By TheAdmin
The World Bank assisted program for Agro-Processing, Productivity and Livelihood Improvement (APPEALS) has assured of a level playing ground in the Bid opening for the Construction of farm access roads in Cross River.
The State Project Coordinator (SPC), Dr. Marcel Agim gave the assurance at the weekend during the opening event of the Bids for the Farm Access roads, held at the Axari Hotel and Suites in Calabar.
Agim maintained that the APPEALS project will grant equal opportunities to all bidders as the doors are open to receive complaints from the various stakeholders involved in driving the process.
The State Project Coordinator, further intimated that all the necessary preparations have been made to achieve a transparent and credible exercise.
Speaking on the part of the State Government, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of International Development Cooperation, Dr. Timothy Ogbang Akwaji expressed appreciation to the APPEALS project and the World Bank for the new concept of designing farm roads to take Agriculture to better levels with good access and evacuation roads.
Akwaji assured that the Cross River State Government was committed to the course of the project which will create better access roads for farm produces and assured that transparency in the realization of the project is peramount because the execution will trigger development of the concerned rural areas as well as open employment opportunities for youths.
Speaking earlier, the Procurement Officer of the Project, Mr. Emmanuel Okokon informed that 27 bids out of 37 entries from bidders would be handled in accordance with laid down procedures of the World rBank.
Also speaking the head of Budget Transparency and Accountability Network (BTAN), Mr. Kingsley Eeoro who representef the Civil Society at the event, described the opening of the Bids as transparent and credible.
The Head of Due Process department in the State government, Mr. Esther U7shie applauded the APPEALS project for following strictly, the procedure of the World Bank in the Bid process, noting that it was exemplary.
In a vote of thanks giving by the Managing Director of Ekeson Global Resources, Prince Ubong Sam further described the bid exercise as free and fair.
He used the occasion to call on youths to be purposeful, identify their talents and work toward realizing same .
Many stakeholders in the agriculture sector as well as government functionaries and representatives of the Civil Society Organization attended the event