The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project was granted to Hitech Construction Company Ltd., and the Works Minister, Senator Dave Umahi, gave an explanation during the weekend.
While on his inspection trip of the Lagos highway project, he disclosed this information.
He stated, “There are many who claim that there was no competitive bidding.
“Let me explain: the law permits three different forms of procurement,” he stated.
Open bidding, selective/competitive bidding, and restrictive procurement were the three categories mentioned by Umahi.
“When this project began, we requested businesses with a maximum of five wired concrete pavers.
“You would agree with me that concrete pavers were not as common in Nigeria as they are now before we started this.
“Hitech is a company that has experience with this type of project, which is what we needed to find.”
According to him, Hitech rebuilt the Oworonshoki-Apapa Road.
After noticing that they were correct, we phoned them on Section 1.
Our next step was restrictive bidding, which we sent to the Federal Executive Council and the Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP). They reviewed it, made the necessary corrections, and approved it.
Read Also: Akpabio Accused of Working Against APC, Colluding with PDP
As he explained, “other companies began bringing in concrete equipment after they noticed that the Ministry of Works was insisting that we use concrete, especially in areas where our water table was high.”
“As a result, the Federal Government opened Section 2 of the project to selective bidding and selected certain companies, who then placed bids,” Umahi added.
He said that the auction was won by Hitech.
The same thing occurred in Sections 3A and 3B, according to the minister.
“We have not violated the Procurement Act or been outside the law.”
He emphasized that there was no company that President Bola Tinubu suggested for the highway project.
“Let me state that it is free of corruption. “It’s really clear,” he said.
