Contractors threaten to occupy Kaduna Govt House over 1.2bn debt

Contractors under the auspices of Group of Kaduna Drainage Contractors have decried the alleged refusal of the Kaduna state government to pay their contract fees amounting to N1.2 billion.

The contractors, who gave five-day ultimatum for government to invite them to a round table, threatened to block the entrance to the Government House if Governor Nasir El-rufai failed to pay them at the expiration of the ultimatum.

While addressing newsmen shortly after an emergency meeting held at Hamdala Hotel Garden, Kaduna on Wednesday, the Public Relations Officer of  the Kaduna Road Agency,  Nasir Abubakar, disclosed that the contractors will not only occupy the gate leading to the Government House, but will also mobilise their children, wives and family members to join the protest.

According to him, the contracts were scattered across seven local government areas of the state: Kaduna North, Kaduna South, Igabi, Chikun, Zaria, Sabo Gari, and Jama’a.

The contractors, numbering 489, further claimed that some selected close allies of the governor were paid the sum of six hundred million Naira in December, 2017.

“Initially, the allocated amount for the said contracts was N3.5 billion and thereafter, it was screened to N1.8 billion with the inauguration of a committee headed by the Secretary to Kaduna State Government, Abass Balarabe.

“As I speak to you now, 46 contractors are currently in jail because they couldn’t pay for the materials collected, ranging from blocks, planks, sands, granite among other materials,” Abubakar said.

The aggrieved contractors also claimed “there is an order for the approval of six hundred million Naira to be paid to the drainage contractors, as at the time of meeting, yet nobody, out of the contractors has received any payment alert.”

The group however called on the state government to ensure the urgent payment of the amount owed them.

Our correspondent, however, gathered that the Finance Ministry distanced itself from the controversy, as it said KADRA was in a position to comment on the matter.