive Director of CESFORD, a Civil Society Organisation who monitored the bid opening exercise, hailed Ekiti RAAMP for being transparent with the bidding process.
The representatives of the bidders equally expressed confidence in the bidding process, saying that it was transparent as vital information on each bid was read out to all.
The bid opening exercise was also attended by the chairman of the State Project Monitoring Committee who doubles as the Permanent Secretary in the anchor Ministry, Agriculture and Food Security, Engr Olugbenga Odesanmi, and members of the Project Implementation Unit, among others.
O’Seun Ogunsakin
Development Communication Officer,
Ekiti RAAMP