By Onozure Dania

Itsekiri Regional Development Committee, IRDC, on Monday, began the process for the award of new housing, hospitals, roads and jetties’ projects, with a bid opening ceremony.

Chairman of IRDC, Amb Austine Oniyesan, in his opening remarks, during the ceremony held at IRDC secretariat in Warri, Delta State, said it was the tradition of the community development body “to allow competitive bidding for all our projects and it has always given us the most qualified community contractors for our projects and also keeping cost on the low.”

Noting that Gbokoda and Madangho hospitals were part of the 2019/2020 projects’ circle to be awarded, the IRDC Chairman assured that the 139 bids submitted, will be properly evaluated.

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Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL, representative and IRDC Team Lead, Mr. Douglas Ibigo, noted that the leadership of Itsekiri oil and gas communities’ development body, informed CNL of the process and ensured that it went through the necessary documentation, including advertorial, calling for tenders.

Ibigo said a committee comprising the representatives of Delta State government, the three Warri councils, Chevron, other government agencies and non-governmental organisations that mid-wife IRDC, will analyse the bids to ensure transparency and accountability.

Chairman of Project Review Committee, PRC of IRDC, Joseph Owolo, urged contractors that will emerge winners in the bidding process, to execute the projects at the stipulated time.

Two of the contractors, Oritseweyinmi Aginejuone and Prince Harry Tuoyo, commended the bid opening process.

Vanguard