About 74 contractors are jostling for the contract to maintain and provide streetlights in the AMAC area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which includes the city centre.
The financial bid for street lights maintenance and installation opened in the Archives House and History Bureau in Abuja on Wednesday.
Before the bid opening exercise, Deputy Director of the FCTA Department of Procurement, Dr Kabir Suleiman, who flagged off the exercise, told the contractors to be orderly. He said the technical bid took place by the procurement law earlier published in March. He also informed that some contractors were disqualified for not meeting the conditions.
The exercise was divided into 21 bids: 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, Jabi district, Karmo district, Katampe Extension, Life Camp and Yar'Adua Way, Maitama district, ONEX lot 1 and Ring Road 1 and 2. Utako district, Wuse 1 district, and Wuse 2 district were equally captured in the maintenance and provision of streetlights.
However, some residents and stakeholders who witnessed the bidding expressed disappointment, saying some companies awarded the sensitive presidential road and airport road axis should not be left in the hands of new contractors who do not have the basic experience to handle it.
One of the stakeholders and residents of Guzape, Mr Kazeem Fashola, questioned the rationale behind giving such a sensitive contract to Port-Harcourt-based firms that are strictly into events management. Specifically, he pointed out that Metropole Courtyard Limited and Camry Construction Limited, which won the bidding did not meet the required prerequisite advertised for the project.
He said: “The advert made it clear that you must have an 18-metre platform to manage the presidential route, but this company, which is domiciled in Port Harcourt does not have it because their profile shows that they are only into events management. Is it that they have abandoned technicality on the presidential route for patronage?”
He, therefore, called for caution in the re-award of streetlight maintenance on routes constantly plied by top personalities and visiting dignitaries.
Another stakeholder, who lives along the ever-busy Airport Road in the Kuje axis of the FCT, Mrs. Victoria Aloba, wondered why the contractor presently maintaining the project is being changed when the streetlights along the route had been perfect in the last couple of months.
