Abuja Attracts-Interest From 74-Contractors For Lighting-Project(Details)

Abuja Attracts-Interest From 74-Contractors For Lighting-Project(Details)

Seventy-four contractors are jostling for the contract to maintain and provide street lights in AMAC area of FCT, which includes the city centre.

The financial bid for street lights maintenance and installation opened in Archives House and History Bureau in Abuja yesterday.

Before the bid opening, Deputy Director of FCTA Department of Procurement, Dr Kabir Suleiman, said the technical bid took place by the procurement law and was published in March.

He informed that some contractors were disqualified for not meeting the conditions.

The bid divided into 21 were: Airport Expressway lots 1 and 2 as well as ONEX lot 2, Maitama district, Apo district and Games Village areas, Asokoro district, CBN and Embassy zone, Garki 1 district and Garki 2 district.

Others are Guzape district, Gwarinpa estate 1st to 5th Avenue, and Jabi district as well as Karmo district and Katampe Extension. Life Camp and Yar’Adua Way, Maitama district, and ONEX lot 1 and Ring Road 1 and 2.

Utako district, Wuse 1 district, and Wuse 2 district are also captured.

However, some residents and stakeholders, who witnessed the  process, said some companies that got the sensitive presidential road and airport road axis should not leave them to new contractors without experience.

A statement by a resident of Guzape, Kazeem Fashola, queried the rationale behind giving such a sensitive contract to companies into events management.

He said the company, which won the bid, did not meet requirements for the project.

“The advert made it clear you must have an 18-metre platform to manage the presidential route, but this company’s profile shows they are only into events management. Is it that they have abandoned technicality on the presidential route for patronage?

He called for caution in the re-award of streetlight maintenance on routes plied by the President and top dignitaries.

He said: “Bringing in new companies without experience in such sensitive roads calls for caution.

“Besides, contractors handling it have been profiled with security agencies on the road and they are familiar with technical knowledge of streetlighting on the routes.”

Another resident, who lives on Airport Road in Kuje axis, Mrs. Victoria Aloba, wondered why the contractor maintaining the project is changed when the streetlights along the route had been perfect in the last months.

She said: “Apart from street light maintenance, they have a station street lighting patrol van on the road which has reduced attack of people around the Kuje junction area.”