By Grace Ehi Unogwu – FUDMA
The Federal Ministry of Education (FME), under the 2021 Needs Assessment Intervention Funds Project, has allocated funds to the Federal University Dutsin-Ma (FUDMA) for the procurement of a 100-seat capacity Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) bus to enhance staff and student transportation.
The disclosure was made during the public opening of Financial Tender Documents submitted by contractors, held at the Main Campus Senate Chambers of the University on Tuesday.
Speaking at the event, the Vice Chancellor of FUDMA, Prof. Mohammed Khalid Othman, said the exercise was aimed at ensuring that all contractual processes are conducted in a manner that is open, transparent, and in full compliance with the Public Procurement Act and other extant laws governing the award of contracts.
Prof. Othman added that the University remains committed to due process and accountability in all its dealings. He noted that the doors of the institution are always open for advice, and expressed appreciation to companies that indicated interest in executing projects for the growth and development of FUDMA.
The Director of Procurement, Bldr. Uboke Yusuf Ajingi, said the intervention was made possible by the Federal Ministry of Education’s implementation of recommendations from the Monitoring Committee on the Assessment of Nigeria’s Public Universities. He stated that FUDMA was fortunate to be among the institutions selected to benefit from the intervention.
Briefing participants on the procurement process, the Chief Procurement Officer, Hamisu Garba Mele, said advertisements for the project were published in two national newspapers to invite eligible and reputable suppliers with relevant experience and a proven track record of timely project delivery.
He explained that all submitted tenders would be evaluated by the Procurement Evaluation Committee to determine bidders’ responsiveness to requirements. According to him, only companies that are qualified and found responsive would be considered for the award based on the lowest financially evaluated responsive bid, in line with provisions of the Public Procurement Act.
The highlight of the occasion was the official public opening of the financial documents by another Chief Procurement Officer, Ibrahim Umar Ibrahim. The event was witnessed by the DVC Academics, Prof. Abubakar Sadiq Sulaiman, DVC Administration, Prof. Elizabeth Hugh Yecho, the Bursar, Mal. Abubakar Muhammad Gafai, and other principal officers of the University.