A group, The Local Contractors of Nigeria, on Monday staged a protest against the non-payment for contracts executed by them across the country.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the protest was held in the Ministry of Finance, Abuja.
The protest was tagged: “Marathon Peaceful Protest/Hunger Strike against Federal Government Delay to Pay for Contracts Executed by Local Contractors between three to 12 years.”
The protesters carried placards with inscription such as: “Madam Minister, you told us N18 billion was released to pay us, where is the money; and Save our children from starvation, pay us now.
Danny Rowland, Publicity Secretary of the group, while speaking with newsmen, said the contractors who had executed validly awarded contracts had not been paid for their services.
According to Rowland, local contractors who executed validly awarded contracts in various Ministries, Departments and Agencies about three to 12 years ago are protesting delay of the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning to pay them.
The group said it was aware of a statement from the Finance Ministry that billions of naira had been approved and released by the Presidency to settle liabilities.
“Over 5,000 members of the Local Contractors across the nation are passing through severe life threatening situations and hunger, while some have passed on as a result of this delay to pay us,” Rowland said.
He also noted that during one of the group’s protests on July 8, an official assured that the Finance Ministry would pay the contractors within two weeks.
He added that such empty, deceptive and unfulfilled promise heightened pressure from the contractors’ creditors after the expiration of the stipulated period.
Rowland, however, noted that local contractors had borrowed money from banks with interests and executed the contracts.
He said: “We are calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to mandate the Minister of Finance to pay local contractors now or else we will remain in this protest and hunger strike before the eyes of the globe.”
NAN reports that while the protest was on some of the executives of the local contractors were invited to meet with Alhaji Ahmed Aliyu, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning.
The closed door meeting lasted for over an hour.
Rowland, while addressing newsmen at the end of the closed door meeting, said Aliyu assured the executive that payment would start within two and half weeks from September.
He said: “He assured us that the money available for our payment was not up to the earlier amount that was mentioned.
“He assured us that there was money in billions but he did not tell us the accurate amount that will settle the local contractors.
“He also said that the ministry wanted to make sure that the money that was available was judiciously used for the real contractors that were being owed as strange names had started appearing from nowhere.”
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